Prep Time: 30-45 mins
Cook Time:
Zucchini Salmon Boats: 8-12 Mins (Air Fried) 10-15 Mins (Oven Baked or grilled)
Zucchini Hot Sauce: 10 mins (Stovetop)
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes: 35-40 mins (Oven)
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When I think of summer meals, I think of water, fruit, greens, raw or crisped veggies, mint leaves, lemons, and seafood. I think of light and bright flavors and drifting away from the norm. This recipe hits all those flavor notes and more! My favorite part about this scratch recipe is that I created it with my son, and with people like him (non-cheese eaters) in mind.
Although we are using the air fryer for these salmon boats, they can also cook in the oven or on the GRILL! Seafood doesn’t take long to cook, so make sure you PRECOOK the zucchini first, before adding the filling, no matter which method you use to cook them.
The potatoes and homemade sauce are best when cooked as instructed, however, you can still manage these on the grill. The grill life can become addicting; I get it! These potatoes are so creamy and full of flavor, my son questioned (jokingly) whether I snuck in cheese or not. The finishing look can trick the eye.
This recipe goes great with or without the homemade zucchini hot sauce. I am not one to waste, and I personally don’t prefer to make zucchini bread, so I love adventuring into new ideas and ways to use the leftover cuts of my ingredients. If you like your sauce to have a creamy texture, try adding some cornstarch or heavy cream. I prefer to make it exactly as instructed in my recipe (simple, light & tasty) I didn’t go heavy on the ingredients for this one. This allows the sauce to complement the salmon boats without masking or taking over other flavors.
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Summer Zucchini Salmon Boats
Ingredients
- Whole and fresh Zucchini
- Fresh or thawed salmon
- Fresh diced onion (any kind and amount to taste; I use around 1/2 cup)
- Fresh diced bell pepper (any color and amount to taste; I use around 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 fresh lemon
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBSP white wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP cooking oil of choice (for this recipe, I like avocado or olive oil)
- 1 TBSP ground mustard
- 1 TBSP garlic powder/granulated garlic
- 1 TBSP parsley flakes
- 1 TBSP paprika
- 1-2 TSP black pepper
- Mint leaves chopped into flakes (I use 6 leaves)
- You can add 1-2 TSP kosher salt, but I don’t. You don’t need added salt for this one.
Instructions
Cut the fresh zucchini lengthwise into equal halves and hollow out the core section, creating a boat-like shape.
Set aside the “guts,” aka the part of the zucchini that you carved out. This will be the base of our hot sauce.
Place your carved out zucchini boats face down into the air fryer basket and cook for 3-5 minutes at 375 degrees F (You can lightly coat with oil, but I choose not to).
For oven baked or grilled, precook for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Remove from the air fryer and set aside.
Dice the fresh salmon filet into small cubes (small enough to fit the zucchini).
Combine cooking oil, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (both), fresh lemon juice from the 1/2 lemon, and all dry seasonings into a bowl or cup and blend together until it turns into a paste.
Combine the seasoning paste, diced salmon, mint leaf flakes, diced bell pepper, and diced onion into a medium to large mixing bowl (I’m messy; I go big!). Keep on mixing until it’s evenly combined.
Now it’s time to stuff the zucchini boats with our seasoned salmon filling.
After you fill in each boat, place it directly into the air fryer basket or onto a baking sheet (if you are oven baking them).
Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F and cook for 8-12 minutes.
OVEN BAKE at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Grill for 10-15 minutes.
You may need to adjust your timing, depending on the grill heat or type of oven, as each oven and heating element differs.
Air fryer cooking time is strictly per preference and how crispy you want the outer layer to be. I prefer 8 minutes. With the salmon being diced into small bits, less time is needed compared to a whole filet.
That’s it; your summer zucchini salmon boats are ready.
Zucchini Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- Carved out zucchini insides (aka the guts)
If you don’t use all the zucchini while making the boats, or if you accidentally tear one to shreds while trying to carve it, keep it! We can use it in our sauce as part of the base. The skin is tender enough. - 1 TSP kosher salt (add more if you need)
- Approximately 1/4 fresh lemon
- 2 TSP granulated/powdered garlic
- 1 TSP ground mustard
- 1 TSP black pepper
- 1/4 TSP white pepper
Instructions
If you don’t have a blender or food processor, it’s not necessary. Zucchini is very watery. Set it in a pot over medium heat and cover with a lid. After steaming for a few minutes/ the zucchini will soften and become easy to mash with a mashing tool.
If you have a blender or food processor, dump your zucchini bits and pieces inside. Blend or pulse until you form a puree.
Add the zucchini puree and the rest of the ingredients (squeeze lemon juice from the lemon) to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Keep stirring for 3-5 minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
That’s it; your sauce is ready. If you prefer it creamy or thick, consider adding a touch of cornstarch, heavy cream, or plain yogurt.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 TSP ground mustard
- 1/2-1 TSP paprika
- 1/2-1 TSP black pepper
- 2 TSP granulated/powdered garlic
- 1 heaping TSP onion powder OR freshly diced onion; I prefer fresh onion (approximately 1/4 of a whole medium onion diced or minced up)
- 2 TSP kosher salt
- 1 TBSP parsley flakes
- 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 TBSP butter
- 2 TBSP flour
- 3 large Potatoes (any kind; I used russet)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and bring to a boil.
As it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low so that the butter does not overcook and burn.
Using a whisk, add the four and keep whisking vigorously for 1-2 minutes, so that the flour doesn’t clump up and the roux thickens.
Keep stirring for another 1-2 minutes, allowing the roux to slightly brown and thicken.
Now, dump the heavy cream into your roux and keep stirring or whisking for 1-2 minutes.
Turn the heat back up to medium and bring it back up to a boil. Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes.
Bring the heat back down a bit so that it doesn’t overboil.
Add all of the dry seasonings (fresh onion too, if you’re using it) to the pot and stir well for another 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Slice up your potatoes into thin round slices and layer them into a medium-large baking dish/pan.
Drizzle your creamy homemade sauce onto the potatoes, ensuring that each slice is smothered.
Place into the oven and bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes.
That’s it; your creamy scalloped potatoes are ready.
About This Recipe
I love salmon boats and have been wanting my oldest son to try them. I also wanted to ensure a cheese-free recipe, because he doesn’t like cheese. I realized that zucchini boats require gutting the insides of the zucchini, and I did not want to waste those insides. My son also LOVES hot sauce. This is where the idea for a homemade sauce came into play.
What better way to repurpose the insides into the same meal? The heat in this sauce obviously won’t come from the zucchini, which is why I combine black and white pepper. White pepper is stronger than black, thus leading you to require less.
Scalloped potatoes were always a household favorite while I was growing up. I first created this recipe years ago, while adventuring around in my new kitchen, at a new apartment. I adapted and perfected it since then, and love sharing it with others. No, the finishing look will not resemble the boxed version, and it shouldn’t.
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