Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

We are once again on a mission to cook as healthy as possible this week -- but not lose good taste! I will warn you that this recipe is a bit time consuming (maybe just the first time you make it), but it was so worth it. This was SO delicious!!! We also had a lot of leftover filling, so I can't wait to eat that for lunch today and tomorrow. The nice thing is that you can get creative with the filling - put it in a taco or on a salad, etc. Definitely give this a try!

NOTE: The recipe below is my adaptation. Ingredients: 16 oz. 94% lean ground turkey 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained 3/4 cup corn, fresh or frozen (I bought frozen and microwaved them before adding them in) 2 tb canned jalapenos, diced (I didn't have fresh on hand) 1 large tomato, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tb fresh cilantro 1/4 cup onion, chopped few dashes of cumin (to taste) few dashes of smoked paprika (to taste) salt, to taste 5 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 1/4 cup shredded carrots, diced 1/2 cup jarred salsa shredded, reduced-fat Mexican cheese (1 tb per zucchini half) Herdez Guacamole salsa (I used this on top of each zucchini half) reduced-fat sour cream, for topping as desired

Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving 1/4-inch thick shell on each half. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside 1/2 of a cup to add to the turkey filling (squeeze excess water with a paper towel) discarding the rest or save to use in another recipe, along with the shredded/diced carrots. Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water. In a large skillet, brown the turkey and season with salt. When the turkey is browned, add onion, garlic, black beans, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, diced tomatoes, reserved zucchini and carrot, cumin and smoked paprika. Mix well and simmer on low, covered for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add corn and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until all the liquid reduces. Place the salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish (or two medium size dishes) and place the hollowed out zucchini cut side up in the dish. Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats dividing the filling equally, about 1/3 cup in each, pressing firmly. Top each with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. When serving, top with the guacamole salsa and a few dollops of sour cream!