Stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers

With Beef, Vegetables,

Stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers

Serves6 servings
Cooks In30' preparation | 1 hour & 15' cooking
DifficultyTotally Doable

Ingredients

  • 6 large tomatoes, ripe and firm
  • 3 medium eggplants
  • 3 green bell peppers
  • 3 potatoes, cut into wedges
  • STUFFING
  • 1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1.1 lb ground beef
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 12 tbsp. Carolina rice
  • 1 small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh spearmint, finely chopped
  • Toasted breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • Salt, freshly ground pepper

Method

PREPARATION

  1. Wash the vegetables, ideally, use the selection of vegetables i’ve selected but take care to replace with seasonal vegetables.
  2. Each vegetable needs to be fleshed.
  3. For the tomatoes, cut a slice at the top (it must still be attached to the tomato) and using a spoon, remove the flesh and reserve for the stuffing.
  4. Make sure to leave enough flesh along the sides so that the tomatoes do not burst upon cooking.
  5. Sprinkle each tomato with salt and a smidgen of sugar.
  6. Turn upside down on a tray to release any juices.
  7. Slice the top off the peppers, and remove the seeds and fibers.
  8. Cut a thin slice off the back side of the eggplants so they can be placed in the baking pan.
  9. Remove flesh by cutting off the stem and using a spoon.
  10. Reserve flesh for the stuffing.

STUFFING

  1. Once the vegetables are fleshed, start making the stuffing.
  2. Pulse the tomato flesh in a food processor and reserve ½ of this mix for later.
  3. Heat up ¼ cup of olive oil in a deep skillet and sear the beef for about 5-6 minutes, until brown.
  4. Add the chopped onion, zucchini and eggplant flesh, and sauté for a couple of minutes, until wilted.
  5. Mix in the rice and cover with half the grated tomatoes and 1 cup of water.
  6. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove stuffing from heat and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Preheat oven to 355°F
  2. The filling must be juicy when used to stuff the vegetables.
  3. Fill each vegetable about ¾ full because the rice will expand upon cooking.
  4. Place the lids on the vegetables and line up in a deep baking dish, one next to the other.
  5. In a bowl, whisk the remaining grated tomatoes with the olive oil.
  6. Season and pour over the stuffed vegetables.
  7. Insert the potato wedges upright in between.
  8. Finally, mix the toasted breadcrumbs with the sugar, and sprinkle over the vegetables.
  9. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  10. Cook for 30 minutes.
  11. Remove the foil and continue cooking for a further 45 minutes.

Serve stuffed vegetables at room temperature.

 

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