Lebanese Zucchini Food

LEBANESE STUFFED ZUCCHINI (COOSA/KOOSA)

Steps:

• Cut one end off each zucchini. Use a small scoop to scoop the flesh from the zucchinis, leaving shells. Discard the flesh.
• Mix chopped round steak, rice, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Lightly stuff the steak mixture into the zucchinis, making sure to leave about 1 inch of space for the rice to expand; if you don't, the zucchini will burst which still tastes good but doesn't look as nice.
• Place the zucchinis in a large pot; add tomato soup and stewed tomatoes. Place a plate on top of the zucchinis to prevent them from bouncing around once the sauce is boiling.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the rice is fully cooked, 30 to 45 minutes.

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, shredded onion, fresh parsley, dill, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil, allspice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix by hand to combine.
• Now, remove the top of 3 tomatoes and remove the core to hollow out the tomatoes making room for the stuffing. Do this using a corer like this one.
• With a knife, remove the very top of the zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half to make shorter zucchini for stuffing. Now you need to hollow out the zucchini to make room for the stuffing.
• Insert your corer about 3/4 of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini cores or hearts. Do this a few times, and gently scrape the sides of the zucchini until you have hollowed each out making room for the stuffing. You'll want to leave about 1/4 inch rim of zucchini.
• Lightly oil the bottom of a large deep cooking pan like this one. Slice the remaining tomato and spread over the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion slices and the cores or hearts of the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
• Now, using your hands, gently stuff the hollowed tomatoes with the rice stuffing. Then loosely stuff the zucchini with the rice stuffing about 3/4 of the way (do not over-stuff or crowd the rice stuffing in the zucchini or it will not cook well).
• Arrange the stuffed tomatoes in the center of the cooking pan, then add the stuffed zucchini (stuffed side up) around them. Tilt the zucchini a little, this helps them cook nicely through using less liquid.
• Now add the tomato sauce and water. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Place the pan on the stove and cook on medium-high heat until the liquid starts boiling. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for for 50 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
• Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the sauce from the cooking pan. Enjoy!

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chopped onions (leave the sliced onions for later) and garlic and cook minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and fragrant (do not brown).
• Add meat (ground turkey or lean ground beef). Break the meat up to help it brown. Season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and cook meat until fully browned, stirring occasionally. If there is any fat or extra liquid at this point, carefully drain and return saucepan back to heat.
• Now season with allspice, paprika, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• Add chopped canned tomatoes with juice, tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
• Add zucchini, carrots, and sliced onions to the bottom of a casserole dish like this one. Add the meat sauce and spread evenly.
• Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. Bake in 375 degrees F heated-oven for about 40 minutes. Then uncover, and then broil for a brief few minutes, watching carefully.
• Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley. Transfer to dinner bowls, add a drizzle of Private Reserve EVOO. Serve with Lebanese rice or your favorite crusty bread.

LEBANESE BEEF ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice the zucchinis lengthwise and take a small spoon or ice cream scoop and 'gut' out the inside of the zucchinis. Place in a glass baking dish and brush the zucchini halves with olive oil.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the zucchinis are soft (cook time may be dependent on the size of your zucchinis).
• While zucchinis are in the oven, add the ground beef and chopped onions in to a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onions are translucent and then add the lemon juice, spices, tahini and water Stir until well combined and add more water if the mixture is too thick.
• Once the zucchinis are cooked, add the beef mixture to the hollowed insides and place back in the oven for around 5 minutes to heat throughout.
• Garnish with mint and sliced almonds.

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.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. (Keep the skin on.).
• Mix the cooked rice with the browned onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, allspice, cinnamon and dill.
• Stuff the zucchini boats with the rice mixture.
• Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish, then place the filled zucchini boats face up into the dish. Do not cover the zucchini with the sauce.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. until tender but firm, about 50 minutes, but check sooner, like the 45 minute mark. You don't want the zucchini to get too limp. (If halving the recipe, lessen the cook time a bit.).
• Serve with a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce drizzled on top.