LEBANESE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

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Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini image

Categories     Beef     Lamb     Vegetable     Sauté     Summer     Gourmet

Yield Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

6 medium yellow or Clarita zucchini (6 to 8 oz each)
1/2 cup long-grain rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 lb ground beef chuck or ground lamb (not lean)
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups canned diced tomatoes including juice
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 lemon

Steps:

  • Hollow out each zucchini, working from both ends with a small melon-ball cutter or an apple corer, removing all seeds and leaving shells about 1/3 inch thick. Discard pulp and seeds.
  • Wash rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water runs almost clear, then drain in a sieve. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then remove skillet from heat.
  • Transfer 1/4 cup onion mixture to a bowl and cool slightly. Add rice, meat, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix well with your hands. Stuff zucchini shells with meat mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking).
  • Add tomatoes with juice, stock, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to onion in skillet and bring to a simmer. Put stuffed zucchini in tomato sauce and simmer, covered, until rice is cooked through, 1 to 1 1/4 hours (cut 1 zucchini in half crosswise to check).
  • If sauce is watery, transfer zucchini to a plate and boil sauce, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then return zucchini to sauce. Squeeze lemon over dish before serving.

Bradley Bell
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The instructions were a bit unclear, but the dish turned out great!


Ghulam Rasool Kharal Sahbzada
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This recipe was a bit too bland for my taste.


Aziz Dahri
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The zucchini were a bit too firm for my taste, but the filling was excellent. I'll try cooking the zucchini for a little longer next time.


Hd Sujid
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Easy to follow recipe with great flavor!


RoasTed Gamer BD
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My first time making stuffed zucchini and it was incredible! Will definitely be making again!


Hamza Nazeer
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This dish is perfect for a summer meal. It's light and refreshing, but still filling.


Damary Rodriguez
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I'm not a big fan of zucchini, but this dish changed my mind! The stuffing was so flavorful that I didn't even notice the zucchini.


Cleo Jackson
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This is one of my favorite recipes! I love the combination of flavors and textures.


zareen baji
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I made this dish for a potluck and it was a huge success! Everyone loved it.


Chidinma Arimah
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This dish was a huge hit with my family! The zucchini were perfectly cooked and the filling was flavorful and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.