Description
Baked Squash Blossoms (Dolmas Style!) with ground lamb, basmati rice and fragrant Middle Eastern spices- a simple delicious main course or appetizer, inspired by the season! Serve with Tzatziki Sauce!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- ½ lb ground lamb
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cooked brown basmati rice (or other cooked grain- bulgar, freekeh, quinoa)
- ¼ cup chopped herbs (dill, mint, parsley- a combo is nice) or sub 1 teaspoon each dried dill and mint.
- ¼ cup toasted pinenuts ( optional)
- 12 zucchini squash blossoms, soaked in cold water, patted dry and checked for bees/bugs.
- spray olive oil
Serve with creamy Tzatziki Sauce, greens, sweet summer tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Set rice or grain to cook on the stove.
- Heat oil in skillet or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauce until fragrant about 3-4 minutes. Add lamb, breaking it apart with a spatula. Season with salt and spices and continue salting and mixing until cooked through. Add the rice and fresh herbs and optional pine nuts and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a sheet of payment on a baking sheet. Spray the parchment with olive oil or cooking spray. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the lamb filling into the blossoms and place on the parchment. Pinch the end of the blossoms together ( it is ok, if they don’t completly close) as best you can. Spray them with a light dusting of olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
- Make the tzatziki sauce.
- Serve as an appetizer on platter (they are also good at room temp) or as an entree alongside a healthy salad.
Notes
If using dry herbs, add at the time of the spices.
You can also stuff this flavorful lamb filling into zucchini. Simply cut 4 medium zucchinis in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and spoon the filling into the zucchini. Bake until the zucchini is tender, about 40 minutes at 375 F until zucchini is tender.
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