Stuffed Giant Home-garden Zucchini

 

 

Summer garden was a fun activity with moderate yield and immense satisfaction. One large zucchini about a foot long and 4 inches in diameter seemed like a prime candidate for stuffing and baking. I just used the bottom half for stuffing and saved the top half for enjoying another day.

Any filling - like rice or ground turkey or grilled fajita veggies, or a combination of all of these - will work. I went with grilled veggies and Mexican-flavors-inspired brown rice that was leftover. Top with melty cheese like Cheddar or Colby Jack or Provolone, or a combination of these, and finish off under the broiler for that mild charring that adds to the flavor.

Bulgur & Tempeh Stuffed Acorn Squash

Among the squashes, the sweet and meaty winter squashes are my favorite. Not all winter squashes are alike, so, my preference is further refined by the varieties that I've had so far that have the texture and flavor that I consider 'meaty' and mildly sweet.

I am not a fan of spaghetti squash or other similar squashes with a pronounced stringy texture when baked/cooked. I like the chunky meaty texture of Butternut, Blue Hubbard, Sweet Meat, Kabocha, Red Kuri, Delicata, and Danish/Acorn.

Millet & Lentils Stuffed Golden Danish Squash is a favorite. But this time, I went with a mixture of bulgur and tempeh for the stuffing. To quick cook bulgur, I pour some boiled water over it and soak it while getting the veggies ready. To add a kick to it, I sprinkle some Tabasco™ sauce on the squash before stuffing and baking.

Ingredients
One medium acorn/Danish squash

½ cup crumbled tempeh
¼ cup bulgur

veggies:
½ cup chopped onions, tomatoes, chilies, garlic
¼ cup cooked corn
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup diced red and green bell peppers

flavoring herbs:
fresh (or dried) oregano, basil, fennel leaves to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil for sauteing

topping: Feta and Parmesan as needed

flavoring spices:
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder

Tabasco™ Sauce (optional)

Preparation

• Prep: Soak the bulgur in boiling hot water; pre-heat the oven to 400°F; Cut the squash in half, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and make a wide well for the stuffing; spritz some water and rub some salt on the inside of the squash halves and microwave for about 6 minutes on high power till par-cooked
• Stuffing: Sauté the onions, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic in some oil, with a pinch of salt; add the rest of the veggies, soaked bulgur, and tempeh once onions turn translucent, stir in the flavoring spices, cover and allow to cook till flavors meld
• Baking: Sprinkle some Tabasco sauce on the par-cooked squash halves, then fill them with the stuffing and bake in 400°F oven for about 30-45 minutes till squash is roasted to a fine golden brown, and the skin is lightly crispy
• Garnish: Top with feta and Parmesan, some spring onions, cilantro if available
• Serve warm with extra feta and Tabasco sauce on the side

Stuffed Sweet Red Peppers

Stuffed peppers happen frequently in my kitchen, even if only the adults in the family enjoy it.

Most of the time the stuffing is leftovers - typically rice and beans, or TVP, or millet or quinoa. When I found these colorful beauties at the farmers market, I knew they would come home to get roasted/stuffed.

Here's a variety of stuffed veggies showcased in a previous post.

This time I went with some leftover basmati rice sauteed with onions, tomatoes, Ethiopian berbere spice powder, stirred in with some dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.

Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Sweet-and-Sour Peanut Filling

It is no secret that I love eggplant, as evidenced by the wide array of Eggplant Recipes shared here. While I don't eat eggplant everyday, it does seem like I am rather partial to it. On and off I avoid nightshade family which include eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes to help the gut recover. Choosing ripe red peppers and ripe red tomatoes and and ripe purple eggplant seems to work so far.

Small Indian eggplant, when ripe, is just a little bigger than a large egg and perfect for slitting and stuffing to make spicy dishes. This time, the flavorful sweet-and-sour masala paste for stuffing is made with peanuts, tomatoes, dry red chilies, plus my favorite combo for sweet-and-sour: tamarind paste + grape molasses.

[Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with these brands, these are just the ones available where I shop]


Simply grind the masala paste, make cross-wise slit in the eggplants and slather the paste inside. Reserve some of the paste for the gravy, if preferred.

Ingredients
For the peanut masala paste:
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
4 to 5 dry red chilies
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp grape molasses
2 Tbsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

2 Tbsp vegetable oil or safflower oil
water as needed

Preparation

1. Masala Paste: Combine the peanut masala paste ingredients, grind to a smooth paste and keep handy
2. Slit-and-Stuff Eggplant: Make two slits in the eggplant perpendicular to each other keeping the stem intact; slather the masala paste into the crevices by gently opening up the slits
3. Cook: Heat oil in a pan, add any reserved masala paste and sauté ; then, arrange the slit-and-stuffed eggplants gently, splash some water and sprinkle some salt, cover and allow to cook over medium heat; turn the eggplant gently to cook all sides evenly till cooked through but still intact
4. Serve with Basmati rice or naan; or just enjoy it as-is, like an appetizer

Fenugreek Sesame Oregano Cumin Stuffed Eggplant

There is something beautiful in the shapely elegance, the careless asymmetry, and the deep velvety purpleness of the Eggplant that has always attracted me.

Of course, having grown these beauties at home for almost a decade now, and knowing that not all of them are purple (think orange!), and not all of them sport the same uniform looks, I'd like to think that their differences add to their charm, for sure.

They are not always in season, and I try to eat local, so, it doesn't always work out that I find the right eggplant for the price and origin I am comfortable with. But, when I found these young Black Bells at the market, I couldn't pass them up.

Stuffing vegetables is always fun, mixing up the spices and grains to suit the mood and the vegetable at hand:

Bitter gourd, Bitter melon, Ridge gourd, Snake gourd, Kohlrabi, Zucchini, Danish Squash, Acorn Squash, Scallop Squash, Bell Peppers, Brussels sprouts, Okra, Sweet Potato Skins, Portobello Mushrooms, and of course, Eggplant!

This time, I wanted to bring in the goodness of fenugreek and sesame to the mix. Simmered in a tomato-based sauce, these slit-and-stuffed eggplants were quite a treat, enjoyed even more as leftovers when flavors have had a chance to settle.

The kale in my garden has matured, flowered and gone to seed. Kale flowers get sprinkled on salads when they are handy in the garden. They make a fun garnish for spicy dishes, bringing in their sunny yellow to the dish.

Ingredients
Medium eggplants that are easy to slit and stuff
Oil
Salt to taste

For the spice mix powder:
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (white or black is fine, I went with white)
2 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 Tbsp dry oregano leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 dry red chilies

For the sauce/gravy to simmer in:
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp raw almonds, soaked in water for about 10 minutes

Preparation

1. Slit the eggplant cross-wise, like a plus sign, to separate out the quarters, but still held intact at the stem-end
2. Rub the insides of the eggplant with some salt and let it sit
3. Grind the spice mix to a powder; stir some of it with some oil to make a paste
4. Slather this paste into the slits of the eggplant
5. Grind the sauce ingredients to a fine paste
6. Heat some oil in a pan, add this paste and a pinch of salt, saute till rawness of onions is gone
7. Add some water and stir well to make a slightly runny sauce consistency, then, place the slit-and-stuffed eggplants into this runny sauce, cover the pan, and allow to simmer till eggplants are cooked and the sauce thickens
8. Turn the eggplant partway, carefully, so, all sides get cooked evenly while still retaining their wholeness
9. Serve warm with naan or basmati rice

Southwest Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

Stuffed vegetables are always fun. And, not just vegetables, anything that lends itself well to stuffing seems a fair game.

Millet and Lentils Stuffed Golden Danish Squash is a particular favorite in autumn when these dainty squashes flood the local farm markets.

Kohlrabi Greens Dolma Bites is another favorite, especially during the Kohlrabi season when local farms and CSA showcase these lovely bulbs aka enlarged stems above the soil.

Stuffed Kohlrabi in Coconut Cream Sauce is another seasonal favorite much relished by the adults in the house

Stuffed Okra might be an acquired taste for some, but, it seems like another favorite at home.

Zucchini Mahshi, inspired by Lebanese-cuisine, is an easy summer favorite of stuffed zucchini served in a spicy sauce.

Nutty Fruity Rice-Stuffed Swiss Chard Dolmas are perfect when these lovely greens are in season in my home garden.


Anyway, the stuffing this time was rice, flavored with Southwest-inspired spices and vegetables -- corn, black beans, red peppers, onions, ancho chilies with some Taco seasoning mix.

Brush the red peppers with oil and roast them in the oven for a short time, then stuff with rice and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Finally, top with some mozzarella and Parmesan and broil right before serving.

Portabella Stuffed with Chard, Peppers, Peas

"Giant Fungus? No, thank you!"

That seems to be the trend with the majority of the population in the household.

I happen to love mushrooms of all kinds, especially portabella/cremini. With fancy names like that, how can one sideline them as mere fungi.

Every once in a while, I make it just for myself, as an indulgence. Not an elaborate recipe, but whatever is handy as a stuffing is fine with me - like, leftover rice and beans, TVP, or just cheese and tomatoes and onions.

This stuffing here is my all-time favorite for portabella. Fresh chard, colorful peppers, red onions, jalapeños, peas in a creamy cheese sauce. Simply saute the veggies till softened, add some cheese and heavy cream to make a thick filling.

Rather than bake it in a 400 °F oven for about 10 minutes, I went with cooking it in a cast iron skillet. Gill the portabella and drizzle some Braggs Liquid Aminos and Balsamic vinegar, add some stuffing (I like to pile it on), cook in a lightly oiled hot cast iron skillet with a fitting lid on. Then, remove the lid and cook till done, adding more cheese or filling as desired.

Millet and Lentil Stuffed Golden Danish Squash

I picked up a few Golden Danish/Acorn and Amber cup and Golden Kuri squashes at the farm market, hoping to make hearty roasted veggies and soups. But, the Golden Danish was perfect for stuffing and baking.

The Stuffing: 
Ingredients
1 cup millet
½ cup lentils
2½ cups stock or water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Cook millet and lentils in the rice cooker, adding salt/seasonings as preferred, plus some olive oil; fluff with fork when done and keep handy
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute favorite veggies - onions, red cabbage, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, grated carrots, adding favorite seasoning - I used lemon pepper seasoning plus some garlic powder and parsley
3. Stir in the cooked, fluffed millet+lentils and adjust seasoning to taste

The Baked Golden Danish:

1. Wash and clean the skin of the squash, cut it in half, scoop out the pulp and seeds; slice off a thin portion of the squash on its curved side so it will sit flat for baking
2. Lightly brush with olive oil, sprinkle some salt, and bake in a 400 °F oven for about 30 minutes, cut side down; then flip the halves so the cut side is up, and add a dab of butter to each half and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes; turn oven off
3. Remove from oven, stuff each half with the millet+lentil filling, top with Pepperjack or Cheddar cheese, return the stuffed halves to the oven and bake for a few more minutes till cheese melts - the residual heat in the oven is plenty for this, even if the oven is off
4. When ready to serve, top with feta and chopped spring onions, serve with a wedge of lemon

Stuffed Snake Gourd with Coconut Flour and Chickpea Flour

Snake gourd has a distinctive taste and texture that I grew to love thanks to my mom's cooking. There are just two or three different ways in which she usually cooks it, almost always with coconut or with lentils or both.

The one issue I've always had with snake gourd is that it can be too mature and bitter if not picked when tender. Mature snake gourd tends to be woody and chewy, and not suitable for consumption.

This time, I was in the mood for stuffed snake gourd. Much like stuffed bitter gourd, it is easy enough to scoop out the pulpy innards and par-boil the snake gourd cylinders in some salted water.

The filling or stuffing was the tougher decision. Any old stuffing would be fine, like, seasoned ground meat, flavored brown rice and barley, Textured Vegetable Protein TVP, beans or lentils with quinoa and veggies... but, I wanted something different, something easy to make, yet flavorful. So, I turned to my newest obsession: Coconut Flour.

Chickpea flour and Coconut Flour stuffing:

Ingredients
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup finely diced onions
¼ cup finely dices tomatoes
¼ cup cooked chickpeas
salt to taste
2 Tablespoon coconut oil

Simply heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and tomatoes, saute a bit, then add the flours, keep the heat at low and stir continuously till the flours turn a light nutty brown, not too dark. Stir in the chickpeas and turn off heat. That's it.

The filling would be powdery flour mixture that might have a beady breadcrumb-ish texture, which will clump up nicely when packed tight. And that's what I was going for.

Fill the boiled snake gourd cylinders and bake them in a 425°F oven for about 15 minutes, with a touch of oil brushed on. Turn the stuffed snake gourd cylinders in the oven half way through cooking to brown on all sides.

Serve warm, garnished with spring onions and cilantro, drizzled with Lemongrass Flavored Coconut Milk Sauce as in the Stuffed Kohlrabi recipe.

Stuffed Kohlrabi in Coconut Milk Sauce

I was lovingly lingering over the brilliantly colorful vegetable array at one of the Sauvie Island farm markets the other day, coming up with recipes on the fly, exploring the different ways I could cook each of them, when I was jolted out of my reverie with a 2 minute warning from the other adult which meant, I am heading to the checkout and if you want anything you better add it to the basket now or forever hold your peace.

So I grabbed a big bunch of kohlrabi (at $1.99 a bunch it was unbeatable), some sweet corn on the cob, and a bunch of purple radishes and dashed. Cippolini onions, scallop squash, and apricots will have to wait till my next trip.

The kohlrabi bunch had six large bulbs plus oodles of earthy greens. The raised eyebrow quizzing What are you going to do with all this kohlrabi? from the other half was met with my own patented grin reassuring Oh tons of things, you'll see! 

And so it is that I've been making kohlrabi dish after kohlrabi dish, wishing I had grabbed another bunch at the farm market before rushing off.

After boiling it tender but firm, the innards can be scooped out and added to the stuffing to enhance the kohlrabi experience. The scooped out bowls of boiled kohlrabi can then be filled with the stuffing, ready for steaming and simmering in the sauce.

The stuffing can be anything, really - TVP, lentils, flavored brown rice or quinoa, barley or freekeh, mashed leftovers, ground meat... whatever the mood calls for.

This time, I wanted to make a vegetarian stuffing that can stand on its own as a side for another meal, so I went with Brown Rice + Barley + Mung Dal + Veggies, mildly spiced with cumin and caraway.

The easiest way to make this particular stuffing for me is to throw the barley, brown rice, and mung dal in the rice cooker, with some salt and enough stock and cook it till done. Meanwhile, chop the veggies, saute with cumin and caraway seeds, then add in the cooked barley+rice+mung mixture, stir well and adjust seasoning to taste.

Sauce can be anything from simple Bechemel to plain tomato sauce. I wanted to use the lemon grass from my garden so The Thai style coconut milk sauce came about.

Ingredients
2 or 3 whole kohlrabi

For the stuffing:
½ cup cooked barley
½ cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup cooked mung dal
¼ cup finely chopped red and orange peppers
¼ cup finely chopped red onions
¼ cup finely chopped red cabbage
¼ cup grated carrots
¼ cup grated zucchini
¼ cup chopped kale
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
the scooped out innards of the boiled kohlrabi
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
salt to taste

For the cooking sauce:

Some home-garden lemon grass plus dry red chilies and garlic cloves were mashed and pounded in a mortar and pestle to a coarse consistency
1 14 oz can or about 1½ cups of coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Slice the bottom of kohlrabi just a millimeter or two to make it sit on its bottom comfortably without wobbling
2. Nestle 2 or 3 such kohlrabis in a pot with enough stock or water to immerse them, cover and allow to boil for 20 minutes till a skewer inserted into the middle slides in smooth and tender
3. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing: heat the oil, add the cumin and caraway and the veggies, stir and saute, then add the cooked rice+barley+mung dal and fold it all in to make a uniform mixture
4. Remove the boiled kohlrabis, slice the top, scoop out the innards and add the innards to the stuffing and mix well
5. Stuff the boiled kohlrabis with the prepared stuffing
6. Sauce: Heat the teaspoon of coconut oil in the pot, add the crushed/pounded lemon grass+chilies+garlic and saute till aromatic, add the coconut milk; then gently place the stuffed kohlrabis, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes till sauce thickens
7. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce drizzled on, or on the side

Almond Panko Encrusted Baked Stuffed Okra

Sometimes, the work involved to get the finished product seems worth the effort. Sometimes, not. I think this dish is worth the time and labor, although that depends on how many okras one wants to prepare at a time in this manner.

Nutty, crispy coating, along with spicy stuffing makes these quite the versatile finger food. I decided to make just about 15 to 16 okras at this time, just enough as an appetizer for the two adults. Kids will take the sole courtesy bite per the house rule and declare it delicious but unsuitable for them at this time.

Stuffing can be anything that will fit in the slit - grated cheese, sliced onions, jalapeno, even any cooked meats as long as it is minced or chopped small enough to fit. I went with simple mint chutney and thinly sliced red onions.

Ingredients
16 medium sized okras
1 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs
1 cup ground raw almonds, seasoned
1 cup buttermilk
Stuffing: store-bought mint chutney, red onions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 °F
2. Slit the okra but not slice it all the way through
3. Push a thumb through the slit to get the sides separated enough to make a smallish pocket
4. Slather some chutney and push in a small amount of stuffing
5. Leave the stuffed okra in a shallow bowl of buttermilk 
6. Mix the ground almonds and Panko seasoned crumbs together and keep it handy in a plate
7. Take a few okras at a time out of the buttermilk, press into the almond+panko crumb, turn to coat all sides
8. Place in a greased roasting pan; fill the roasting pan with these prepared crusted okras
9. Drizzle with oil and bake for about 20 minutes till okra is done and the crumb coating is crisp and golden brown
10. Remove from heat, serve warm with dips and chutneys

Five-Spiced Coconut-Stuffed Eggplant

Stuffed baby eggplant in rich tomato-based gravy, pan-sauteed stuffed baby eggplant, and spice-stuffed baby eggplant pilaf are all the usual favorites. Each time, I vary the stuffing slightly, depending on available ingredients and what the mood calls for.

This time, the stuffing is coconut-based, with panch phoron spices. And, instead of baby Indian eggplant which is a nice egg-shaped flavorful fruit, I used the long Chinese eggplant, cut in half to fit in my pan.

Ingredients:
For the stuffing:
¼ cup  dry grated coconut
1 tsp black cumin seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 dry red chilies
½ tsp cane sugar
¼ tsp salt

Other:
2 long Chinese eggplant
herbs for garnish: cilantro, mint, rosemary, fennel
salt to taste
a few tablespoons of canola oil for pan-cooking

Preparation

1. Stuffing: Toast the seeds, then combine all the rest of the stuffing ingredients and grind to a fine paste adding a little water as needed
2. Eggplant: Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise to fit in the pan, or leave it whole if it can be cooked whole in the pan; then, with the ends intact, slit the eggplant lengthwise halfway and again crosswise to make quarters as in the picture
3. Pan-cook: Slather the stuffing into the slits in the eggplant, tie with a cooking twine if desired; heat oil in a pan for shallow frying; place the stuffed eggplants in the hot oil, sear one side; turn the eggplants, cover and allow to cook till done, turning as need to get all the sides
4. Garnish: I used some fresh mint, oregano, and rosemary from my garden, but, cilantro, curry leaves, spring onions, anything is fine for garnish. Serve warm with roti or rice.

Rice Pilaf-Stuffed Baked Globe Eggplant

1. Cut a large globe eggplant in half lengthwise, score the cut side, brush with oil, place cut-side down on a roasting pan and cook in a 425°F oven for about 25 - 30 minutes, checking partway to make sure eggplant is getting cooked through
2. Meanwhile, make the vegetable pilaf or biriyani and keep handy for stuffing
3. Remove the eggplant from the oven, scoop out the cooked pulp and save it for making baba ghanouj or ajvar; then reduce the oven heat to 350°F 
4. Fill the scooped out cavity with the fragrant rice pilaf and return to the 350°F oven and bake for another 5 minutes, then top with grated cheese if preferred and bake another 5 minutes till cheese melts
5. Garnish with dried fruits and herbs, if preferred, and serve warm with cooling cucumber raita

Quinoa-Stuffed Scallop Squash

We are fortunate that within walking distance, there's an international farmer's market that is open on Sundays June through October. "International" because farmers/growers and vendors of Russian, Mexican, Hmong and Mien origin offer vegetables unique to their culture and ideally suited for their traditional dishes. Besides the fresh produce, there's usually music from various countries. A unicycle-riding bagpiper is a fixture as well - kids love to watch him perform - especially when he arranges to do a "flaming" bagpipe performance.

Anyway, I usually pick up veggies at random, whatever catches my fancy, and then decide how I am going to use them after safely settling them in my kitchen.

The scallop (aka patty pan) squashes were lovely. I couldn't resist. At 4 for a dollar, it felt like a steal.

Stuffed veggies are always fun. Stuffed peppers is a favorite. So, I decided to make stuffed scallop squash again. This time, the filling is veggie-loaded quinoa.

Ingredients
4 to 6 scallop squash

For the stuffing:
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup chopped colorful bell peppers
½ cup chopped green or red cabbage
½ red or yellow onion, diced finely
1 serrano chili chopped finely (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

1. Cut an opening at the stem part, save the top, and scoop the innards out of the scallop squash, leaving a fairly thick layer of flesh inside
2. Steam or simmer the scallop squash (top as well) in salted boiling water for a few minutes till tender, and plunge in ice/cold water to prevent over-cooking, and to preserve its shape.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, saute the onions, chilies and bell peppers, add the the cabbage, then the quinoa and cook till veggies are wilted a bit and yet still crunchy; adjust salt and herbs or other flavors to taste
4. Scoop the quinoa mixture into the scallop squash, garnish with herbs and serve warm or at room temperature. I went with mint and fennel and some rosemary from my garden for garnish as those were the herbs I used for flavoring the quinoa as well, so carried over the same; but, even cilantro or parsley will be fine

Stuffed Bitter Melon

Bitter melon aka bitter gourd is a favorite with the adults in the house. The standard bittergour pitlay, tamarind flavored crunchy bitter melon, pan-fried, oven-baked, bitter gourd sesame pachadi... so many ways to enjoy this fairly bitter fruit.

Here, the fairly large Chinese Fu-gwa is stuffed with some flavored Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).

Cut the bitter melon in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. Salt it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Par cook it with some water in the microwave till just tender but still holding shape. Drain and pat dry.

Prepare the stuffing: Saute some onions and red bell peppers with favorite herbs and spices, add some TVP and just enough water to cook through.

Fill the bitter melon halves with stuffing and bake in a 425°F for about 10 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and spring onions.

Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Much like the classic Potato Skins and Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes, this Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins are quite easy to make and can be a delicious side or meal.

Rather than the bell peppers and mushroom stuffing/filling as below, I went with leftover baked tofu, bean sprouts for the version in the picture. To moisten the stuffing, I added some warm vegetable broth, just enough to keep the stuffing together.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Wash and clean the skin of the sweet potato thoroughly.
2. Prick the sweet potato with a fork in several places and microwave for a few minutes till cooked and firm, not mush (cooking time will vary depending on the microwave)
3. Slice the cooked Sweet potato in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the middle leaving a ¼ inch thick flesh attached to the skin - this will be the "Sweet Potato Skin" (SPS) from now on. Save the scooped pulp for filling
4. Brush the SPS with olive oil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, first with the cut side down, then with the cut side up
5. Meanwhile, sauté some diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms with some spices and seasoning, then off heat stir in the mashed innards of the cooked sweet potato that was scooped out earlier; adjust flavors to taste
6. When SPS comes out of the oven, scoop the filling into the hollows of the halves and garnish with spring onions and serve warm

Zucchini Mahshi

This Lebanese-cuisine inspired Koussa Mahshi or Stuffed Zucchini with a blend of Mediterranean spices, served hot with fresh warm flat bread, is a treat to be relished.

Small whole zucchini is cut at stem end, cored, stuffed and stewed in tomato-based sauce.

I had fairly large zucchinis and scooping out the core seemed tricky, so, I cut them in half and made little zucchini cylinders/tubes. One half of each zucchini is open at both ends, the other half is open only at one end.

Of course, this means, stuffing is not going to be contained inside and will definitely ooze out when cooked, but, the whole blend in the pot with the softened zucchini cylinders, the sauce, and the aromatic rice stuffing came together nicely in the end.

I used the left over stuffing from Swiss Chard Dolmas.

Ingredients
5 or 6 small zucchinis, stem-end trimmed, cored

For the stuffing:
(see Swiss Chard Dolmas)

For the sauce:
12 oz tomato sauce
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried mint (or about 12 to 15 mint leaves chopped finely)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 pod of cardamom, crushed
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
water and salt as needed

Preparation

Stuff the zucchini and keep handy

Bring the sauce to a simmer in a large pot and arrange the filled zucchini cylinders, cover and simmer over low heat till zucchini is tender and cooked just enough, but not mushy.

Stuffed Whole Okra

Whole fresh okras are hard to come by where I live and in any case, I prefer the frozen whole okra as it is par-cooked and easier to use in my favorite okra recipes.

This Stuffed Okra is very similar in concept to stuffed bitter gourd, or stuffed brussel sprouts or stuffed baby eggplant - simply slit and stuff with favorite masala and pan fry till desired crispness.

Ingredients
frozen whole okra, thawed and patted dry
masala paste as in stuffed baby eggplant or as in stuffed bitter gourd
salt to taste
some oil

Preparation

1. slit and stuff the okra with the masala
2. heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan, place the stuffed okra and pan fry over medium heat turning often till well done; I like them a little charred on the outside :)