Stuffed courgette

Stuffing is a way of cooking almost any vegetable with grain, meat, cheese and other filling. First, the core of the vegetable is removed and then it’s stuffed with filling. The main popular veggies used for the stuffing is cabbage, potato, zucchini, aubergine and squash. Today we have meat stuffed courgette, with forcemeat, to be precise.

The history of stuffer courgette

It’s thought that tradition of stuffing originated in France, therefore, it’s no surprise that cheese was the first filling. The meat was used, as well as veggies and other tasty ingredients. The result were rice and meat stuffed zucchini, cabbage rolls, bell pepper and other vegetables. These dishes are usually included in the vegetarian diets, if meat is substituted with other veggies or grains (for instance, rice stuffed zucchini). The reason why we talk about the versatility of such a dish is our willingness to deliver you this great recipe so that you cook it using only the ingredients you like. Furthermore, before cooking something we need to figure out whether dish is healthy and in what way, if so. That’s why now we’re moving on to the healthy features of the stuffed courgettes.
Healthy features of the stuffed courgettes

First of all, let’s figure out the healthy features of the courgettes as the main ingredient used in our recipe. The courgette or zucchini is a type of pumpkin which was imported to Europe in the late sixteenth century and was used only as decoration plant. However, in the nineteenth century, its amazing taste qualities and health advantages were discovered. Even today it’s an essential ingredient of cooking books around the world.

First of all courgettes are rich in vitamins including A, B, C, H, PP and E. If you eat courgette regularly, you can not worry about your skin beauty, youth and the general health of the body. Zucchini contains a lot of minerals like magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and iron. Moreover, the proportion of these minerals is so unique that courgette can even eliminate the salt from your body. And thanks to the pectin this product can combat cholesterol. Now let’s talk about filling. In our recipe we used rice as the basis for the stuffing, as well as minced pork and carrots. So - this product combination is not accidental at all. The fact is that the minced pork is quite fatty.

That’s s why  the use of rice is the way to go. It's capable of absorbing  excess fat and making the dishes taste more balanced. Moreover, the rice itself is rich in vitamins, essential amino acids and potassium, and of course lecithin. The carrots give a certain spiciness and can make much lighter. The most amazing properties of carrots are the prevention of the cardiovascular system diseases and even cancer. Here we can easily make an indisputable conclusion that the stuffed zucchinis deliver not only the great taste, but the advantages for your health. And now we’re moving to how to make a stuffed zucchini and its recipe with photos.

The list of ingredients for the stuffed courgette

• 7-8 courgettes
• 5-6 carrots
• 2.2 - 2.8 lbs of minced pork
• 1/2 cup of rice
• an onion
• 4 tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons of sour cream
• a cup of water
• tomato paste or tomato dressing with pepper
• salt and spices
• vegetable oil

How to cook stuffed courgette

1. To start with, prepare all the ingredients;
   

   First, have all the ingredients ready.

2. Add some oil into the pan and fry the onion until it becomes transparent;
   

   Slice the onion and fry it.

3. Then add some sliced carrots and fry the veggies for 10 minutes;
   

   Add some carrots to the onion and fry for 10 minutes.

4. Then add a pinch salt and spices if you like;
   

   The carrots and onions should be salted and spiced.

5. Meanwhile, rinse the rice and boil it for 5 minutes;
   

   Wash the rice and boil for 5 minutes.

6. Then add 1/3 of the fried vegetables to the ready-made minced pork with onion;
   

   Then combine minced pork with the 1/3 of the fried vegetables.

7. Then the forcemeat should be salted and spiced, keeping in mind that the rice will absorb the salt;
   

   Add some salt and pepper but remember that part of it will be absorbed by rice.

8. Now add the boiled rice;
   

   It’s time to add rice now.

9. When all the ingredients are combined, whip them and beat against the bottom to soften it;
   

   The forcemeat should whipped and beaten.

10. Cut the tomatoes into four wedges and fill with boiling water;
    

    To make a sauce, cut tomatoes into four similar pieces.

11. Now, it’s time for courgette, so cut them just like shown on the picture;
    

    Cut the courgettes into 2.5'' pieces.

12. Now, carefully remove the core from the courgette;
    

    Remove the core from each piece.

13. Then you will be able to use the cores for the side dish;
    

    Then you will need the cores for the garnish.

14. Cut the cores into cubes;
    

    To use the cores later, cut them into cubes.

15. Now, remove the tomatoes from the water, peel them and cut;
    

    Cut the peeled tomatoes into cubes.

16. Before stuffing, cover the bottom of the pot with some fried carrots;
    

    Add 3 tablespoon of fried carrots and cover the bottom of the pot with it.

17. Then add some cabbage cores there;
    

    Now, some cabbage cores go in the pot.

18. Put some forcemeat in the each piece of courgette and put them tightly on the bottom of the casserole;
    

    Stuff each pieces of courgette and put them into the pot.

19. Then add one more layer of carrots and cabbages cores;
    

    One more layer of carrots and courgettes.

20. Then one more layer of stuffed courgettes and sprinkle everything with carrots again;
    

    One more layer of stuffed courgettes and carrots.

21. To make a sauce, put some tomato paste in the pan;
    

    Use tomato paste for the sauce.

22. Add some peeled tomatoes;
    

    Put some tomatoes in the pan.

23. Once tomato paste boils, add water and sour cream;
    

    Add some water and sour cream to the boiling tomatoes. The quantity of water depends on the size of the pot.

24. Whip the boiling sauce and season it if you like;
    

    Add some spices and salt to the boiling sauce, then whip it thoroughly.

25. Then fill the pot with courgettes with tomato sauce and put it on the heat for about an hour.
    

    Pour the sauce into the casserole and cook it on a low heat for and hour.

26. Stuffed courgettes are ready now!
    

    The dish is ready to be served, Bon Appetite!

Well, it wasn't quick, of course, and not that easy, but can you feel that yummy smell? And do you remember how healthy the dish is? Your efforts were definitely worth it. Don’t waste your time and indulge yourself with this incredibly delicious courgette. Every single chef dreams of inventing something new and creating new culinary masterpieces. So make your dream come true! Always yours, HozOboz.

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