Low-Carb Lesson #36: Judy’s Low Carb Crab-Stuffed Zucchini

Low Carb Cooking 101

If you have kids, you know that it’s difficult to get them to convert to a lower carbohydrate style of eating. After a while they greet every new culinary concoction with a fish-eyed glare and mutter, “Is that low carb?” If it is, they immediately inform you that they are not hungry, and will fix themselves something to eat later. (But they never say, “And I’ll clean up after myself, too.)

The best way I’ve found to get the kids to accept and become involved in low carbing is to cook with them. I’ve taught them how to make some basic low carbohydrate recipes, but we’ve had the most fun (and the best results!) when they have “made up” their own concoctions. Earlier I shared my daughter’s Pizza Stuffed Pepper recipe, and the entree for tonight’s menu, Judy’s Crab-Stuffed Squash, is another one she created.

The process I use when helping the kids create new recipes is to first ask them what they want to cook. In this case, since Judy’s favorite vegetable is zucchini, that’s what she wanted to cook. I asked her if she wanted to make the zucchini a main dish or a side dish. She wanted to make a main dish, so I asked her if she’d ever had stuffed zucchini. She hadn’t.

“OK, so what are we going to stuff it with?” I asked her. She remembered that I’d just bought a boatload of canned crabmeat at Big Lots (for 99 cents a can!), and decided that she wanted to stuff the zucchini with that.

“OK,” I replied, “then what are we going to add to the crabmeat to make the stuffing?” Judy suggested green onions (another favorite of hers).

I suggested cream cheese and shredded mozzarella as the stuffing binders, which she approved of, then asked her what she could add that would make the stuffed zucchini more colorful. Her answer was, “Tomatoes.”

Seasonings? “Lemon juice goes with fish,” she informed me, and a suggested a dash of Liquid Smoke to give the squash some “oomph.”

At this point we had our shopping list, and off we went to the grocery store, where Judy picked out all the ingredients herself (except the crabmeat, lemon juice, and Liquid Smoke, which we already had on hand). She got to push the cart, and she got the unload our purchases for the cashier, and she got to pay for the items. (This was a big deal.)

And when we got home, Judy made the Crab-Stuffed Squash. While I was there to talk her through the steps, she did all the hands-on work. They turned out wonderfully, and when both her dad and older brother complimented her and asked for seconds, she beamed and puffed up to approximately the size of Australia.

Now, we came up with the recipe for Crab-Stuffed Squash sitting at the kitchen table, but we’ve also gone directly to the grocery and cruised around the store just looking for “interesting things” that we can use to come up with a new recipe. I offer guidance, but not much else other than the money to pay for the food.

Most of Judy’s recipes have turned out OK – and some like the Crab-Stuffed Squash are phenomenal – but a few have been disasters. Even the disasters are a learning experience for Judy (and me!), though, so that’s OK. It’s a good way to teach her the old adage, “If you don’t at first succeed, try, try again.” We all needed to be reminded of that once in a while.

Here’s this evening’s menu:

• Judy’s Crab-Stuffed Zucchini
• Mandarin Spinach Salad
• Deviled Eggs

Here’s the shopping list for the meal: (You may very well already have some of these things on hand.)

• 2 6 1/2 -ounce cans crab meat (not imitation crab) (You can substitute 2 6 1/2-ounce cans of tuna fish if you wish.)
• 2 large zucchini squash (Crookneck squash may be substituted for the zucchini if you wish.)
• 1 16-ounce package prewashed spinach
• green onions
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes (or 1/2 medium salad tomato)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small can mandarin oranges
• 8 eggs
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• cream cheese
• lemon juice
• mayonnaise
• pickle relish (for deviled eggs – optional)
• Dijon mustard (for deviled eggs – optional)
• Liquid Smoke (optional)
• Ken’s Steakhouse Raspberry Vinaigrette salad dressing (or salad dressing of your choice)
• salt
• pepper
• dry mustard (for deviled eggs – optional)
• paprika (garnish for deviled eggs – optional)

Here’s the game plan:

Hard-boil the eggs for the deviled eggs at least a day ahead of time. Shell the eggs immediately, and put them in a Zip Lock bag in the refrigerator to chill completely. After the eggs are chilled, you can go one of two ways:

• You can complete making the deviled eggs according to the recipe directions, cover the finished eggs with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator, or
  
• You can complete making the deviled eggs according to the recipe directions, BUT stop at the point where you have finished the yolk filling. Return the whites to the Zip Lock bag and place the yolk mixture in a small bowl and cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Store the two components of the deviled eggs in the refrigerator and simply fill the eggs immediately before serving them.
  

Make the low carb croutons ahead of time as well, and store them in a tightly covered container in the pantry so that they’re ready to use anytime. (I make a whole loaf of low carb bread into croutons at one time. The croutons will keep for up to 6 months.)

The Crab-Stuffed Zucchini can be made up to a day ahead of time if you want, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.

If you have not put together the Crab-Stuffed Zucchini ahead of time, begin making it according to the recipe instructions about an hour before you want to serve the meal.

Once the Crab-Stuffed Zucchini is in the oven, set the table, make the salads, and stuff the deviled eggs (if you have not already done so). Put the salads and salad dressing on the table. Place two deviled eggs on each dinner plate. Place the remainder of the deviled eggs on a serving plate and put it in the center of the table so that people can help themselves to seconds if they wish to.

Remove the Crab-Stuffed Zucchini from the oven, sprinkle it with the remaining mozzarella cheese, and place it back in the oven for 5 minutes or so.

Pour the drinks and call everyone to dinner.

Take the finished Crab-Stuffed Zucchini out of the oven and place one on each plate alongside the deviled eggs, and sit down to a well-deserved, relaxing meal.

And, finally, here’s the recipes:

Judy’s Crab-Stuffed Zucchini

• 2 large zucchini squash
  
• 2 6 1/2-ounce cans crabmeat, drained (not imitation crab!) (You can substitute 2 6 1/2-ounce cans of tuna fish if you wish.)
  
• butter (for low carb croutons – optional)
  
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 green onions, chopped
  
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 medium salad tomato)
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  
• dash Liquid Smoke (optional)
  
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  
• 2 slices low carb bread (for low carb croutons – optional)
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the ends off the zucchini and discard them. Half the zucchini lengthwise. Microwave the zucchini halves, cut side down, on high for 3 to 5 minutes.

With a spoon, scoop the seedy centers out of the zucchini halves, leaving the end walls of the squash intact.

Chop the removed zucchini pulp up, then combine it with the crabmeat, green onions, tomato, lemon juice, mayonnaise, Liquid Smoke (if desired), and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir the ingredients thoroughly to combine them completely.

Place the squash halves cut side up in a large baking dish. Fill the centers of the squash halves with the crabmeat mixture.

Bake the stuffed squash at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crabmeat mixed is hot and bubbly and is beginning to brown on the top. Remove the squash from the oven and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining shredded mozzarella on top of each squash half and return the squash to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts and just begins to brown.

Serve immediately, or cool, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for later use.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains 333 calories, 23 grams of fat, 27 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of fiber.

Mandarin Spinach Salad

• 1 16-ounce package prewashed spinach
  
• 2 thin slices red onion
  
• 1 small can mandarin oranges
  
• Ken’s Steakhouse Raspberry Vinaigrette salad dressing (or salad dressing of your choice)
  
• low carb croutons (optional)
  

Divide the spinach greens between 4 salad plates or bowls. Separate the onions into rings and divide them evenly in the salad bowls atop the spinach leaves.

Drain the mandarin oranges and place a few orange segments (4 to 6) on top of the spinach leaves and onion rings. Refrigerate the leftover mandarin oranges for another day.

Sprinkle the low carb croutons on top of the salads, or, if there are any non-low carbers put some “regular” croutons on their salads.

Let everyone add their salad dressing at the table.

Serves 4.

Low Carb Croutons

• 2 slices low carb bread of your choice
  
• butter
  

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Butter the low carb bread on both sides. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes.

Place the buttered cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and toss the croutons to that all sides get toasted. Return the cookie sheet to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the croutons are completely dry.

Cool the croutons on a wire rack and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serves: 4.

*** Note: You can use purchased low carb bread, but I make my own either from one of the recipes in Diana Lee’s cookbooks or from a purchased low carb bread mix.

Deviled Eggs

• 8 eggs (***See note.)
  
• mayonnaise
  
• 1-2 tablespoons pickle relish (optional – to taste)
  
• dry mustard (optional – to taste)
  
• salt (to taste)
  
• pepper (to taste)
  
• paprika (for garnish – optional)
  

Bring the eggs to room temperature; 15 to 20 minutes should do it.

Put the eggs in a large saucepan and fill the pan with cold water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the burner on high.

As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the burner down to medium and set the timer for 10 minutes.

As soon as the 10 minutes are up, remove the saucepan from the heat and, using kitchen tongs, take the eggs out of the water and put them in a colander. Run cold water over them to cool them down until you are able to handle them without burning your fingers.

I like to shell the eggs immediately, then put them whole into a Zip Lock bag to completely chill in the refrigerator. When the eggs are completely chilled, slice them in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, remove the yolks from the whites.

Put the yolks in a small bowl and mash them with a fork (if you prefer “lumpy” deviled eggs) or a handheld electric mixer (if you prefer “lumpless” deviled eggs). Add mayonnaise to the yolks a tablespoon as a time. Mix well after each addition to thoroughly incorporate the mayonnaise with the yolks, until the yolk/mayonnaise mixture suits your own personal taste.

Add the seasonings at this point. I prefer to add just a little salt and a lot of pepper to my deviled eggs, but some people like to add pickle relish and/or mustard to theirs. It’s up to you.

Using a spoon, put the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. Sprinkle the yolks with paprika to add some color. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

Makes 16 deviled eggs.

*** Note: Extremely fresh eggs are difficult to shell when they have been hard-boiled. Hard-boiled eggs are best made with “older” eggs, not with eggs that you’ve just bought. I keep the eggs in the refrigerator for about a week, before I use them for hard-boiling.