Get stuffed !!

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi everyone

I need some help. I have to produce a fairly large number of veggie meals in the next few months. I need to keep to a more or less Provencal theme so no real problems, but I am beginning to wonder about suitable stuffings for things like petites farcies (stuffed small vegetables), aubergine canneloni and even courgette flowers.

Maybe I am in a rut but I would be really grateful for some suggestions please?

[jeral Profile]

I thought these looked impressively dinky as bites even though with a crab stuffing: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/SnowPeas.htm An alternative could be a sage, garlic oil panfried crumbs and spot of Marmite.

A similar one is large courgettes cut across the equator and top & tailed so that each half stands up. Scoop out (melon baller or grapefruit knife) enough middle then fill the hollow with a blue cheese (or pate) interleaved with an aniseed like fennel or even apple. I'm assuming you can get French vegetarian cheeses, yes? If not, there must be a French Veg Soc which might have info?

Stuffed beef tomatoes, either as halves or top cut off then back on as a lid, ditto small bell peppers. Primary filling could be pesto based (like basil or rocket) with almonds (assuming no nut allergy) with orange. For yellow peppers, could be an apricot salsa. For orange ones, a raisin coleslaw. I always think mushroom/onion rice with green ones.

Small loaded potato skins with the mash (or garlicky fried small cubes from raw spud) with olive quarters (or tapenade) and lemon bits (the salted preserved sort). Cheese topped if cheese (V) and suits the filling as a lot of cheese doesn't suit as a topping though parmesan type in a mix does with some things.

Stuffed mushrooms? The big ones wherein the stuffing is different sorts of other mushrooms (plus truffle oil?).

Carved veg, like tomato flowers sprinkled with mint?

Dug out mini picnic loaves?

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Hi Joan. I often stuff roast peppers, tomatoes, courgettes etc with Orzo pasta - cooked and tossed in oil and loads of herbs, or mixed with mushrooms cooked in cream - then stuffed into whatever springs to mind - top with a little cheese and bung back in the oven for 10-15 mins to heat through.
HH

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Jeral

Thanks for your thoughts - We have a great local producer of goat's cheese, organic and veggie and there are plenty of cow and sheep cheeses available in our local bio (organic) supermarket.

I am actually thinking of main courses when I said stuffed vegetables. They are very much part of the summer cuisine here. You get a selection of different veg each one stuffed with a different mixture. I use a selection from red onions, small aubergines, tomatoes, round courgettes, peppers and mushrooms. They can be served hot or cold, often with a fresh tomato sauce. Meat or offal is usually part of the stuffings hence my question.

Starters are no real problem with the abundance of fresh fruit and veg. We get bored with melons but visitors never seem to get enough!

BTW tapenade is not veggie - it has anchovies - though I do make an anchovy-free version for my S-I-L who is violently allergic. I also make a lovely traditional chick pea puree with loads of garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Joan. I often stuff roast peppers, tomatoes, courgettes etc with Orzo pasta - cooked and tossed in oil and loads of herbs, or mixed with mushrooms cooked in cream - then stuffed into whatever springs to mind - top with a little cheese and bung back in the oven for 10-15 mins to heat through.
HH

Hi HH

Like the idea of using pasta as a quick stuffing - as long as I don't have to eat it

Thanks!

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Sorry Joan, I forgot you don't like pasta! You could always use left over risotto - mixed with herbs, cheese etc in the same eay - actually, I might try that myself!
HH

[kari49 Profile]

have been thinking about this i used to do a sarah brown recipe in which the courgettes were halved, middles scooped, then blanched in water for a couple of minites, the middles were scooped out, chopped and reserved , mixed with brown breadcrumbs, fried onion and garlic aso some diced red pepper and parmesan, place in a dish, cover with mozzarella and bake they were really nice! karen

[Joanbunting Profile]

Sorry Joan, I forgot you don't like pasta! You could always use left over risotto - mixed with herbs, cheese etc in the same eay - actually, I might try that myself!
HH

Hi HH

I was thinking rice but I really do like the ides of pasta because other people do like it and I wouldn't have to eat the pasta ones.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I really like Orzo, used like that, as it doesn't feel as stodgy as pasta.
It's quite versatile, and a bit different - over here at least!!
HH

[karadekoolaid Profile]

You absolutely have to make Imam Bayeldi:

imam bayeldi Joan.jpg (40.61 KiB) Viewed 4583 times

Afraid these got a little overcooked but they still tasted delicious.
If cheese is involved, I love stuffing zucchini blossoms with a mixture of sundried tomatoes and ricotta.
Beefsteak tomatoes ( or those wonderful, big Mediterranean ones) stuffed with a mixture of olives, capers, onion, fresh herbs and soft cheese or rice.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Ooh yes, one of my absolute favourites!!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Moosewood on Sunday has lots of veggie stuffed veg recipesbu tI discarded a fair few, mainly based on high tofu content (or clear lack of similaroty to the claimed original)

Artichokes - trimmed to cups, stuffed with breadcrumbs & cheese & baked - Jamie [url]Oliver does a version with almonds that is nice too, and is online
http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/recipes/b ... onds-bread [/url]P

Peppers or tomatoes or cougettes filled with a mixture of sauteed veg (think ratatouille) served with tomato sauce, stuffing flavoured with pine nuts, garlic, & herbs, finished with herby breadcrumbs

[Puss-in-boots Profile]

Morning Joan, i like the idea of the stuffed peppers with the ratatouille filling. You could also fill with rice/pasta mixed with some tomato, mushroom and torn basil with some seasoning, as HH says the orzo one is good. You could also get the large flat mushroom and fill that with some garlic butter, basil leaves then sliced beef tomato with some goats cheese on the top and baked in the oven, they are delicious. also drizzle a little olive oil before baking them. The jacket potatoes half cooked then cut in half with the middle taken out and mixed with some cheese and onion, put the filling back in and finish in the oven.

Stuffed cabbage leaves, slightly blanched and cooled then filled with the ratatouille and covered in a cheese sauce and baked in the oven. Vegetable lasagne. Vegetable kiev.

Cut a large bread roll in half, scoop out the middle and deep fry until crispy, fill with a garlic mushroom sauce and top with the breadcrumbs from the middle of the bread mixed with some grated cheese and grilled until the cheese starts to melt.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

What about Dolmades?
HH

[peladilla Profile]

Blanch some whole bell peppers for about 5 min. when cool slice the top of, but save it, and empty of seeds and filaments. Now prepare a spanish omlette and instead of cooking it in a frying pan, fill the peppers up with the mixture, put the lids back on, pack fairly tightly into an oven proof dish, drizzle some o.oil over and cook until the omelette is done. I have made these several times they were a great success, and can be eaten hot or cold

Buen provecho

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

That's a lovely idea Peladilla.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Blanch some whole bell peppers for about 5 min. when cool slice the top of, but save it, and empty of seeds and filaments. Now prepare a spanish omlette and instead of cooking it in a frying pan, fill the peppers up with the mixture, put the lids back on, pack fairly tightly into an oven proof dish, drizzle some o.oil over and cook until the omelette is done. I have made these several times they were a great success, and can be eaten hot or cold

Buen provecho

Great idea - thank you for that.

I have, in the past, scooped out large tomatoes salted them and turned them upside down to drain a bit then - with them the right way up - broken a fresh egg into each. season well and bake until set. They look nice too.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Just an update here.
I was in the bank on Thursday and bumped into a friend of mine who makes buffalo cheeses. Very good they are, too! He gave me two pots of wonderful, delicate, fresh ricotta, with which I made these:

Tomates Rellenos con Ricotta Bufalinda.jpg (161.7 KiB) Viewed 4476 times

Added a few sundried tomatoes, an olive or three and a handful of chopped rocket to the mixture before stuffing.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Look yummy KK.

I can get good mozarella - I assume it is veggie?

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Cor! Those look delish!!!
HH