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Stuffed Zucchini with Minced Meat Baked in the Oven
Instructions
For preparation, you will need three young zucchini of medium size. The zucchini should be washed very well, since we will not peel the skin. We will only remove the ends — the tail and the tip.
Cut the zucchini crosswise into pieces about five centimetres wide, so each piece becomes a little "barrel" that is easy to stuff.
Using a teaspoon, scoop out the middle of each piece, but not all the way through – leave a bottom about one centimetre thick. You should now have mini "cups" for the filling. Do not throw away the scooped-out flesh; it will go into the tomato sauce. Salt the inside of the cups generously and set aside for about 15 minutes – the salt will draw out excess moisture so the zucchini do not leak during baking. Drain off or blot away any liquid that forms.
Prepare the minced meat. Take pork and beef in equal parts (50/50) and grind them using a meat grinder, or use ready-made mince.
We will add onion and rice to the minced meat.
Rinse the long-grain rice well, then boil it until half-cooked – about five to seven minutes (it should stay slightly firm inside, as it will finish cooking in the filling). Drain. Finely chop the onion or mince it with the meat in the meat grinder.
Add the onion and rice to the meat and mix well together for three to four minutes total.
We will also add salt, black pepper, and other spices to the minced meat to taste. Take about half of them from the total; the rest will be needed for the sauce, along with the allspice and bay leaf. Add the grated young garlic and paprika as well.
Add the spices to the minced meat and mix well again. If the minced meat is a bit dense, you can add one or two tablespoons of water.
While we were preparing the minced meat, our zucchini "cups" have salted nicely. Fill them with the minced meat, leaving about half a centimetre free at the top so the filling does not spill out as it swells.
The sauce can be prepared from tomato paste and sour cream. But during the season of young vegetables, the sauce can be made even tastier.
To prepare it, put the scooped-out zucchini centres in a blender, add the fresh tomatoes and a couple of cloves of young garlic for flavour.
Blend the vegetables well with a blender.
Add the tomato paste (70 g) and sour cream (100 g). Blend the mixture a little more. The sauce should have the consistency of thin sour cream – if it is too thick, thin it with a little water.
Make the sauce tasty. Add salt, a pinch of sugar, and the remaining spices to taste.
Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and place the "cups" with the minced meat snugly together. Add the bay leaves (2 pcs.) and allspice peppercorns (5 pcs.) for aroma.
Pour over the remaining sauce, making sure to cover the filling so the cups sit in the sauce up to about two-thirds of their height.
Place the dish with zucchini in the oven, which has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the zucchini for thirty-five to forty minutes, until the zucchini are tender and the top is golden. Check with a knife – the zucchini should pierce easily and the filling should be cooked through (no pink in the meat).
The stuffed zucchini with minced meat baked in the oven is now ready. Let it rest for five to ten minutes so the sauce thickens and the cups lift out more easily, then serve in portions, generously spooning over the sauce in which the zucchini were cooked. You can also serve them with sour cream or ketchup, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley or dill. Side dishes can be boiled rice, young potatoes, or mashed potatoes. Fresh vegetables will also be great alongside.Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Be sure to salt the zucchini cups on the inside and leave them for about 15 minutes – this draws out excess moisture so the zucchini do not leak during baking.
- 2
Use only young zucchini with thin skin – older, woody ones make the dish tough and unappetising.
- 3
Boil the rice only until half-cooked – it will finish cooking inside the filling during baking.
- 4
A sauce made from the scooped-out zucchini flesh and fresh tomatoes is the secret to a juicy, aromatic sauce without any shop-bought extras.
FAQ
What can I use instead of the minced meat in the filling? +
Several options work well: chicken or turkey (more diet-friendly), lamb (for an "Eastern" aroma), or a 50/50 mix of beef and chicken (a compromise on fat and calories). For a meat-free version, use mushrooms (about 300 g) with sautéed vegetables (carrot and onion), swapping the rice for buckwheat. A pork and beef mix is the classic for Russian stuffed vegetables, with a good balance of juiciness and rich flavour.
Can I replace the rice with another grain? +
Yes. Options for the filling include buckwheat (boiled until half-cooked, about 10 minutes), pearl barley (needs longer pre-cooking, about 40 minutes), bulgur (about 10 minutes of pre-cooking), couscous (5 minutes of steeping), or quinoa (for a gluten-free version). You can also make it without any grain, adding sautéed vegetables (carrot, bell pepper) to bulk out the filling. Long-grain rice is the classic for Russian stuffed zucchini, as it does not boil over and holds its structure in the filling.
How long do stuffed zucchini keep? +
They keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a tightly closed container with the sauce. On the second day the flavour is even richer, as the filling soaks up the sauce. Before serving, reheat in the oven at 150°C for 15 minutes under foil (this keeps them juicy) or in the microwave for about 3 minutes under a cover. You can also freeze them in portions for up to 1 month in airtight containers with the sauce – thaw fully in the refrigerator (about 8 hours) before reheating in the oven.
What should I serve stuffed zucchini with? +
They are ideal on their own as a hot main with sour cream and fresh herbs. As a side dish, try boiled rice (which goes well with the sauce), mashed potatoes with butter, fluffy buckwheat, or young potatoes in their skins. A fresh vegetable salad (cucumber, tomato, herbs) adds a nice contrast, and good accompanying sauces include sour cream, garlic sauce, homemade tomato sauce, or ketchup. They make a fine family summer dinner or weekend lunch.
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