Zucchini Taco Boats — Trying New Things, One Bowl at a Time

January cold. The deep kind that gets into the walls and the lungs. The inhaler helps. Morning cough shorter, more manageable. Manageable is not cured but it's not dying, and I'll take it and cook with it and walk two miles with it every morning.

Made white chili Thursday — chicken instead of beef, white beans, green chilis, sour cream and Monterey Jack on top. Not Betty's food. Betty didn't know from white chili. But I'm trying new things because trying new things is its own kind of breathing — expanding, reaching, opening up.

Started pulmonary rehab at Baptist Health. Twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Breathing exercises, light cardio, education from a respiratory therapist named Diane who is patient and speaks to me like an adult. She said I'm doing well, the walking prepared me, most people come in deconditioned and I came in with a base. I thanked the walking. I thanked Connie for the shoes. I thanked the stubbornness Betty gave me.

That Thursday white chili was about more than dinner — it was proof that I could keep reaching, keep experimenting, keep opening up the way Diane talks about opening the lungs. These Zucchini Taco Boats carry that same spirit: something I wouldn’t have touched a year ago, a little unfamiliar, a little surprising, and exactly right for where I am now. Betty would have raised an eyebrow. I’m making them anyway.

Zucchini Taco Boats

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 1 lb ground chicken (or lean ground turkey)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilis, drained
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Hollow the zucchini. Using a small spoon, scoop out the center of each zucchini half, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Roughly chop the scooped flesh and set aside. Arrange the zucchini boats cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Cook the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3—4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add ground chicken, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.
4. Season and add mix-ins. Stir in the reserved chopped zucchini flesh, green chilis, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 2—3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through and fragrant.
5. Fill the boats. Spoon the filling evenly into each zucchini shell, mounding slightly. Top each with a generous pinch of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
6. Bake. Bake for 18—22 minutes, until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork and the cheese is melted and lightly golden at the edges.
7. Serve. Transfer to plates and top with a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg