Stuffed Eggplants And Zucchini In A Rich Tomato Sauce Baatingan W Kusaa Bil Banadoura Food

STUFFED EGGPLANTS AND ZUCCHINI IN A RICH TOMATO SAUCE (BAATINGAN W KUSAA BIL BANADOURA)

Steps:

• To make the sauce, put the oil into a saucepan or casserole pan with a lid-about 10 inches/25cm wide-and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and caramelized. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, along with 2½ tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• To make the stuffing, while the sauce is cooking, place all the ingredients in a large bowl with 1½ tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well, using your hands to make sure that everything is well incorporated. If making in advance, keep in the fridge until ready to use.
• Trim the stalks from the eggplants, then insert a manakra (or peeler or corer) into the eggplant; you want it to be very close to the skin-about ⅛ inch/3mm away-but not so close that it tears and won't hold its shape when it's stuffed. Scoop out the flesh to create a generous cavity. You don't need the flesh anymore, but keep it for another recipe; it can be cut into cubes and steamed or added to your next omelette. If your eggplants are particularly large, slice them in half, crosswise, and scoop out the flesh using a regular small serrated knife-be sure to keep one end of each half intact, so that the stuffing does not fall out!
• Use the manakra or a swivel peeler to scoop out the zucchini flesh. Keep about ⅛ inch/3mm of flesh attached to the skin inside the zucchini and about ½ inch/1cm from the end intact-they need to be robust enough to keep the stuffing inside. Again, keep the scooped-out flesh to use elsewhere.
• Using your hands, so that you can push in a bit of stuffing at a time, fill all the eggplant and zucchini cavities. Stop filling them about ½ inch/1cm from the top of each vegetable; the stuffing needs some space to expand inside the vegetables when they are cooking.
• Gently lower the stuffed vegetables into the sauce. They won't fit in a single layer, but try to avoid too much overlap and submerge them in the sauce as much as you can. Return the sauce to medium heat and, once simmering, decrease the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer very gently for 90 minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked through and soft-test if it is ready by sticking a knife into the middle of one of the vegetables; it should go in very easily. Don't worry if some of the rice/stuffing spills into the tomato sauce, this can happen and it will be fine when served.
• To make the adha, meanwhile, put the oil into a small frying pan and place over medium heat. After about 1 minute, add the garlic and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring very often, until the garlic is golden and crispy. Keep a close eye on the pan here; you don't want the oil to get too hot and for the garlic to burn. Reserving the oil as you pour, strain the garlic through a sieve. Set the garlic aside-it will crisp up as it cools down-and return the oil to the pan. Add the coriander seeds and chile and cook for about 1 minute, stirring a few times, until fragrant. Remove from the heat, transfer to a separate bowl, and set aside until needed.
• When the vegetables are cooked and the sauce is thick and rich (but still pourable), use a slotted spoon to carefully lift the vegetables out of the pan. Pour the sauce onto a large serving platter (or individual serving plates) with a rim and top with the stuffed vegetables. Spoon on the adha-the coriander-chile oil first, followed by the fried garlic-then sprinkle with the fresh herbs and green onion. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the yogurt spooned alongside.

MOM'S STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Boil the scooped-out center part until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Drain the beef, removing the extra, unnecessary fat. Let cool briefly and chop the cooked beef so that there are no large chunks of meat. In another medium saute pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions, peppers and garlic together.
• In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, cooked beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.
• Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly among the 2 halves.
• Top with chopped tomatoes and the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool briefly, slice widthwise and serve.

ZUCCHINI STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Cut the tomatoes in 1/2 crosswise. Scoop out the centers leaving the outer thick flesh intact. Sprinkle the interior shells of the tomatoes with a couple pinches of salt and sugar, and invert them on a paper towel lined plate to drain until ready to stuff.
• With the grating attachment of a food processor or on the large-holed side of a box grater, grate the zucchini, and place it in a strainer. Toss the zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt and place the strainer over a bowl to catch the juices. Allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large heavy skillet, saute the shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil, until they begin to caramelize. Meanwhile squeeze the zucchini to release as much water as possible.
• Turn the heat up on the shallots, add the dry zucchini to the pan, and saute the zucchini with the shallots for 5 minutes.
• Add chopped parsley and thyme, and then toss the zucchini with the cheese, reserving 1/4 cup of the cheese for topping.
• Stuff the tomatoes with the filling, mounding it slightly, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place tomato halves in a flameproof baking dish and broil them until the tops are golden. Serve hot.

STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a large saute pan heat oil add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add reserved chopped eggplant flesh, zucchini and red bell peppers - cook until softened. Add rice. Add white wine cook until wine has evaporated. Add tomatoes, tomato juice and simmer for about 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened and rice is starting to soften. Remove pan from heat and stir in bulgur, anchovies, olives, capers, pine nuts, oregano, thyme, mint and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stuff eggplant halves loosely with mixture and arrange on a lightly oiled roasting pan. Top with a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan and bake for 1 hour or until eggplant and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve lukewarm.

LAMB STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) OR ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Large eggplants: Remove stems, cut in half lengthwise, remove pulp, sprinkle insides with salt and leave to drain 1/2 hour, then rinse and pat dry.
• Small eggplants or zucchini: Remove stems, cutting lengthwise remove a strip from one side of the vegetable and scoop out pulp to form a boat.
• Thoughly mix stuffing ingredients.
• Stuff vegetables no more than 3/4's full.
• Arrange vegetables in a large saucepan.
• Add oil and enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the vegetable.
• Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
• To bake: Arrange vegetables in an oven proof dish add oil and water as above.
• Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325°F and bake 45 minutes.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI IN TOMATO SAUCE OR KOUSA

Steps:

• Choose either medium or small zucchini. Wash well cut of stem end. Using a corer hollow out zucchini leaving rounded end intact. Try not to puncture the skin. Soak in salted water for 10 minutes.
• Gently fry onion in butter until transparent. Add pine nuts after 10 minutes cook with onions for another 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
• Add pan contents to ground meat, rice parsley, spice and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of water if need to be easy to work with (I don't add water).
• Fill zucchini with stuffing. (The rice expands and the meat will shrink so fill them all the way).
• Prepare the sauce: in a frying pan gently fry chopped onion in butter. When transparent add chopped garlic cook for a few seconds and chopped peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, water and cinnamon with salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle some of the sauce into the bottom of a heavy based pan, arrange zucchini in layers adding sauce to each layer, you may have 2-3 layers of zucchini. Or I stand them up on end with the open side up (again DH tells me this is not the "proper" way to do it but if they burn then only the one end is ruined).
• Add enough water to just cover the zucchini with sauce, you may or may not need to do this depending on how much sauce you have.
• Cover and simmer gently for 1 1/4 hours or until veggies are tender and rice is cooked.
• Serve hot or warm with sauce and Arabic pita bread for dipping.

STUFFED, BAKED ZUCCHINI WITH TOMATOES AND RICE

Steps:

• Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise.
• Cook them in a skillet with a small amount of water until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Drain; cool; scoop out seeds.
• Saute garlic in the hot butter until golden and discard the garlic. To this butter, add the onion and saute until golden.
• Add tomato, rice, oregano, cayenne, and salt; mix well.
• Lightly sprinkle the zucchini halves with salt.
• Fill the zucchini with the mixture and top with grated cheese.
• Arrange the zucchini in a single layer in a buttered baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F. for 15 minutes and then brown under broiler.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Split the zucchini in half. Scoop out the center flesh/pulp, leaving a shell about a quarter-inch thick. Reserve the pulp.
• Drop the zucchini shells into cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 seconds. Drain and run under cold running water.
• In a skillet, heat half of the oil and add the onion, garlic, green pepper and the reserved pulp. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and oregano. Remove from heat and briefly cool.
• Stir in the pork, pine nuts, egg and four tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Blend well with hands. Stuff the squash with this mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blend remaining bread crumbs and the grated cheese and sprinkle over the stuffed zucchini, then dribble with the remaining oil.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the stuffed zucchini, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Serve with fresh tomato sauce.
• Fresh Tomato Sauce:.
• Prepare the tomatoes and set them aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook briefly. Add the wine and reduce the liquid by one-half. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, and cook for five minutes.
• Use a blender or food processor to blend to a puree. Return the puree to the saucepan, reheat and serve.

SAUSAGE STUFFED ROUND ZUCCHINI OR EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Scoop out the round zucchini, reserving the tops. Or scoop out the eggplant.
• Chop the vegetable centers you've scooped out and set aside.
• Cut the mozarella into cubes - about 1/3 inch.
• Chop the onion.
• Mince the garlic.
• Dice the bread into 1/4 inch cubes.
• Brown the sausage (breaking it up as you put it in the pan or as it cooks) along with the garlic and onion in the olive oil, crumbling the sasuage as you stir.
• When browned a bit, add the chopped vegetable centers and spices and stir until it softens and some of the liquid has evaporated if the vegetables are watery.
• Add the tomato sauce and bread cubes and stir until the cubes are softened.
• Remove the filling from the heat and add the mozarella cubes.
• Scoop the filling into the hollowed vegetables, top with the reserved tops and bake in a deep baking dish at 350 for about 45-60 minutes or until the filling is hot and the vegetable bowls are tender (but not falling apart). I find the vegetable bowls cook better if I cover the baking dish with foil for about half of the baking time.