Stuffed Zucchini Avgolemono Greek Way Recipes

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!

GREEK STUFFED ZUCCHINI (KOLOKITHAKIA YEMISTA AVGOLEMONO)

Steps:

• Cut zucchini into 1/2s or 1/3s, cored on one end (the other end is left intact) and remove filing carefully with corer so that a not-too-thick wall of zucchini remains to contain the filling, keep 1/2 the zucchini flesh removed from the coring, minced (not the shells- but the actual part of the zucchini that was removed, the other half makes a lovely omelette with a bit of parmesan for another meal!).
• You can prepare your zucchini from the previous day and keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator- this actually makes a lot less work on the day of preparation as it's the coring of the zucchini that takes up the most time.
• Mix the meats, onion, garlic, rice, parsley and zucchini in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stuff this mixture into the opening of the one end of each zucchini piece and make sure the filling goes all the way into the vegetable.
• Level opening neatly so that no filling comes out.
• Layer the filled zucchini pieces in a big pot and add enough boiling water to just cover.
• Put in the stock cubes and the butter and cover.
• Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour (knife tip should slip into a piece easily), and take off heat.
• Carefully remove the zucchini pieces with a slotted spoon and place on a reheatable serving dish.
• Strain the cooking liquid left in the pot to remove any pieces of zucchini or grains of rice that may be floating around.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cornstarch and lemon juice (add the juice of 1 lemon at this point).
• Slowly ladle in (literally the thinnest of streams) your hot cooking liquid, whisking the eggs all the while so they don't curdle.
• Keep doing this till nearly all the cooking liquid has been used and then pour your egg mixture and any cooking liquid left back into the pot and heat on a low flame until the sauce has thickened.
• Taste, if it needs more lemon, add up to 1/2 more.
• This is what is called an'Avgolemono Sauce' (Egg-lemon Sauce)- it is delicious.
• When ready to serve, put 2-3 piping hot pieces of the stuffed zucchini on each plate and nap with the sauce.
• Serve with feta cheese on the side (you won't believe how good a nibble of feta tastes with each bite of this!), good, crusty bread (you want to get all the sauce), and wine.

GREEK STUFFED ZUCCHINI STEW (IN EGG & LEMON SAUCE)

Steps:

• Cut off the tops and bottoms of the zucchinis. Rinse them well and then cut them in half about 2,5 inch / 7cm each piece.
• Using an apple corer, remove most of the insides of the zucchini. Creating 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick cylinders.
• Prepare the filling in a bowl by mixing together the ground beef, red onion, spring onion, parsley, dill, rice, and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Knead the mixture for 2 minutes.
• Start filling the zucchinis by pressing the ground beef mixture into the hole with your finger. Press on both openings to make sure there aren't any air gaps left, inside the zucchini.
• Place the stuffed zucchinis tightly together, inside a cooking pot or stockpot.
• Pour in enough water to cover, and heat over medium-high heat.
• Once the water starts to boil, skim off the foam that will form on the surface. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer covered for about 1 hour.
• Once the water has reduced to almost half, turn of the heat.
• Start making the sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and olive oil to create a thick flour paste. Heat mixture over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Then using a ladle, start adding spoonfuls of the water from the pot with the zucchinis, into the flour mixture. Keep whisking and adding spoonfuls, until you have incorporated at least 2/3 of the water.
• In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs until slightly foamy. Take a spoonful of the sauce you've just made and very slowly (threadlike) pour it into the eggs while you whisk the eggs constantly. Keep doing this until all the sauce is into the eggs. Pour in the lemon juice + zest as well. Then transfer everything back to the pot with the zucchinis.NOTE: Place a wet sponge cloth under the bowl with the eggs so it will stay in place while you whisk the eggs.
• Shake the pot for the sauce to spread evenly. Turn heat to low, taste the sauce and add extra salt or pepper if needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes for the sauce to combine with the zucchinis.
• Remove from heat and ideally let the food stand for 30 minutes before serving. Then serve with a bit of extra fresh dill on top, freshly ground pepper and a few drops of lemon if you like.

GREEK STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl, cover with water, and allow to soak for 1 hour.
• Slice a long, 1/2-thick slice from the side of each zucchini to serve as a lid; hollow out the flesh and seeds from the inside of the zucchini with a spoon, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell. Discard the flesh, or save for another use. Drain, and place the soaked rice in a bowl. Mix in the ground beef, shallots, garlic, mint, and parsley. Stuff the zucchini boats about 3/4 full with the mixture; stuffing will expand during cooking. Cover the zucchini with the cut-off lid slices.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sprinkle the pan with salt and pepper. Place the stuffed zucchini into the pan, pour water around the zucchini, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover with a lid, and cook until the zucchini are tender and the meat is no longer pink, 35 to 40 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before the zucchini are done, beat the egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixture until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the yolks and lemon juice until well combined. Remove the zucchini from the skillet, leaving the juices, and set the zucchini aside in a warm place. Whisk about 1/2 of the liquid in the skillet into the egg mixture by tablespoons, then pour the egg mixture into the skillet with the remaining liquid. Over low heat, combine the sauce with the pan liquid by gently rotating the skillet to mix the contents; heat the sauce for about 1 minute to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Serve the zucchini with lemon sauce.

GREEK STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Slightly brown the meat, drain if needed.
• Add the seasonings.
• Cook onions and the garlic in the olive oil.
• Add wine and tomato then cook your mixture 30 minute.
• Let it cool slightly, then quickly stir in the egg whites and bread crumbs.
• Set aside while preparing the zucchini.
• Trim both ends of the zucchini and slice in halves lengthwise.
• Parboil them for 3 minutes in salted water.
• Carefully, remove onto paper towels and drain.
• Place into an oiled, flat roasting pan.
• Scoop out the centers discarding the pulp.
• Spoon the meat filling into the shells.
• Top each with bread crumbs, moistened with oil or butter.
• Sprinkle with the grated cheese over all.
• Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until crumbs are golden and the zucchini are very tender.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI AVGOLEMONO, GREEK WAY

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the zucchini and cut off the stem end. Carefully cut off a slice from the other end to use later as a cap. With a grapefruit spoon or melon baller hollow out the zucchini and chop the flesh.
• 2. To make the stuffing warm ½ the olive oil in a deep frying pan and toss in the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the finely chopped flesh of the zucchini and stir fry them for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the minced meat and let it cook completely - (meat no longer pink). Add the rice, parsley, half of the lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• 3. Stuff the zucchini up to ¾. Do not fill them completely so the stuffing will have room to expand while cooking. Cover with the slice you cut off earlier to use as cap. Arrange them side by side in a deep saucepan and if you want fill in the gaps with the potato wedges. That's a trick I learned when my kids were young and weren't too keen on eating zucchini. So I had to find a way to intrigue them:) The deal was with every potato wedge they had to have half a stuffed zucchini. It worked so well they both love zucchini, any how it's cooked:)
• 4. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and add enough water to cover the zucchini just above their middle. Season to taste. Put the lid on, bring to the boil and then simmer over medium heat for about 30min until the rice has cooked and if using potatoes, til those are tender. Turn off the heat (if overcooked, the zucchini will become too soft and the rice sticky).
• 5. To make the Avgolemono (Egg-Lemon) sauce: Whisk the eggs (both whites & yolks) and then add remaining lemon juice, a little at a time, while still whisking. Slowly add a couple of ladlesful warm cooking liquid to the egg mixture. Pour the sauce over the food. Holding the casserole by its handles, shake it gently from side to side. If necessary reheat very slowly without covering or boiling. Serve immediately. Enjoy! Kali Orexi!
• 6. Tip: If you want to thicken the sauce, in a small bowl mix a couple of Tbps of cornstartch with a some water or cooled liquid from the pot. Mix well and add to the pot and then gently shake the post from side to side.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• 1. Wash and scrape squash lightly. Cut off both ends and scoup out pulp with a potato peeler to form a tube. Take care not to scrape too close to the skin. Sprink inside of squash with salt.
• 2. Saute onion and meat in the oil. Add parsley, mint leaves, tomatoes, rice, cinnamon, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• 3. Allow meat mixture to cool slightly and stuff squash with meat filling and line them in a pan. Add the water and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• 4. Drain off all the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix flour with the cold milk, add the eggs and lemon juice and mix well. Slowly temper the milk mixture into the hot liquid a little at a time until it is thick and creamy.
• 5. Place squash in a serving dish and pour Avgolemon sauce over all. Serve immediately.

GREEK LAMB STEW AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Season the lamb pieces with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Add the pearl onions with two cups of broth in a sauce pan and simmer in medium high heat for 15 minutes.
• Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a pot. Add the diced onion, season with a pinch or two sea salt, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the lamb and saute for 3-4 minutes or until lamb is browned all over. Add the black pepper kernels and bay leaf.
• Add the white wine and simmer on high for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Add the pearl onions and broth and the chopped dill. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, cover the pot, and turn the heat to low. Slowcook until lamb is soft and can be pulled apart, about 60 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes after it is done to cool the broth.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Trim ends from zucchini and half each length-wise. Scoop out flesh of zucchini; dice. Arrange zucchini shells into a baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot oil until the onion is tender, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Stir diced zucchini flesh into the onion mixture; cook and stir until hot, about 5 minutes. Spoon zucchini mixture into the shells in the baking dish; top each with 1 tablespoon each feta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until the zucchini shells are soft, 30 to 40 minutes.