Traditional Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini - Kousa
Prep time 10 minutes | Cook Time 60 minutes | Total Time 70- 80 minutes
Ingredients
1 package of Impossible Beef- if you don’t want to use this meat substitute see notes and adjustments below.
1 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup of uncooked rice - (Grandma would only use Ben’s rice)
1 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoons of allspice
5-10 green zucchini, yellow squash, or Mexican squash (see notes below)
Instructions
Use an apple corer to hollow out 5-10 small to medium zucchini or yellow squash- This recipe will fill about 10 zucchini but if you are cooking for only a few people you can freeze 1/2 of the filling for later.
In a bowl mix the Impossible meat, 1/2 cup of tomato paste, 1/2 cup of rice, 2 tablespoons allspice, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Mix well - you may have to mix with your hands.
Fill the squash with the stuffing using a small spoon and your hands! Do not overfill as the ingredients will expand while cooking.
Mix 1/4 cup of tomato paste with 1&1/2- 2 cups of water
Stand the squash up in a saucepan or you can also lay them in a frying pan- I prefer to stand them up.
Pour the tomato paste/water mixture into the saucepan- the squash will be about 1/2 covered
Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour. You will know they are done when a fork easily can pierce the skin of the squash
I love to serve these with Lebanese Green Beans- Loubia- You can find that and other Lebanese recipes on my recipes page and at catsvegankitchen3390 on YouTube
Notes and Adjustments
This recipe is a bit complicated if you haven’t made it- I do suggest watching my 5 minute YouTube tutorial on this if you are making it for the first time.
The recipe was traditionally made with a light green Zucchini that they call Mexican squash where I live (Los Angeles) This can be hard to find and I also use yellow squash interchangeably and sometimes even like it more.
If you don’t want to use plant based meat you can use textured vegetable protein- but I would be sure to season it first