Iraqi Stuffed Zucchini (cousa Mashi)

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 8 small baby zucchini (the light green ones)
• 1 -2 medium bell pepper
• baharat spice mix, to taste (dh's family uses curry powder)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium cooking onion, chopped (smaller pieces are better)
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, including stems, chopped
• sea salt, to taste
• basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
• 1 (5 1/2 ounce) can tomato paste
• water

Recipe

• 1 wash and hollow out baby zucchini's cutting tops off where the stems grow. put all together in a large pot. discard innards.
• 2 cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds and membrane. add to pot including tops. discard innards.
• 3 mix ground beef (cw rinses and drains), basmati rice, chopped onion, chopped flat leaf parsley, sea salt, to taste & baharat.
• 4 stuff each vegetable until just about full pressing lightly to make sure there are no air pockets. if you press to hard the result will be too dry.
• 5 cork each vegetable with stem end cutting to fit if too large. return each.
• 6 vegetable to the pot in as even a layer as possible.
• 7 keep remaining filling to side as it will be used in the sauce.
• 8 add tomato paste to some water and mix (whisk works best) until no lumps remain. add to pot along with more water until just over top of the vegetables, add some extra bahrat spice mix to taste, sea salt, and bring to the boil.
• 9 cover and cook until partially done adding remaining filling (it shouldn't be a lot) to the surrounding liquid so that once cooked it will form a sauce not a dry rice dish. so if needed add more water/sea salt. boil/simmer until done.
• 10 remove vegetables and arrange on a large platter, spoon sauce around.
• 11 enjoy!