Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini Food

KOUSA BI LABAN

Steps:

• For the stuffed zucchini: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground top round and ground lamb and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Lebanese seven spices, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/2 cup of the pine nuts and the parsley and stir gently. Set aside to cool.
• Cut the stem off the top of the zucchini. Using a vegetable corer or small spoon, core the zucchini by gently removing the center while leaving the sides intact. Fill the center of the zucchini with the filling, packing to make tight and leaving a 1/2-inch space between the filling and the top.
• Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat and fry the zucchini for a few minutes, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the zucchini to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
• Arrange the stuffed zucchini side by side in a large pot of simmering water. Sprinkle with salt, reduce the heat and cover. Cook until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Remove the zucchini and reserve the cooking liquid.
• For the yogurt sauce: Place the yogurt in a medium high-sided skillet over medium heat. Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture to the yogurt and cook, stirring, until it begins to steam, about 5 minutes. Add the white pepper and sea salt. Add 3 spoonfuls of the reserved zucchini cooking liquid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and dried mint and cook while stirring until browned, about 3 minutes. While stirring, add the garlic mixture to the yogurt and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Carefully drop the partially cooked zucchini in the yogurt sauce and continue cooking until completely done, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup pine nuts on top to garnish. Serve hot with vermicelli rice.
• Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drop the vermicelli noodles into the pan and stir every few seconds until they are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a towel-lined plate.
• Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice, noodles, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the sea salt. Stir together, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Mix together the ground lamb, basmati rice, 2 tablespoons tomato puree, 1/2 teaspoon mint, salt, and pepper; mix well, and set aside.
• Slice the ends off of the zucchinis and hollow out the centers using an apple corer. Stuff with lamb mixture.
• Stir together the remaining tomato puree with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large skillet. Place the stuffed zucchini into the sauce, and add enough water to cover the zucchini. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of mint. Recover, and simmer an additional 15 minutes. To serve, cut the zucchini crosswise into rounds and arrange on a serving plate. Spoon sauce over the top.

LEBANESE STUFFED ZUCCHINI (KOUSSA BI LABAN)

Steps:

• Wash zucchini, cut off stem and hollow them with an apple corer. If they are longer than 5 inches, cut them in half before you hollow.
• Mix all ingredients of filling. Stuff zucchini.
• Put in a pot with water, and 1/2 the quantity of cooked yogurt. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Add zucchini to boiling yogurt, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add crushed garlic with dried mint to mixture. Boil for another 10 minutes.

LEBANESE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Wash and dry the zucchinis, cut off the stalks and slice off the dried tips at the opposite end without removing too much flesh.
• Carefully hollow out the zucchini. Start from the stalk end by inserting your corer about 3/4 of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms or the tender skin of the zucchinis. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini flesh. Do this a few times, until you have a generous cavity.
• Set cored zucchini aside.
• In your food processor, add the cut pieces of tomatoes and pulse a few times until well blended.
• In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, butter, fresh blended tomatoes, spices and salt until fully combined (I do this by hand).
• Using your hands stuff the zucchini with the beef mixture, leaving half of an inch free at the top to allow the filling to expand.
• Repeat for the rest of the hollowed zucchini.
• Arrange the stuffed zucchinis in a large pot, add water, just enough to slightly cover the zucchinis.
• Cover the pot, place on medium-high heat, and bring water to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium- low, add tomato sauce or tomato paste, or both ( depending on how thick you like you sauce to be).
• Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
• Taste the sauce and adjust salt if you'd like.
• Transfer to a serving plate, serve and enjoy!

LEBANESE ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Remove seeds from zucchini and cut into matchsticks or diced cubes.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet.
• Add onions and bell peppers, sautee for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft.
• Add zucchini to pan and stir until it begins to soften.
• Add lemon juice and spices to pan. Continue cooking until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add salsa to pan and cook a couple more minutes until bubbly and liquid is absorbed.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.