Ready, steady, mash!

If you like mashed potatoes, and you want to add some veggies to your meal as well, then you'll love these. The stuffing is just so delicious that I was eating it all the while I was stuffing the zucchini.
It can actually be used to stuff any other vegetable: eggplants, bell peppers, tomatoes, only the cooking time may change slightly.
Whether you're looking for a side dish or something light for dinner to be served with a nice mixed salad, you've got a winner!
I'm going to serve you some roast chicken with these zucchini, so come back for more.

POTATO STUFFED ZUCCHINI

4 small or medium sized potatoes
4 zucchini
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano
1 clove of garlic
salt, pepper
dry or fresh herbs of your choice (thyme, marjoram, basil)

Wash and cook unpeeled potatoes, about 30 minutes from the moment they start boiling.
Or if you're in a hurry, peel and chop them and cook for 10 minutes.
Wash the zucchini and cut off the two ends, boil them for 5 minutes in slightly salted boiling water. Take them out and let cool a little.
Cut off approx. 1/5 on one side of each zucchini and cut that part into very small cubes.
Carefully scoop the pulp from the zucchini (I was going to add that to the filling as well, but it was made of seeds mainly, so I just discarded that part). Leave the empty zucchini shells, cut side down, on a piece of kithcen paper to drain well.

Peel and smash the potatoes.

Add the chopped parts of the zucchini, the Parmigiano, finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper, the herbs,

and in the end the slightly beaten egg as well.
Mix well to combine.

Place the zucchini into a baking dish (it can be slightly bigger then you really need, cause I'm sure you'll have some leftover filling).


Fill the zucchini and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in the oven preheated to 200°C for about 20-30 minutes.

There was plenty of filling, and I really wish I had put it on the bottom of the dish and baked together with the zucchini. Instead, I thought I would use the leftovers to make some potato croquettes, that I ended up not making, but I'm sure they would have been gorgeous. Next time.

Stay tuned for the finger licking roast chicken recipe.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Adoro le patate, per il loro sapore, ma anche per il fatto che si possono fare in mille modi, e avere così un piatto sempre diverso. Questo ripieno era così buono che lo mangiavo da solo mentre preparavo le zucchine.
Con lo stesso ripieno si possono farcire anche altre verdure (pomodori, melanzane, peperoni...).

ZUCCHINE CON RIPIENO DI PATATE

4 patate piccole
4 zucchine
1 uovo
2 cucchiai di parmigiano grattugiato
1 spicchio d'aglio
sale, pepe
erbe aromatiche (basilico, timo, maggiorana)

Lavate le patate e cuocetele per circa 30 minuti.
Lavate e spuntate le zucchine, cuocetele per 5 minuti nell'acqua bollente leggermente salata.
Toglietele dall'acqua e lasciate raffreddare un po'. Tagliate un lato alle zucchine (1/5 circa dello spessore). Con un cucchiaino scavate la polpa. Lasciate le zucchine capovolte su un foglio di carta da cucina.
Riducete la parte tagliata in pezzettini piccoli.
Pelate e schiacciate le patate, unite il parmigiano, i pezzettini delle zucchine, l'aglio schiacciato, sale, pepe e le erbe aromatiche. Unite alla fine anche l'uovo leggermente sbattuto, e mescolate bene tutto.
Riempite le zucchine, e cuocetele con un filo d'olio nel forno preriscaldato a 200°C per circa 20-30 minuti.
Sicuramente vi avanzerà un po' di ripieno. Potete distribuirlo sul fondo della pirofila e cuocere insieme alle zucchine, oppure preparare delle crocchette, impanarle e friggerle.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Unesite malo živosti u pripremu pire krumpira, dobit ćete doista ukusan prilog, krumpir i povrće sve u jednom. Zašto ne?
Poslužite kao prilog uz meso ili kao laganu večericu uz miješanu salatu.

TIKVICE PUNJENE KRUMPIROM

4 manja krumpira
4 zelene tikvice
1 jaje
2 žlice ribanog parmezana
sol, vegeta
aromatično bilje (bosiljak, timijan, mažuran)
1 češanj češnjaka

Operite i skuhajte neoguljen krumpir.
Tikvice operite, odrežite im krajeve i kuhajte ih 5 minuta u malo posoljenoj vodi.
Ocijedite tikvice, kad se malo prohlade odrežite im jednu stranicu (otprilike 1/5). Odrezani dio narežite na sitne kockice, a ostatak tikvice izdubite nožem ili žličicom. Ostavite izdubljene tikvice na kuhinjskom papiru, izdubljeni dio okrenut prema dolje, da se dobro ocijede.
Krumpir ogulite i zgnječite u pire. Dodajte mu tikvice narezane na kockice, parmezan, sitno nasjeckano aromatično bilje (može i suho, ako nemate svježeg), protisnuti češnjak i jaje. Posolite i povegetite po okusu. Dobro sve izmiješajte i napunite tikvice.
Složite ih u vatrostalnu posudu, polijte s malo maslinovog ulja i pecite u pećnici zagrijanoj na 200°C 20-30 minuta.

Ako vam ostane punjenja, možete ga staviti na dno posude u kojoj pečete tikvice, ili napravite krokete, uvaljajte ih u brašno, umućeni bjeljanjak i mrvice pa ispržite u vrelom ulju.