Persian Rice-Stuffed Zucchini with Pistachios and Dill

I didn't grow up eating a lot of stuffed vegetables, but ever since Seamus made me a stuffed green pepper for one of our first dates in Minneapolis, I have had a fondness in my heart for them. This recipe turned out even better than I expected; it has a complicated flavor that includes earthy-flavors from the zucchini, a sweetness from the apricots, nuttiness from the pistachios, and even just a little bit of heat.

We halved this recipe because it was just Seamus and I eating dinner. We also decided to omit the chickpeas because we thought it might over power the dish, and there didn't seem to be too much room for them in the zucchinis. We also decided to use cilantro in place of the parsley, mostly because I just like cilantro better than parsley. Our final substitution was Parmesan cheese for goat cheese (we had Parmesan on hand, and the goat cheese at the store was expensive!). It turned out great; my favorite of the week so far!

Persian Rice-Stuffed Zucchini with Pistachios and Dill

Courtesy of Cooking Light at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/persian-rice-stuffed-zucchini-50400000121405/

Ingredients 

6 medium zucchini (6 ounces each) $

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided $
• 3/4 cup jasmine rice
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 8 dried apricots, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup) $
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind $
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice $
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice $
• 1/3 cup chopped shelled dry-roasted, unsalted pistachios $
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley $
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup) $
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. 2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Chop pulp. Place the zucchini halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until tender.
3. 3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add rice, cardamom, and cinnamon; cook for 5 minutes or until the rice is opaque, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, red pepper, and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in apricots. Cover and let stand 10 minutes; discard cardamom and cinnamon. Spoon rice mixture into a large bowl; cool slightly.
4. 4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, orange rind, and juices in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add dressing, reserved zucchini pulp, pistachios, and remaining ingredients to rice mixture; toss well to combine.
5. 5. Preheat broiler to high.
6. 6. Spoon about 1/4 cup rice mixture into each zucchini shell. Broil 6 minutes or until lightly browned.