A twist on the Middle Eastern dish mahashee, zucchini “cups” are filled with seasoned meat, rice and onion before being simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce.
SERVINGS: 5
SERVING SIZE: 3 zucchini cups (370 grams)
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
COOKING TIME: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅔ cup chopped yellow onion, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 28-ounce can (about 3½ cups) crushed tomatoes, divided
- 8 ounces 95% lean ground beef
- ½ cup uncooked medium-grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Cut zucchinis into 1½-inch rounds. Using a melon baller, hollow out the center of each round to make it look like a cup (leave about ⅛ inch in the bottom) and set aside.
- Dice the removed flesh.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini flesh and ⅓ cup onion.
- Sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Sauté for 1 minute, then stir in 2½ cups tomatoes. Turn off heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add remaining ⅓ cup onion, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 cup crushed tomatoes, along with ground beef, rice, allspice and cumin. Stir until combined.
- Spoon the filling into each zucchini cup to the top.
- Place each cup in the tomato sauce, meat side up.
- Cover skillet, turn heat to low and simmer for 55 to 60 minutes or until a food thermometer reads 160°F when placed in the center of the
stuffed zucchinis. - Remove from heat and garnish with fresh mint immediately before serving.
NUTRITION PER SERVING: 281 calories, 9g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 28mg cholesterol, 641mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 8g sugar, 17g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorus
Sarah Pflugradt, MS, RDN, is a freelance writer, blogger at Sarah Pflugradt Nutrition . Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.