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8-Ball Zucchini

I spotted these 8-ball zucchini at the Downtown Market yesterday and knew what I would be having for dinner. Steve wanted nothing to do with them, so I halved the recipe and let him make his own dinner. Then I had to shoo him out of the kitchen three times for being in my way. Men.

2 large ball zucchini
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 t olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 t vegetable seasoning
1 t chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 c cooked rice
1/2 c finely chopped fresh parsley
3/4 c grated parmesan
1/4 c white wine/chicken stock/tomato juice

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the ends off the zucchini. Either cut the top deep to stuff whole, or cut it in half to stuff the separate halves. I like the stuffing-to-zucchini ratio when cutting it in half.

Use a spoon to coop out most of the seeds and flesh, leaving 1/2 inch attached to the skin. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, until just soft.

Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and peppers until they begin to soften. Remove to a mixing bowl, then add the ground beef. Season with the chopped garlic and some veggie seasoning (I used a mix I got from our Downtown Market, includes garlic, basil, oregano, thyme... a little of everything).

Drain the browned beef and add it to the bowl. Add in the cooked rice (I used white because I thought I didn't have brown), chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and wine. Look all over for the white wine, or some cooking wine, some kind of wine. Fail. Use home made stock instead. Stir to combine.

Add in some mozzarella cheese because you have some in the refrigerator.

Lightly spray a roasting pan with oil. If you're only roasting one ball zucchini, a pyrex bread pan works great. Stuff the zucchini until it's mounded so high it threatens to burst. Sprinkle with more mozzarella because you can, no one will stop you.

Pop it in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. Eye the leftover stuffing and the half of a red bell pepper, and decide to stuff that too. Throw it in a small Pyrex bowl, double-checking its oven-safeness, and toss it in the oven with the ball zucchini.

Give the hamsters the pepper center and laugh over their excitement.