By Jill Gibson GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
Serves 6
There was a tiny eight-seat Greek restaurant, Nefeli Deli, near my home when I
lived in The Hague, where owners Miltos and Petra prepared one-pot dishes packed
with vegetables, herbs, and grains, with meat serving as a side note. In Greek
cuisine, vegetables are often used to stretch a dish to feed a family, and given our
current times, it's a method worth embracing. Here the familiar Greek flavors of
ground lamb, tomatoes, zucchini, and rice are baked in layers in a casserole and
garnished with feta for an easy weeknight dinner. Plum tomatoes have less moisture
than other varieties; if you use another type of tomato reduce the chicken stock by
¼ cup. Do not skip the feta; the saltiness balances the richness of the lamb.
Vegetable oil (for the pan)
1½ pounds ground lamb or ground turkey
7 large plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
½ onion, chopped
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1½ cups long-grain white rice or cauliflower rice
1½ cups chicken stock
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Set the oven at 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large heavy flameproof casserole or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid (4- to 5-quart capacity).
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb and use the back of a spoon to break up the meat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the lamb is no longer pink.
Spread half the chopped tomatoes in the casserole. Top with half the zucchini slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly if necessary. Add the lamb, onion, salt, dried thyme, and half the fresh thyme. Spread the rice evenly over the mixture, then add the remaining tomatoes followed by the remaining zucchini slices in a single layer.
In a small saucepan or microwave, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Pour thestock over the ingredients. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Leave the cover on the casserole and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with feta, the remaining fresh thyme, and parsley.
Jill Gibson
Tags: low-carb