Zucchini Gratin & ground Beef
Ingredients:
1-1/2 kg. medium zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing the zucchini
1/2 cup water for bottom of the baking dish
Meat Stuffing ingredients:
1/2 kg. extra lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red hot pepper paste
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo spices or (mixture of cinnamon, black pepper and cloves )
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea
1/2 cup pine nuts
Ingredients for white sauce:(2 cups white sauce)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Preparation :
Meat stuffing:
In a pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil fry the ground meat for 5-10 minutes over medium heat.
-Add the spices,hot pepper paste,salt and 1/2 cup of pine nuts,.Cook few minutes more, keep aside.
Preparation:
white sauce:
-In a small, saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat.
-Add 4 tablespoons flour into the melted butter mix with a whisker.Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
-Gradually add 2 cups milk and cook over low heat, stirring,constantly with whisker until you obtain thicker sauce .
Preparation:
1.Wash zucchinis ,cut each top part and thinly cut the bottom root part .Devide each zucchini into half, scrape the middle part .
2.Brush zucchini inside and out with olive oil place in a baking pan,and broil both sides until the edges are browned .
3.In a large pyrex dish ,put 1/2 cup of water arrange the zucchinis fill with spoon the meat mixture.
4. Top with white sauce ,sprinkle with Parmesan cheese .Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
5.Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and cook in preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.Uncover and continue cooking for 5 minutes more.
Serve hot .
