Zucchini, Cheese and Chorizo Twist

Recipe from Recipes magazine
Images by Yasmin

This is a truely scrumptious dinner! It's texture is similar to rizotto, but in pastry! This meal is perfect for taking a plate or dinner over to someone's house to share, it is really big and very filling. Dig in!

Ingredients:

• 3 large zucchini
• 2 tblsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 2 sheets of frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 100g packet of chorizo slices, or 1 chorizo sliced
• 3-4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, halved
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

                                                                         (Uncooked)                                                                       

                                                                          (Cooked)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180'C fan forced. Grease and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Coarsely grate zucchini; using hands, squeeze out excess liquid. Heat oil in large frying pan over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir mixture for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add zucchini; cook for 2-3 minutes or until zucchini begins to wilt. Drain excess liquid. Cool to room temperature. Add rice, cheese and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place pastry on prepared tray. Allow the ends to overlap for approximately 4cm (this will make the dinner longer to hold all of the filling).  Gently press pastry together to seal. Arrange chorizo slices in centre of pastry, leaving a 7-8cm boarder. Spread half of the zucchini mixture over chorizo, top with hard boiled eggs, then remaining zucchini mixture.

Using a sharp knife, make cuts at 2cm intervals in the pastry surrounding the filling. Bring ends up to enclose filling and bring alternating strips up over filling to enclose. Brush with egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove tray from oven. Stand for 5 minutes. Slice to serve.