Stuffed Zucchini

How to stuff a wild Zucchini.  For those of you who are old enough to remember those beach movies with Frankie and Annette that last sentence will make sense.  If not, don't worry it was a silly play on words anyway.
Tonight I plowed through the refrigerator to look for something that would be tasty and yet not so heavy.  If you've read some of the past blogs you can see there have been a few rich and heavy items made.  So tonight is going to be lighter, but packed with some taste.  I had 2 large (12") zucchini squash that were staring back at me from the crisper just screaming to be eaten.  Well, I'm not a vegan so I answered back to them and informed these green giants they needed something extra to add to them in order to make it on my plate.  Plain zucchini?  BORING!  Here's something I tossed together on a whim with simple items from the pantry and fridge.

My Ingredients:
2 large zucchini squash
8 wild brown mushrooms
1 medium shallot
2 cloves garlic
4 oz bacon
1 stalk celery
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

My Method:
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water, add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil.  Drop your zucchini in and boil on medium high heat for about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from water and cool.
Dice your bacon into 1/2" pieces and fry on the stove until crisp.  Set aside to cool, then crumble into bits.
Whip your egg in a bowl (scramble) and set aside.
Dice your celery, mushrooms and shallot finely, crush or mince your garlic, set aside.

Heat a sautee pan (medium heat), add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, add in your celery, shallot and garlic and sautee for about 2 minutes, then add your mushrooms and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the

mushrooms have lost most of their moisture.  At this time add your egg and cook for about 2 minutes stirring often, then add the crumbled bacon to the pan, toss and stir in, then add your bread crumbs.  Continue tossing until well combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Now that your zucchini has cooled, split them lengthwise and remove the core, seeds and ends.

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees and set your rack to the top level.  OPTION:  Use your broiler.

Place your zucchini on a foiled baking sheet and fill each one with your mixture.  Then sprinkle on your cheese and cook in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

EVEN THE KIDS WILL LIKE THIS ONE.  Lots of flavor and I ATE VEGGIES, MOM!

NOTE:  This recipe is only for 4 zucchini's.  Since this one is off the top of my head feel free to comment on items you might like in the stuffing or other versions of a stuffed zucchini you may know.