Yemista: Stuffed Tomatoes
It's summertime, so tomatoes are abundant! For a light and heathy dinner, our Stuffed Summer Tomatoes are sure to satisfy. With a burst of tangy juice, this fresh, lush, and flavorful treat can be served as a main dish or a snack. You can also use this filling to stuff other summer vegetables.
This recipe is enough for 6 large tomatoes. Add pine nuts, slivered almonds, or raisins if you like!
Ingredients:
- 6 large tomatoes
- 3 zucchini
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced in wedges
- ½ cup sugar
- 1lb ground beef
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 6 tablespoon uncooked rice
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Butter or margarine
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prep the vegetables. Slice the tops of the tomatoes, leaving a hinge for the tomato top. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar in each tomato to reduce acidity.
1. Spoon the tomato insides out (but be careful not to pierce through the tomato's skin). Do the same with the zucchini. Add the flesh to the bowl and process the pulp with a food processor.
2. Prep the stuffing. Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Add olive oil and saute the onions. Saute the garlic one minute. Add the parsley, uncooked rice, half the tomato puree, the tomato paste, and sauce. Season the stuffing with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Stuff the vegetables about ¾ full. Replace the caps and sprinkle breadcrumbs and a pat of butter on top.
5. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a rectangular pan. Assemble the vegetables in a pan, using the potato wedges to hold the vegetables upright.
6. Pour the remaining pulp puree into the pan.
7. Bake 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
8. Savor this healthy treat.