Grilled Ratatouille Boats

I got a free one-year subscription to Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine through some special offer nearly a year ago. I thumb through them when they arrive in my mailbox and see some pretty delicious-looking dishes, but I think until now I haven't made a single one. Why? I don't exactly know!

This month's magazine arrived and I did my usual scan and came across these zucchini boats with cheese on top. My first thought was, "What kind of meat do those have in them?" but as I read through the ingredients, much to my delight I discovered there wasn't any at all, and the only thing I'd need to adapt was the type of cheese, and that was simple!

So tonight my husband and I whipped these out and snuck over to the neighbor's house to grill them (they were out of town, and we just party it up over there when they're gone!) Unfortunately, I didn't follow my own rule of reading carefully through the directions before launching forth, but fortunately they still turned out great. I'm excited to make them again soon and actually follow the directions. What a concept!

Here you go:

Grilled Ratatouille Boats

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlice, minced
1 eggplant, cubed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C. chopped parsley
1/3 C. shredded mozarella cheese (I used vegan cheddar)


1. Scoop balls of flesh from center of zucchini to create boats (use melon baller - it works great!) Preheat grill to medium high.


2. Heat 1 T. oilve oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook for 5 min. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 T. olive oil, the eggplant and zucchini balls; cover and cook for 8 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and cook, stirring until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. I accidentally dumped in too much pepper, but in the end, I loved it. I'll add plenty next time, for sure!

3. Fill zucchini shells with the ratatouille, sprinkle with cheese, and grill, covered, over medium high heat until the cheese is melted and shells are slightly softened.


Oh, my, my! These were delicious and so good for you. You could substitute all kinds of different veggies. Plan for at least two boats per person.