A rather middle Eastern influence here: dates, preserved lemons and bulgur make a sweet yet piquant ’tabouleh’ filling for courgettes. A more authentic tabouleh would have plenty of chopped parsley added but I didn’t feel it was needed here. The harissa adds a fiery note tempered by cool yoghurt. I made this dish by microwaving the courgettes first. It not only saves time but effort, because the tender cooked courgettes are very easy to scoop out and the oven time is greatly reduced. Use large fat courgettes here. A skinny courgette is hardly worth stuffing.
Ingredients (serves 2 to 3)
3 large courgettes
60g raw bulgur wheat (cooked according to packet instructions)
6 Medjool dates, stoned and finely chopped
1 large preserved lemon, finely chopped
½ sweet red pepper, finely chopped
Salt to taste
30g crumbled feta cheese (to top)
For the harissa yoghurt:
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp tomato paste
A little olive oil
100ml low fat plain yoghurt (not the thick Greek type)
Method
For the harissa yoghurt:
Ingredients (serves 2 to 3)
3 large courgettes
60g raw bulgur wheat (cooked according to packet instructions)
6 Medjool dates, stoned and finely chopped
1 large preserved lemon, finely chopped
½ sweet red pepper, finely chopped
Salt to taste
30g crumbled feta cheese (to top)
For the harissa yoghurt:
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp tomato paste
A little olive oil
100ml low fat plain yoghurt (not the thick Greek type)
Method
- Pierce the courgettes in several places with a sharp knife. Place them in a microwave safe bowl and add a little water.
- Cover and microwave for 5 minutes on high or until the courgettes are tender (check with a sharp knife).
- Drain the courgettes and cut in half along their length. Use a teaspoon to hollow out the courgettes, leaving a narrow margin.
- Chop the scooped out courgette.
- Place the bulgur, dates, preserved lemons and red pepper, plus the chopped courgette in a bowl and mix well. Add salt, to taste.
- Heat the oven to 180C. Place the hollowed out courgettes on a baking tray and fill with the stuffing mixture.
- Sprinkle the feta over the top of each stuffed courgette. Bake for 15 minutes.
For the harissa yoghurt:
- Combine the harissa, tomato paste and a little olive oil to form a loose mix.
- Place the yoghurt in a serving bowl and swirl the harissa mix over the top. A split effect is what you are looking for.
