Use store-bought dill pickles’ pickling liquid to marinate center-cut pork chops. It may sound odd, but it works well!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 29 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 1119 mg |
| Sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
A taste of my childhood! Just added a little allspice to the sauce, about a quarter teaspoon. I made it with a mix of green and yellow squash. Don’t through the innards away. They make yummy squash patties (recipes here on site).
My husband and I loved this recipe! I made a few changes though. For one I cooked the rice before mixing it with the lamb and tomato paste. Also I couldn’t find and ground lamb so I bought a lamb steak and cut it into small pieces. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful!
ok, so i will admit i am not good at following directions. i already have had this many times, so i added more lamb per Dh’s request. also, tweeked the spices slightly because i have the imported spices from saudi. very good and still a favorite in my house but i had a hard time getting the sauce to seem not too watery
I really liked this recipe! I changed the quantities to 6 servings and used 5 zucchinis. To have enough lamb I had to use 50% more lamb (On top of changing the servings to 6). I ground my own lamb from fresh lamb shoulder. Gutting the Zucchini is difficult – use a long, thin knife and careful not to break the skin! I added the guts of the zucchini to the sauce which added some needed texture and this way I did not waste any food. Next time I will use 30% less mint. It was a little too minty for me but maybe ok for other people. Also I simmered it for 30 minutes after adding garlic rather than 15. I’m glad I did that. Make sure you choose zucchinis that are as fat as possible! It’s not a super easy recipe but it looks elegant and exotic when served with the sauce on the top. I served it with potatoes fried in olive oil and chopped spinach with savory, salt, pepper and oregano. Went together very well!! Good meal to impress guests with!!