Tomatoes Stuffed With Spiced Lamb And Rice Food

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH LAMB MINCE, DILL & RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out most of the pulp with a teaspoon, being careful not to break the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and keep any juices. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar to take away the acidity, then place them on a baking tray.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic, then gently cook for about 10 mins until soft but not coloured. Add the lamb, cinnamon and tomato purée, turn up the heat, then fry until the meat is browned. Add the tomato pulp and juice, the rice and the stock. Season generously. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool a little, then stir in the herbs.
• Stuff the tomatoes up to the brim, top tomatoes with their lids, drizzle with 2 tbsp more olive oil, sprinkle 3 tbsp water into the tray, then bake for 35 mins. Serve with salad and crusty bread, hot or cold.

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH RICE

Steps:

• Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/2-in. shell; discard seeds. Chop pulp and set aside. Sprinkle the insides of tomatoes with salt; invert onto paper towels to drain., In a small skillet, saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Add reserved tomato pulp; cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat; stir in the rice, cheese, parsley, basil and garlic salt., Stuff into tomato shells; dot with remaining butter. Place in a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

LAMB AND RICE STUFFED CABBAGE WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Add the cabbage leaves to the boiling water a few at a time and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, or until they're just pliable. Carefully remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander; rinse with cold water. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Gently squeeze the leaves to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; when hot, add half the chopped onion and one tablespoon of the garlic, along with the carrot and the parsnip, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl along with the lamb and rice. Mix until just combined.
• Wipe the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the remaining onion and garlic and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, red pepper and a good sprinkling of salt; cook over medium-low heat while you prepare the cabbage leaves.
• Cut the cabbage leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of the stem, removing the stem in the process; trim the top and bottom so you're left with a large rectangle. Lay a leaf on a work surface with the wide edge facing you. Put a couple tablespoons of the meat mixture in the middle of the leaf, fold in the two sides of the leaf and roll it up as you would a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
• Add the cabbage rolls, seam side down, to the pot of sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the sauce becomes too thick, until the meat and rice are both fully cooked (cut into a roll to check; the rice should be tender and the meat no longer pink), 30 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH LAMB AND RICE (YEMISTES DOMATES ME RIZI)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the top off of the tomatoes and clean out all of the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch thick skin. Reserve the pulp. In a medium saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, reserved tomato pulp, and rice, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lamb, pine nuts, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and continue cooking until lamb is browned.
• Fill the tomatoes with the lamb mixture, sprinkle the tops with cheese, and drizzle with the remaining 4 teaspoons of olive oil. Place in a 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Pour water in the bottom of the dish and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm.

SPICED LAMB STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Remove a thin slice from the top of each tomato.
• Using a grapefruit knife, cut out the centers of the tomatoes, scrape out pulp and seeds, sprinkle insides with salt and turn upside down to drain.
• Place a large non stick skillet over high heat, add lamb and onion, stir breaking up clumps until lamb is barely pink, drain any excess fat.
• Reduce heat to medium low, add sugar, allspice, cayenne, lemon juice and simmer 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low add ricotta, garlic, salt and pepper and simmer 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in dill.
• Stuff tomatoes with lamb mixture and bake 20- 25 minutes.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH RICE

Steps:

• Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring periodically, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato; reserve the tomato tops. Cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp.
• Oil the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish.
• Toss the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp. Add garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine well.
• Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly. Sprinkle leftover stuffing on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle entire dish with olive oil. Place the reserved tomato slices atop the tomatoes. Bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH PESTO RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out the insides with a teaspoon, keeping the tomatoes intact. Discard the tomato flesh, but roughly chop the tomato tops. Heat the rice following pack instructions and tip into a bowl. Mix in the chopped tomato, the pesto, three-quarters of the mozzarella, the spinach and seasoning.
• Spoon the rice mixture into the tomatoes and pack tightly into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 mins until soft and bubbling.

BAKED COURGETTES STUFFED WITH SPICED LAMB & TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Make the tomato sauce in a medium pan by heating the oil and frying the garlic for 2-3 mins until soft, then adding the spices and frying for 1 min more. Pour in the tomatoes and sugar and simmer with half a tin of water for 20 mins, until thickened. Season.
• Meanwhile, scoop out and discard some of the flesh of the courgettes and lay them in 1 large or 2 small roasting trays, drizzle with the oil and bake for 15 mins until golden and softened slightly.
• For the stuffing, mix the lamb with the spices and some salt. Try not to squash it together too much, instead lightly mix it with your hands until just combined. When the courgettes are ready, pile the lamb into the cavities and drizzle on the sauce. Bake for 15-20 mins until the sauce is bubbling. Top with the coriander and serve.

STUFFED AND BAKED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat. Let stand covered 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
• Slice off the top of each tomato and scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell. Reserve 3 tablespoons of pulp, chopped. Invert the tomatoes to drain.
• In a medium bowl combine rice, tomato pulp, green pepper, onion, parsley, salt, garlic and olive oil; mix well. Spoon filling into tomato shells.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

LAMB COOKED WITH TOMATOES & AROMATIC SPICES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a moderate heat until quite hot. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, throw in the cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Cook for 30 seconds.
• Tip in the sliced onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add the lamb, turn up the heat a little and fry for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
• Stir in the garlic and ginger, ground coriander, cayenne, turmeric, potatoes and 1 tsp salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, then pour in 300ml/1⁄2 pint boiling water, to just cover the meat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender. Add more water if needed to make a gravy. (Make to here up to 2 days ahead; cool, then keep covered in the fridge.)
• If made ahead reheat for 10 minutes until bubbling then swirl in the yogurt and garnish with coriander.

TURKISH STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH SPICY LAMB AND RICE

Steps:

• Lamb and Rice Filling
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and pepper, stir, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crumble in the ground meat. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and the mixture is starting to dry out and brown a little in the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon out any excess fat from the lamb. Sprinkle in the seasonings, stir, then add the tomatoes and puree, then the stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the brown bits that have accumulated. Add the rice and herbs, and stir and cook a couple of minutes, until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. When the filling is well mixed, moist, and flavorful-but not wet-remove it from the heat and let it cool.
• Eggplant
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Combine all the ingredients except the eggplants in a small bowl.
• Cut the stem end from each eggplant, then cut it in half lengthwise. Take a look at the flesh, and if it is creamy white and not too seedy, don't worry about salting it. However, if it is a little darker, with numerous seeds, there's a good chance the juices will be slightly bitter, so you'll want to extract them. To do this, sprinkle the cut sides with about a teaspoon of salt each and place them cut side down on a plate or tray lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Place another plate or tray on top and weight that with a couple of pounds (cans of beans work well). Set aside for 10-15 minutes, then remove the weight and brush the salt off the surface, or rinse with running water and pat dry. Cut a shallow crosshatch pattern in the cut surface of the eggplant and brush generously with the flavored oil. Place the eggplant halves cut sides up on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the eggplants are very soft when you squeeze the sides and the surface is golden brown. Cool completely.
• To Assemble
• With your fingers or a spoon, press the tender eggplant flesh to the sides, making a bed for the filling. Divide the filling among the halves. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly over the filling and pat it lightly. Bake the filled eggplants for about 15 minutes, or until they're heated through and the crumbs are browned.

LAMB-STUFFED TOMATOES, MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE

Steps:

• Stand tomatoes on stem ends. Cut off top 1/4 of tomatoes (reserve tops for another use). Using melon baller, scoop out seeds and pulp from tomatoes. Sprinkle insides of tomatoes lightly with salt. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on paper towels and drain 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix lamb and all remaining ingredients in large bowl to blend. Fill tomatoes with lamb stuffing, mounding slightly at top. Arrange tomatoes in prepared dish.
• Bake tomatoes until stuffing is cooked through and meat thermometer inserted into center of stuffing registers 160°F, about 1 hour. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve tomatoes warm or at room temperature.