Stuffed zucchinis

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 m.-large zucchini
• 500 g minced meat, mixed or beef
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• some tomato paste
• ½ cup sour cream
• Cheese, for gratinating
• Thyme, fresh or dried
• olive oil
• Cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Preheat the oven to approximately 200°C. Gently fry the minced meat in olive oil. Finely chop the onion and add it to the minced meat. Don’t fry the onion on its own first, so it doesn’t burn. While the meat is sizzling gently, wash the zucchini, cut it in half lengthwise, and hollow it out. This works best if you use a sharp knife to score the inner edge of the zucchini and then scrape out the inside with a teaspoon. Be careful not to damage the base of the zucchini. Leave a border at both ends. Finely chop the zucchini flesh and add it to the meat. Pour on a little water, put the lid on the pan, and let it steam until soft. Don’t cook for too long, so the zucchini doesn’t become mushy; it should retain a bit of bite. Add a little tomato paste and season with cayenne pepper, salt, and thyme. Season the hollowed-out zucchini with salt and pepper, place it in a greased dish, and fill it with the mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil, spread a little sour cream on the zucchini, top with cheese, and bake uncovered. If you like, you can of course make this recipe with lots of garlic! I usually serve it with basmati rice. Enjoy!