Stuffed Peppers and Zucchini or Dolmeh Felfel and Kadoo

 In the past I've posted a Stuffed Cabbage or Dolmeh Kalam recipe the major difference between that recipe and this is my mother-in-law is visisting....that and she adds split peas. My mom would add raisins so I put some in too.

Stuffed Peppers and Zucchini
fills 4 peppers and 2 zucchinis

4 bell peppers
2 zucchinis
1 cup rice
250 gm ground meat
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup split peas
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 cups tomato sacue
salt, pepper, cumin and turmeric

1. Cut the tops off the peppers.  Clean out the seeds.  Slice the zucchinis in half and remove seeds.
2. Boil rice for 8 min.  Drain and set aside.
3. Brown the meat with the onion. Add salt, pepper, cumin and turmeric.
4. Mix the rice and meat.  Add the Tomato paste, split peas and raisins to the mix. Taste for salt and pepper.
5. Fill the peppers and zucchini and cover with tomato sauce.   Cover with foil and bake for an hour at 200c.

Feel free to just use peppers if you don't like zucchini.

I enjoyed cooking this meal with my in-laws.  I had some extra stuffing and I filled some cabbage. Which turned out to be my fav. 

Zucchini Pancake or Kadoo Kookoo

I first had Kadoo Kookoo when an Iranian woman made it for me. She used zucchini, walnuts, mint and eggs to make her pancake.  Over the past two years I've played with her recipe and have added one small potato, flour, cumin and feta or goats cheese.  What I'm left is the perfect light lunch or even tart filling (if more eggs are added).

Zucchini Pancake or Kadoo Kookoo
makes 6 slices

2 cups grated zucchini
1 small grated potato
1 egg
1 Tbs flour
1 Tbs walnuts
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs feta or goats cheese
salt and pepper
1 tsp oil for frying

Heat the oil in a pan on med heat.  Mix the the zucchini, potato, egg, flour, walnuts, mint, cumin, cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour into the pan to form one large pancake. Cook for about 5-7 min or until the bottom of the pancake is browned. Flip the pancake and cook the other side for 5-7 min or if you are like me and have trouble flipping large hot food than just finish cooking the pancake under the boiler.

Zucchini Ribbon Strawberry Salad

Just a simple salad from my garden.

Zucchini Ribbon Strawberry Salad

1 small zucchini 

4 strawberries

mint

balsamic vinegar and olive oil

salt and pepper

Using a veg peeler ribbon the zucchini.  Cut up the strawberries and mint.  Top the zucchini with the strawberries and dress with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Finish with salt and pepper.

Green and Purple Zucchini Salad: dressed with elderflower vinegar

One of my many elderflower experiments that I've made in the last few weeks is Darina Allen's Elderflower Vinegar from her Forgotten Skill of Cooking. A simple just warmed vinegar and elderflowers but wow! I've been dressing all my salad with it including this Green and Purple Zucchini Salad.
Green and Purple Zucchini Salad: dressed with elderflower vinegar
For 1-2 people who love salad
1 zucchini
1/2 cup fresh green herbs chopped: musted cress, chives, mint and oregano
2-3 heads of purple chive flowers
a few purple thyme flowers
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp elderflower vinegar
salt and pepper

Peal the zucchini into long ribbons with a veggie peeler. Mix with green herbs and purple flowers. Add salt and pepper and dress with olive oil and elderflower vinegar.

I like raw zucchini but if you don't then pop the dressed ribbons on the grill and enjoy the salad warm.

Desert Island Zucchini Muffins

What would you cook on a Deserted Island? These Zucchini Muffins!

Pre-heat the oven to 175c.

2 big bowls.

Mix the dry bowl:
3cups self rising flour (can use 1 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash clove
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (lower sugar if using sweetened)
salt

Mix the wet bowl:
1 zucchini shredded (about 2-3 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cups oil
zest of one orange and lemon

Mix the wet into the dry. Fill muffins and bake for 30 min.

These where so so so good! I guess because I put oil and sugar in them! Next time I'll try with banana.