by Jennifer Escava

Pareve  Mechshe- a healthy version of the Sephardic stuffed squash.

This is a great Shabbat recipe, as many adults and teens are looking to cut back on meat on Friday night.

• 1 onion
• short grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup canned chick peas rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 TB olive oil
• 6-8 thin zucchini squash
• Make sauce- 8 dried apricots, heaping tsp mint,3 cloves garlic, heaping tsp salt,1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup Lemon Juice, 1 cup water.
• 1 TB apricot preservatives-optional

1. Cook short grain brown rice: sauté onion, add 1 cup rice sautée together add 1 1/2 cups boiling water and salt.
2. When its cooked, wait till cool. Add the spices and olive oil
3. While rice is cooking, wash and peel squash leaving stripes of the green peel, as in the photo above.
4. Cut squash in 1/2  legnthwise. Wash, & scoop squash with a long squash  scooper.
5. Mix cooked rice, chick peas, allspice and olive oil.
6. Stuff squash with rice mixture
7. Line pyrex with stuffed squash in one layer. Put dried apricots on top.   Crush garlic mix with salt and mint. Sprinkle on top of squash
8. In a bowl mix water, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and 1 tbsp. apricot preserves. Taste and adjust to your liking.  Pour over stuffed squash. Cover with aluminum foil lines with parchment paper and put it 350deg. oven. Cook 2 hrs. Enjoy!!!

Recipe Sponsored by:

Yoga for Kids:

Yoga is a discipline that can lead kids on the path toward a calm and balanced mind, as well as help them build a strong and flexible body – tools they can use in their everyday lives

• Physical strength and flexibility

• Concentration, focus and attention

• Inner strength and body awareness

• Confidence and self-esteem

• Relaxation and self-control

• A feeling of well-being and respect for others

• Love for one’s self, inside and out

In a yoga class, children play yoga by imitating animals and nature, and by using creative expression, games, music, art, and storytelling.

For more info call  (718) 864-7099 or email Jennifer at jenescava75@aol.com