Sicilian Baked Zucchini Stuffed with Beef, Olives, and Capers - 5g Carbs, 2g Fiber
Recipe By:
Servingd: 8
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs Meat Meze
2 pounds white zucchini -- Lebanese-style, or any other zucchini, about
4 medium-sized
3/4 pound ground sirloin -- (7% fat)
1 medium onion -- finely chopped
2 tablespoons salted capers -- rinsed and chopped, if large
1/3 cup pitted and chopped imported green olives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste -- dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
To drizzle: -- extra-virgin olive oil
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and blanch the zucchini for 10 minutes. Drain, let cool, and cut lengthwise into halves. Using a sharp 3-inch parer, cut the flesh to separate it from the skin, being careful you don't break through, scoop it out with a spoon, and set it aside in a bowl. Cut each zucchini half in half crosswise and let rest skin side up on some paper towel for 30 minutes. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer in an oiled baking dish, skin side down.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Add the beef to the bowl with the zucchini pulp along with the onions, capers, olives, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato mixture and mix well. Salt and pepper the zucchini, then stuff them with the meat mixture. Drizzle the tops wit a little olive oil and bake until the tops look a little crusty and everything is sizzling, about 35 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature on a large platter on a buffet table or on individual plates.
Serves 8 as meze, starters
These stuffed zucchini from Sicily, called simply 'zucchini ripieni' are best eaten hot right out of the oven, although many Sicilians like to eat them at room temperature. The so-called white zucchini is a cutlivar that is squat and has pale green skin with some white stripes or splotches; it's also known as Lebanese-style zucchini at some farmer's markets. These are the zucchini that the Lebanese use to stuff.
Cuisine: "Mediterranean"
Source: "Little Foods of the Mediterranean by Clifford Wright, 2003"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi): "Sept 2012"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 130 Calories; 8g Fat (55.6% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 29mg Cholesterol; 125mg Sodium
Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates
