STUFFED ZUCCHINI AND ONIONS

This recipe, taken from my book Tripolitan Tastes, is in memory of my mother-in-law, Savta Gita, who supported me throughout all the stages of publishing the book. Most of the recipes, stories and idioms relayed in the book came from her.

Makes 6-8 servings.

300 gr. ground beef

1 large onion, peeled, rinsed and chopped

finely

10 stalks of parsley, rinsed and chopped finely ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground salt

½ tsp. sweet paprika

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. pepper

1 egg

4 medium, light-green zucchini, cut in half or into three sections, emptied of the seeds and insides (keep for later)

2 large onions, peeled and separated into

layers

Sauce:

4 Tbsp. oil

1 large onion, peeled, rinsed and chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled, rinsed and crushed 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3-4 cups water

3 potatoes, peeled, rinsed and quartered

Place the meat in a bowl and add the onion, parsley, spices and egg. Mix well. Fill the zucchini and onion layers with the meat mixture and place on a tray. Chop the insides from the zucchini and set aside.

To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a large, flat pan. Add the onion, garlic and the insides from the zucchini and sauté for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste, spices and 2 cups of water. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes covered.

Place the stuffed vegetables tightly packed inside the pot with the sauce. Pour the rest of the water on top so that they’re covered by at least 1 cm. If needed, you can add more water. Cover the pot and cook for 40 minutes over a low flame. Serve hot with rice or couscous.

Level of difficulty: Medium. Time: 90 minutes.

Status: Meat.