MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI: Daily Diabetic Recipe

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Yield: 6 servings
Source: "The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes"

INGREDIENTS
- 3 medium zucchini (1-1/2 pounds total), ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves,
or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS
Put the zucchini in a medium saucepan. Add enough water
to cover and boil about 5 minutes, or just until tender.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a baking pan with nonstick pan spray.

Split the zucchini in half lengthwise; leaving a 1/4-inch shell,
scoop out the pulp. Chop the pulp from 1 zucchini; set aside.
Save the rest for another use (mixed vegetables, soup, or stew).

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add the onion and
sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add
the chopped zucchini pulp and all the other ingredients except
the pine nuts and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer over low
heat 15 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender.

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium
heat for 3 to 5 minutes until light brown and fragrant.
Stir them into the rice mixture.

Stuff the mixture into the zucchini shells. Arrange the
zucchini on the prepared baking pan and pour the tomato sauce
over and around the shells. Cover with foil; bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/2 stuffed zucchini):
Calories: 128, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 383 mg,
Carbohydrate: 23 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 3 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat