Best 7 Stuffed Zucchini Middle East Style Recipes

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Zucchini, a versatile summer squash, takes center stage in this Middle Eastern culinary journey. Embark on a delightful adventure as we explore a treasure trove of stuffed zucchini recipes, each bursting with unique flavors and aromas. From the vibrant markets of Cairo to the bustling streets of Istanbul, discover the secrets behind these delectable dishes that have captivated taste buds for centuries. Indulge in a symphony of textures, where tender zucchini embraces a heart of savory fillings, ranging from aromatic rice and minced meat to a medley of herbs and spices. Prepare to tantalize your senses with this enticing introduction to the art of stuffed zucchini, Middle Eastern style.

Let's cook with our recipes!

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI



Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini image

Here's a delicious way to solve the problem of those too-big zucchinis ballooning in your garden at the end of the summer: zucchini boats baked and stuffed with lamb, feta, pine nuts, tomatoes, and more. It's just like your mother used to make, but with an exotic Mediterranean twist!

Provided by Larry Short

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

Time 1h10m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 extra large zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound ground lamb
coarse salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tomatoes, chopped
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup pine nuts
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup water
¼ cup mint leaves
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • Use a melon baller to separate and remove seeds and pulp separately from the zucchini, carving out each half and leaving about a half-inch shell. Chop zucchini pulp into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Discard seeds.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb; continue to cook and stir until lamb is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir chopped zucchini into the lamb mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer mixture until the zucchini is hot, about 3 minutes. Drain excess grease. Season lamb mixture with coarse salt and black pepper.
  • Remove skillet from heat. Stir tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup mint leaves through the lamb mixture; spoon into the zucchini halves. Put stuffed zucchini halves into a large baking dish. Pour water into the baking dish.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Mix bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mint leaves over the zucchini and top with the bread crumb mixture. Continue baking until the top is crusty and browned, about 10 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 649.3 calories, Carbohydrate 38.8 g, Cholesterol 114.7 mg, Fat 38.7 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 40.6 g, SaturatedFat 14.9 g, Sodium 1522.8 mg, Sugar 14.2 g

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI



Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini image

A Middle Eastern recipe for stuffed summer squashes. You can also use long thin eggplants.

Provided by KELLYJEANNE

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

¼ pound ground lamb
¼ cup basmati rice
2 cups tomato puree, divided
½ teaspoon dried mint
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds small zucchini or yellow squash
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried mint

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 183.1 calories, Carbohydrate 28.7 g, Cholesterol 19 mg, Fat 4.7 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 10.6 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 1119.3 mg, Sugar 10.1 g

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE



Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini Recipe image

Middle Eastern stuffed zucchini recipe with a spiced rice and meat filling, cooked in red sauce. A must-try!

Provided by The Mediterranean Dish

Categories     Entree

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 16

1/2 cup long-grain rice, rinsed well
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, shredded
1/3 packed cup chopped parsley
1/3 packed cup chopped dill
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato with juice
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
Scant 1 tsp allspice
Scant 1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 large and very firm tomatoes, divided (3 to be cored and stuffed, and 1 to be sliced)
1 small onion, sliced into rounds
2 1/2 lb Medium-sized zucchini or Middle Eastern zucchini (about 8 or so zucchini), lightly peeled
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup water

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!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 172 calories, Sugar 6.6 g, Sodium 154.7 mg, Fat 5 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 23 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 10.2 g, Cholesterol 17 mg

STUFFED ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE



Stuffed Zucchini Casserole image

A little work, but it tastes so good. A great recipe if you are growing zucchini in your garden. Goes well with mashed potatoes.

Provided by BUCHKO

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Main Dish Recipes     Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 medium zucchini
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
½ cup dried bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 cup water

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Grease or spray a 13x9 inch baking dish.
  • Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Chop and reserve about 3/4 of the seeds for the stuffing. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, chopped onion, bread crumbs, egg and the reserved zucchini seeds. Place the meat mixture equally into all of the zucchini halves; mixture should be piled up over the top. Place the filled zucchini halves into the prepared baking dish.
  • In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato soup, and water. Spoon the tomato mixture over the filled zucchini, liberally. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. You may want to place foil or a cookie sheet underneath the baking dish because it tends to bubble over and splash.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 358.9 calories, Carbohydrate 22.9 g, Cholesterol 79.6 mg, Fat 20.9 g, Fiber 3.6 g, Protein 21.7 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 905.5 mg, Sugar 5.5 g

STUFFED ZUCCHINI MIDDLE EAST STYLE



Stuffed Zucchini Middle East Style image

An exotic way to use those large Zucchini from the garden. The yogurt sauce is a delicious, garlicky treat. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and a vegetable side dish.

Provided by Barb G.

Categories     Onions

Time 1h20m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

3 large zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef, uncooked
3/4 cup short-grain rice, uncooked
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut zucchini lengthwise and remove seeds.
  • Place cut side up in one or two large casseroles dishes (depending one the size of the squash.) Spray a large skillet with oil cooking spray, gently cook onion until transparent.
  • Combine cooked onions with ground beef, rice, parsley, allspice, salt and prpper, and mix throughly.
  • Fill each zucchini boat with the meat mixture, mounding it up and packing it in.
  • Pour 1 cup (240ml) water on the bottom of each pan, around the squashes.
  • cover pans tightly with aluminum foil, bake 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare yogurt sauce: In a heavy saucepan, combine yogurt, egg white, cornstarch, and salt.
  • Stir mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
  • continue to stir and cook for 5 minutes; it will thicken slightly as it cooks.
  • Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • When Zucchini has cooked for 45 minutes, remove from oven, uncover, and pour yogurt sauce over Zucchini.
  • Return to oven, uncovered and cook for 10 minutes more.

MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB-STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH YOGURT SAUCE



Middle Eastern Lamb-Stuffed Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce image

Categories     Lamb     Steam     Cocktail Party     Yogurt     Zucchini     Summer     Party     Gourmet

Yield Makes about 24 hors d'oeuvres

Number Of Ingredients 11

four 6-ounce straight zucchini, scrubbed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon crumbled dried mint
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly

Steps:

  • Cut off and reserve the stem ends of the zucchini and with a zucchini corer hollow out the zucchini, being careful not to pierce the skins and leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Chop the zucchini flesh and reserve it.
  • In a heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it sauté the lamb with the allspice, the mint, salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until it is no longer pink. Transfer the lamb with a slotted spoon to a sieve to drain, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet, and in the skillet sauté the onion, stirring, until it is softened. Stir in the garlic, the reserved zucchini flesh, and salt and pepper to taste and sauté the mixture until it is golden. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the lamb mixture, the pine nuts, and 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, and let the filling cool. Stuff the zucchini with the filling and put the reserved stem ends back in place over the cut ends, securing them with wooden picks. Arrange the zucchini on a steamer rack set over simmering water, steam them, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are tender, and let them cool slightly.
  • In the top of a double-boiler set over simmering water whisk together the remaining yogurt and the cornstarch mixture, stirred, cook the sauce, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened, and let it cool slightly.
  • Cut the zucchini crosswise into 1-inch rounds, arrange the rounds on a platter, and spoon a dollop of the sauce onto each round. Sprinkle the zucchini rounds with the sesame seeds and serve them at room temperature.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI IN TOMATO SAUCE OR KOUSA



Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce or Kousa image

This recipe is from the middle eastern cookbook by Tes Mallos. My husband is Palestinian and I have been making this for guests for quite a while, even my kids love it! This is the best recipe I have tried for zucchini or "kousa". It does take time and you will need a zucchini corer (mine was a gift from MIL). If you use an apple corer you will have to cut the zucchini into smaller segments. But this is a really wonderful dish, you could also substitute some of the zucchini for small eggplant, as this is traditionally cooked all together with both, but I like zucchini best.

Provided by loverania

Categories     Vegetable

Time 1h30m

Yield 4-5 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 lbs zucchini, even sized
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil or 1 tablespoon plain butter
1 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)
8 ounces ground beef (if you have an hallal butcher near you ask for Iraqi kabab ( it's a flavorful mixture of both) or 8 ounces lamb (if you have an hallal butcher near you ask for Iraqi kabab ( it's a flavorful mixture of both)
1/4 cup short-grain rice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt
pepper
1 large chopped onion
1/2 cup clarified butter or 1/2 cup regular butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup peeled tomatoes, chopped (or one can chopped pealed tomato)
1/4 cup tomato paste (I use 1/2 cup for a richer sauce but DH says this is not the "proper" way)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (don't leave this out! MIL says anything with tomato should have a pinch of cinnamon)
salt
water

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 483.2, Fat 35, SaturatedFat 19.9, Cholesterol 106.7, Sodium 199.1, Carbohydrate 29.9, Fiber 5.3, Sugar 9.9, Protein 16.1

Tips:

  • Choose the right zucchini: Select firm and unblemished zucchini that are about 6 to 8 inches long. Avoid zucchini that are too large, as they tend to have a more bitter flavor.
  • Prepare the zucchini properly: Cut the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch border. This will create a boat-shaped cavity for the filling.
  • Use a variety of fillings: The possibilities are endless when it comes to fillings for stuffed zucchini. Some popular options include rice, ground meat, vegetables, and cheese. Get creative and experiment with different flavors and textures to find your favorite combination.
  • Cook the zucchini thoroughly: Stuffed zucchini can be baked, grilled, or fried. Make sure to cook the zucchini until it is tender and the filling is heated through.
  • Serve immediately: Stuffed zucchini is best served hot or warm. Garnish with fresh herbs or a dollop of yogurt for added flavor.

Conclusion:

Stuffed zucchini is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or a side dish. With its endless variations and simple preparation, it's a perfect meal for any occasion. So next time you're looking for a tasty and healthy recipe, give stuffed zucchini a try. You won't be disappointed!

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