Stuffed Chayotes

Stuffed Chayote 

Ingredients:

2 chayotes

olive oil or oil spray

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 small tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup mushroom, sliced

1/4 firm tofu block, cubed

2 oz pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

Sriracha/cayenne pepper/chiles to taste (a little goes a long way)

Shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add water and a generous palmful of salt. Bring salted water to a boil.

2. Thinly slice one end of each chayote. Rub the sliced off end to the chayote in order to suck out a white sap (this prevents most of the sticky sap from getting onto your hands when you're peeling it - if it does get on your hands, it'll just make your hands feel tight and look as if they're peeling, but it'll go away with many hand washes). Repeat rubbing on the other end for each chayote.

It might be hard to see, but there's the white sap around the rim of the chayote!

I learned from cooking this dish. If you don't remove the sap, you're going to end up with hands like these. Very sexy hands.

3. Peel off skin and slice chayotes in half. Add to boiling water. Cook for about 30 minutes or until soft enough to poke through.

4. In a skillet, heat oil and pan fry chopped bacon. Spoon out onto a paper towel and set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 325F.

6. Add onion and garlic to same skillet with bacon juices and cook until brown. 

7. Add tomatoes, cook 2-3 minutes.

8. Add veggies, tofu, bacon, salt, pepper, spice, and pesto. Cook until thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat. 

The filling. Yummmmm~

9. Rinse chayote in cold water. Spoon out meat of chayote. Chop meat and add into the skillet mixture. 

10. Fill spooned-out chayotes with skillet mixture. 

11. Top with cheese and bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned.

Cheeeezy goodness~

Enjoy!

What's your favorite way to cook chayote?! 

I need more ways to cook this darn delicious veggie! :D