Greek Stuffed Zucchini (halal)(kolokithakia Yemista)(gluten Free

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 24 medium sized green zucchini
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs ground beef lamb
• 1/3 cup basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (don't omit, you may use dry mint if fresh is not available)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon bahrat mixed spice (baharat aka middle east mixed spices - the real mix)
• fresh ground black pepper
• salt
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice flour (to be gluten free)
• 2 eggs, separated (does not work with egg replacer)
• 1 lemon, juice of

Recipe

• 1 wash zucchini and cut off stems and reserve them.
• 2 scoop out centers of zucchini with a small spoon or zucchini corer. (i use the opposite end of a spoon which may work better depending on the shape of your cutlery).
• 3 make corks from the reserved ends by trimming each.
• 4 rinse and set zucchini aside.
• 5 gently fry the onion in 1 tbs olive oil until soft.
• 6 mix onion into the meat with the rice, tomato paste, 2 tbs parsley, mint and cinnamon, bahrat, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
• 7 fill each zucchini with the meat mixture and cork closed.
• 8 place in layers in a pot, add chicken stock, the other 1 tbs olive oil and salt to taste.
• 9 invert a heavy plate on top of zucchini and cover tightly.
• 10 simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.
• 11 when cooked drain off stock carefully into a small pan.
• 12 reduce to 1 1/2 cups over heat and thicken with flour mixed to a paste with a little cold water.
• 13 let it boil for 1 minute.
• 14 beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff, add yolks and beat throughly, gradually beat in lemon juice, then boiling stock.
• 15 return sauce to the small pan and place over low heat stirring constantly until egg is cooked *** do not boil ***.
• 16 arrange zucchini on warm serving dishes and spoon some sauce over them.
• 17 garnish with chopped remaining parsley and serve the rest of sauce in a jug.
• 18 serve this with mashed potatoes or hashweh ("rice stuffing") middle east, palestine used as a bed of rice and a fresh salad.
• 19 totally enjoy!