Chef Johns Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook zucchini halves in boiling water to just soften slightly, about 1 minute. Remove zucchini halves from the water and arrange into the prepared baking dish with the cut sides facing upwards.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground turkey in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
• Return skillet to medium-high heat; pour water over the turkey and season with taco seasoning. Cook until the water thickens and coats the turkey, about 5 minutes. Add red peppers, diced tomatoes and green chiles, onion, and cilantro; cook and stir until the peppers are softened, about 5 minutes more.
• Stir sour cream and sour cream seasoning mix together in a bowl.
• Using a slotted spoon, spoon the turkey mixture into the hollows of each zucchini half and press firmly. Top the turkey mixture with about half the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle green onions, Muenster cheese, and Cheddar cheese over the sour cream mixture, respectively.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Top with remaining sour cream mixture.

Steps:

• Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle powder, salt, hot sauce, and lime juice for sauce in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until needed.
• Cut fish into eight 1 ½-inch pieces.
• Transfer fish to a bowl; add olive oil, salt, cumin, chipotle pepper, and chili powder. Toss with tongs, thoroughly but gently, until coated.
• Let fish marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss cabbage, salt, lime juice, and dried oregano together in a bowl with your hands until coated.
• Place 2 tortillas on the prepared baking sheet and coat lightly on both sides with some olive oil. Place 3 ounces of sliced fish on each tortilla, on only one side so that you can fold the tacos after baking.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork and tortillas are browned and puffy, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Fold tacos in the center of each tortilla to crease. Top with cabbage, followed by jalapenos, radishes, and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over. Repeat for remaining 2 tacos.

Steps:

• Add oil, onion, and ground beef to a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Break beef apart with a spatula to mix in spices; cook until browned and crumbled into very small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and water and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in jalapeno peppers and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stack up 2 or 3 corn tortillas at a time and use a 2-inch round pastry cutter to cut 4 small circles out of each stack, making 60 total. Place circles in a single layer, 1/2 inch apart, on sheet pans.
• Mix Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses together. Top each tortilla circle with cheese, using the pastry cutter to keep it from spilling onto the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. Top each with about 1 teaspoon taco beef and another teaspoon cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Carefully fold each tortilla in half, being careful not to press out the filling. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as necessary, pan-fry tacos until crispy and heated through and the edges are a bit caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.