1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced. Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut off the stems to create a lid, then hollow out the zucchini. Place the zucchini and their lids in a baking dish and brush or spray them with some olive oil (olive oil spray bottle*). Bake the zucchini in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Check with a fork to see if the zucchini are soft – depending on the size and how much you have them hollowed out, the baking time may vary slightly.

2. While the zucchini are baking in the oven, cut the flesh into small cubes. Peel the onion and garlic and finely dice/chop it. Have all other ingredients ready. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.

3. Heat up a frying pan with some olive oil and sauté the zucchini flesh until it is softer – this only takes a few minutes. Pour it into a sieve and allow it to drain a little, then add it to a bowl.

4. Add a little more oil to the frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft and glossy. Add the ground meat and cook until nicely browned. Season with paprika powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, some salt, and black pepper. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the zucchini and mix everything well. Crumble the Shepherd’s cheese (or feta) and mix half of it with the zucchini and the meat.

5. Remove the hollowed-out zucchini from the oven and fill them with the zucchini-meat mixture. Season with some more salt and pepper to your liking, then sprinkle the remaining Shepherd’s cheese (or feta) on top and bake at the same temperature for another 20-22 minutes or so. The cheese on top should be nicely browned.

6. While the zucchini is in the oven for a second time, prepare the rice. Peel and finely dice/chop the onion and garlic. Clean the bell peppers, remove the seeds and membranes, and finely dice them as well.

7. Heat a frying pan with some olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic soft and glossy. Add the bell peppers and sauté them for a few minutes as well. You want the bell peppers to be soft but not mushy. Next, add the tomato paste, season with dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper, and let the tomato paste roast for a moment. Deglaze with water, add the cooked rice and mix everything well. Let everything cook for 2-3 minutes.

8. Arrange the baked zucchini with the rice on plates or in bowls. Serve with alight salad and maybe some bread.