Zucchini and Corn Pirate Boats

Ingredients

  • 4 medium zucchini, hollowed out, flesh reserved and chopped
  • 2 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely minced onion
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn)
  • 2 small zucchini, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Utensils

  • Medium-sized saucepan
  • Medium-sized heavy saucepan
  • Slotted spoon
  • Wooden skewers
  • Plate
  • Paper towel

Trying to get pre-schoolers interested in eating can be a challenge in itself! Pre-schoolers look around and see everything else that is going on and do not want to be confined to a chair. Make these Zucchini and Corn Pirate Boats to get your pre-schoolers to sit down and eat something nutritious!

Step by Step Instructions

To Make the Boats:

Bring a medium-sized saucepan with salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the zucchini and cook them for about three minutes until slightly tender. Remove the zucchini and put them aside so they can cool.

Scoop out the insides of the zucchini halves using a small spoon.

Put aside the cored halves and reserve the insides to use in the boat’s filling.

To Make the Filling:

Preheat a medium-sized, heavy saute pan over medium heat.

Slowly add bacon and cook for about five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plated lined with paper towel.

Remove all the bacon droppings from the saute pan, reserving about 2 1/2 tablespoons in the pan.
Add the onion to the pan and cook it until it is translucent.

Add the reserved zucchini filling plus the cubed zucchini and cook for one minute.

Add the garlic and cook it until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

Add the cilantro, tomato and corn then stir occasionally until the zucchini is tender, about five minutes.

Stir in the bacon and season with pepper and salt, to taste.

To Make the Masts:

Take two cherry tomatoes and thread them onto each skewer. Top with a half slice of the zucchini. Add a little piece of green onion.Now fill the zucchini boats with the filling and then insert a mast in the end of each of the boats. Arrange the zucchini boats on a serving platter and serve warm.

Notes

This recipe is geared towards pre-schoolers so if you are making this dish for yourself or the rest of the family, you may want to add extra garlic for flavor.