Rice-and-Dill-Stuffed Zucchini

Name: Rice-and-Dill-Stuffed Zucchini
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 237 milliliters drained canned diced tomatoes; 118 milliliters chicken stock; 59 milliliters finely chopped dill; 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and coarsely chopped; 12 brined grape leaves (optional), drained and rinsed; 1 Tbsp finely chopped mint; 59 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil; 59 milliliters finely chopped parsley; 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see Note) or pinch of crushed red pepper; 118 milliliters grain rice, such as Spanish or arborio; 43 grams 1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds, finely chopped; 4 servings Salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped; 473 milliliters warm water; 6 mediums zucchini (about 2 1/4 pounds total), ends trimmed

You can never have too many side dish recipes, so give Rice-and-Dill-Stuffed Zucchini a try. This gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian recipe serves 4. One portion of this dish contains roughly 9g of protein, 16g of fat, and a total of 348 calories. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 2 hours. If you have tomatoes, parsley, brined grape leaves, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 37

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Oven

In a medium bowl, soak the rice in the warm water for 20 minutes; drain.

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Water

Rice

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Bowl

Cut each zucchini in half crosswise, making 12 cylinders about 4 inches long. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out the flesh to form cups with a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Coarsely chop the flesh and reserve 3/4 cup. Save the remaining flesh for another use.

Ingredients you will need

Zucchini

Melon

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Melon Baller

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering.

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Olive Oil

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Frying Pan

Add the onion, fennel and reserved 3/4 cup chopped zucchini and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Zucchini

Fennel

Onion

Add the Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in half of the tomatoes, the drained rice, almonds, dill, parsley, mint and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and season with pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Aleppo Pepper

Tomato

Almonds

Parsley

Pepper

Dill

Mint

Rice

Salt

Using a small spoon, fill the zucchini cups with the rice mixture, mounding it.

Ingredients you will need

Zucchini

Rice

Transfer the cups to a small cast-iron casserole or large saucepan. Tuck the grape leaves in between the zucchini cups to keep them upright. Spoon the remaining tomatoes on top and pour the stock all around.

Ingredients you will need

Grape Leaves