Happy New Year! (It’s still January, so I can still say Happy New Year) If you’re not already subscribed to Tala’s Newsletter:
THE YEAR OF YOUR MENTAL WELLBEING
We’re constantly bombarded with curated content that makes us feel like we’re not doing enough. This can be in the form of how-to organization videos, wanderlust lifestyle profile pages, influencers becoming brands, or even family posts. Falling for this content can make us think we are an untraveled, baby-less pile of mess.
We’re always quick to forget that content is curated, and almost never real life. I enjoy being inspired, so I won’t be going on an unfollowing purge, but my trick is taking what I can from what’s given to me and putting the rest behind me.
Let’s use my Newsletter as practice...
If you’re in need of a break and just feel like looking at the pictures, do that.
If you’re in the mood of reading something short and sweet, read me!
If you can’t even begin to think of coring a vegetable but I’ve sparked your appetite for some mehshi cusa, then order a daily dish online.
And if you feel like making some, I know you’ll love it.
Take what you need from this Newsletter, and I’ll see you in the next one.
A NOTE ABOUT CUSA
I’ve seen cusa translated into so many variations in English, including courgette, summer squash, zucchini, and marrow. The cusa we to use is pale green and can fit between your extended thumb and index finger. I’ll be using courgette as the translation for my Newsletter.
A NOTE ABOUT CORING
The biggest barrier to entry for this recipe is coring your veggies. As with all things, practice lowers that barrier, but I’m not sure most want to invest their practice time in coring vegetables. If you live in the Middle East, you’re in luck, retailers have caught on to this and are selling already cored courgette. If you don’t live in the Middle East, I’d suggest putting on your favorite series and giving it a go, it’s not as hard as you think.
The most common coring mishap includes puncturing the end or the sides of the courgette with your corer. I do this every time, I still use the courgette and life does go on.
A NOTE ABOUT YOUR VEGGIES
Mehshi cusa, as the name specifies, refers to stuffed courgette, but you can also add in stuffed potato, eggplant, bell pepper, and onion.
MEHSHI CUSA
My love for mehshi cusa grows every year. How can you complete with some of your favorite vegetables stuffed with rice, meat, and spices and cooked in a tomato broth until they’re so soft, you don’t need a knife? You can’t really. Oh, and it’s served with cool creamy yogurt! My latest addition to the stuffed vegetables is a large onion. This takes the dish to an even higher comfort level having an onion base to the tomato broth.
THE RECIPE
STUFFED VEGETABLE INGREDIENTS:
12 courgettes
1 large white onion
3 medium potatoes
STUFFING INGREDIENTS:
1 cup rice
300 grams minced beef
1 large tomato, diced
1 tbs salt
1 tbs allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
15 fresh cracks black pepper
¼ cup canola oil
TOMATO SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
6 large tomatoes, grated1
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp granulated white sugar
1/2 cup water
METHOD
Core your vegetables: Here’s a how-to video.
Stuffing: In a medium bowl add the beef, rice, diced tomatoes, salt, peppers, cinnamon, and oil and combine.
Tomato Sauce: In a medium bowl, add the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and water and combine.
Stuffing the vegetables: Stuff each vegetable with the meat stuffing 90% of the way full, because rice expands when cooked.
Cooking Preparation: In a large deep stockpot, add enough tomato sauce to cover the base of the pot. Place your stuffed vegetables in a circle along the edge of the pot. I always put the onion in the middle. Add the remaining tomato sauce and stuffing (if you have extras) on top of the stuffed vegetables. If needed, add water to ensure the tomato sauce almost reaches the top of the stuffed vegetables.
Cooking: Simmer the mehshi cusa on medium heat (5/10 on an electric oven) for an hour or until the rice and potatoes are cooked all the way through.
Serving: Serve hot with a spoonful of cool yogurt on the side.
Place a large box grater into a large bowl. Cut the top of each tomato. Place the tomato cut side down on the box grater and grate. Discard the leftover skin.
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