This dish is made with courgettes but you can easily fill other things such as bell peppers, aubergines or beef tomatoes with the mixture. The Missus likes courgettes though so that it what I tend to cook,,,
Ingredients
- 4 large Courgettes
- 150g long-grain Rice
- 2 firm Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- 375g lean minced Beef
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
- 250g Passata
- 1 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried
- 4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground Black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut each courgette in half lengthways. Scoop out the middle so you get a canoe shape and reseve the scoopings. I found the handle end of a teaspoon worked nicely as it wasn't too wide to risk breaking through your canoe wall. You should end up with a wall about 1cm thick. Chop up the removed courgette pulp.
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| Courgette/Zuchini |
Place the canoes on a baking tray, cover with foil and bake for twenty minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
While the courgettes are cooking you can take the opportunity to cook the rice. Cook it as per the packet instructions; basmati would be simmered for about 10 - 12 minutes in lightly salted water. You want the rice to be on the just cooked side so that it does not go mushy when you bake it later. Drain the rice and allow to cool for five minutes.
Mix the rice with the chopped tomatoes, egg and black pepper and set aside.
Fry the mince in a shallow pan or wok until browned all over. Stir in the onion and garlic then gently fry for five more minutes. Next add the passata, the reserved courgette pulp and rosemary; simmer gently for 10 minutes before adding the rice mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the canoes and sprinkle with parmesan. Finally bake for 15 minutes. The cheese should look golden and crispy.
