Courgettes stuffed with lamb and pinenuts

Ingredients:

• 4 courgettes, halved and de-seeded
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• 70g (2.1/2 oz) bulgar wheat
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
• 500g (1lb 2oz) minced lamb
• 15g (1/2 oz) dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon mixed allspice
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) tomato puree
• 25g (1oz) flat leaf parsley chopped
• 50g (2oz) pinenuts, toasted
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped.
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves

Preparation Time:

30 min

Cooking Time:

40 min

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC. 375°F. Gas Mark 5

2. Blanch the courgette shells in a pan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly and reserve.

3. Place the bulgar wheat into a bowl and cover with boiling water.

4. Fry half of the onion and garlic in half the oil until brown. Add lamb and fry briskly until brown. Drain off most of the fats and add the oregano, allspice, and tomato puree. Cook through for 5 minutes.

5. Squeeze any excess water from the bulgar wheat, and stir into the lamb with the parsley and pinenuts. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Place the courgettes into the large oval Ceramic Pyrex dish, and fill with the lamb mince mixture.

7. To make the tomato sauce, fry the remaining half of onion until soft, add the chilli frying for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and purée mixture in a blender.

8. Surround the stuffed courgettes with the tomato sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with water to keep it moist and cook for a further 10 minutes.

9. Serve at once.