# Courgettes (zucchini) stuffed with minced beef, feta cheese and pistachios



## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Courgettes (zucchini) stuffed with minced beef, feta cheese and pistachios*





  








CourgetteGevuldRundFeta3.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Mar 30, 2014








I found these beautiful round courgettes and started thinking what to do with them. It's a bit obvious but stuffing them was my idea, so here we go. Of course you can use the "normal" courgettes (zucchini).

Nothing complicated and you can make as many variations as you like. Start by hollowing the courgettes. Keep the pulp, we will use that to make the sauce. I sprinkled some salt inside the hollowed courgettes and left them upside down to lose some moist.





  








CourgetteGevuldRundFeta1.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Mar 30, 2014








Stuffing; minced beef, a little dried ham (prosciutto or whatever) cut in tiny bits, finely cut small shallot and garlic, pinch of chili flakes, an egg, a small handful of breadcrumbs, a handful of chopped pistachios, quite a lot of feta cheese, a few leaves of chopped fresh mint, some dried lemon verbena, s&p.

Cook in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 35-45 minutes.





  








CourgetteGevuldRundFeta1A.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Mar 30, 2014












  








CourgetteGevuldRundFeta2.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Mar 30, 2014








Sauce; sweat a chopped onion and some garlic. Add the pulp of the courgettes and leave to sweat for a few minutes. Add half a cup of water or chicken stock and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. I added a few saffron threads and a good pinch of a Moroccan spice mix. Those will provide that nice yellow color. If not available, use no more than 1/4 tsp of turmeric. Mix finely into a sauce.


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Very nice Chris, I've made many a stuffed zucchini, always length spilt and baked with almost anything as filling.

But I've never found nor used the roundies, gotta admit they really present nicely. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

Gorgeous sauce too, doesn't take much saffron to make with the pretties.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

So eat the stuffing and rice and hide the zucchini where? I am one of the haters but the stuffing might be okay/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks Meezenplaz! Those round ones are quite hard to find over here too.

Mary; too bad you don't like them. Maybe it's the watery taste? What I did not mention was that I salt the hollowed courgettes and let the moist drip out, putting the courgettes upside down for half an hour or so. A good seasoning later just before stuffing them and they will taste a lot better.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

I think it is the lack of taste with zucchini, one of the most bland things I have ever eaten. Around here people end up trying to give them away, you don't leave your car unlocked or you might find a bag of them in your front seat


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

> you don't leave your car unlocked or you might find a bag of them in your front seat


Haha, good one.

Funny, I always found them to have a distinct flavor, albeit somewhat diluted unless, as said above theyre properly drained.

If not they do seem to retain an awful lot of water after theyre baked boiled or steamed.

The key is always in the salting and spicing, and using more robust stuffing ingreds. Garlic is my friend!

But what I have found is that "Mexican Italian Squash" , the shorter, striped ones, have much better flavor,

and the added plus of thinner more tender skins.


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