STUFFED VEGETABLES

                                 STUFFED VEGETABLE

When ever I cook this dish I remember my cat Minis. First of all I have to say  that I am a cat lover. I love all animals. But cat has a very special place in my heart. We found Minis  just born, half frozen  on a very cold , snowy day in our garden. She lived with us 13 years. She was a turtle shell , aggressive and untrusted. Whatever she was we loved her lot. She had very unique eating habit, she loved home made food (my cooking) , specially vegetables.

My sons liked stuffed vegetables when they were kids but only in side, filling. Minis always ate out side,  vegetable part with pleasure which my sons refused to eat.  As you see they were very good team.   I have had other cats after her but none of them ate my food like her.

Name of this dish  is dolma in Turkish. It is one of the cuisines of Ottoman Empire.  Dolma can be made  with pepper, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, vine leave, cabbage leave. It is eaten with yogurt usually. 

                                        

                                                                                                     

INGREDEINTS

2 small green pepper

2 small red pepper

2 small zucchini/courgette

2 small eggplant/ aubergine

1 small tomato, sliced

FILLING

1 lb mince/ ground beef

1/2 cup rice

1 medium onion, grated

1 teaspoon dry mint

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon tomato puree

1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoons water

FOR SAUCE

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

Combine all filling ingredients. prepare peppers slicing of the stalks end , keep it to use as a lid. Pull out core and seeds. Hollow out zucchini and eggplants with potato peeler. Make sure there is  enough hole for filling. Wash and dry all vegetables. Fill them with mixture. Cover top of peppers with the piece which sliced . Cover zucchini and eggplants top with sliced tomato. Sit peppers and eggplants upright tightly in a saucepan to not keel over.

Mix, sauce ingredients, pour over stuffed vegetables. Cover with lid. Bring to boil, reduce the heat, simmer 20 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.