A really simple dish with a Greek gesture of grilled lamb skewers and stuffed squash that isn't traditional at all. But, it's easy to make and will appeal to those on a low-carb diet.
There's no great tale behind this one. It's a simple creation of stuffed squash and simple lamb skewers with a vaguely Greek style that makes for a light, summer meal
This recipe serves 2 diners.
Shopping list
The lamb skewers
Approx. 300g lean minced lamb
1 tbspn honey
½ a small cup of dried breadcrumbs
A generous handful of mint, chopped extremely fine
1 brown or red onion, cubed extremely finely
1 tspn of harissa
Salt and black pepper to taste
The stuffed squash
1 spaghetti squash for every 2 diners, halved vertically
3 tbspns extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large yellow bell pepper, cubed
Approx. 75g small button mushrooms, sliced
Approx, 60g of black pitted olives, chopped finely
I red or brown onion, cubed
1 handful of walnuts, roughly broken with pestle and mortar
½ a tspn fennel seeds
Approx. 100g strong feta cheese, finely cubed
The tzatziki
½ a cucumber, finely chopped
200g Greek yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
A handful mint, finely chopped
Cooking Method
the skewers
Add the minced lamb into a mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, finely chopped mint and onion and stir the ingredients
Add the honey, harissa, salt and black pepper
Stir all of the ingredients together and, using clean hands, "squeeze" onto wooden or metal skewers and place to one side, ready to grill
When the stuffed squashed is about 50% cooked, place the skewers under the grill, lightly basting with olive oil. Cook rapidly, turning frequently until well down
Plate with the stuffed squash and serve with the tzatziki
The stuffed squash
Cut the spaghetti squash vertically and remove the pips and fibres using a spoon
Add to a pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for approx. 15 mins until the squash is cooked. Gently drain, upside down in a colander. This can be some time before the second stage of cooking in the oven
Add the olive oil to a pan. When it's hot, add the garlic and brown. Then add the onion. Frist allow the onion to soften, then add the yellow bell pepper. Finally, when this too begins to soften, add the mushrooms and sauté all of these together
Once these ingredients have cooked, turn off the heat and allow to cool. When this mixture has partially cooled, add the sliced black olives, cubed feta cheese, crushed walnuts and black pepper and stir in. Please note, it's highly unlikely that the feta cheese will melt
About 15 to 20mins before serving, scrape the interior flesh of the cooked spaghetti squash with a fork to loosen it slightly. Then spoon the contents of the pot into the cavity. With the open sides facing up, place the squash in the centre of the oven on a high heat and bake for 15 to 20 mins. Please note, good feta is unlikely to melt and more likely to "brown", which is what you want.
The tzatziki
Mix together the solid ingredients, using a handheld blender if preferred. Otherwise chop by hand until extremely fine
Slowly stir in these ingredients to the yoghurt and take to table
Plate the grilled lamb skewers and the baked stuffed squash and serve with the tzatziki.
Alternatives
No, I really don't have a veggie or vegan alternative to the lamb skewers. That said, however, the stuffed squash is in an of itself a great dish. Simply ditch the lamb and double the quantities of all the veggies. As for vegans, though I love the feta in this dish, it's also tasty without it.
Accompaniments
Somehow I always end up enjoying this one with a simple, light Côtes du Rhône. I'm sure Karel might have other thoughts.
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