Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
4-6 large beef tomatoes
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup/60g mixed nuts, finely chopped
1 cup/195g cooked long grain rice
4 cups/400g mixed mushrooms mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 dried apricots , chopped small
1 preserved lemon, chopped small
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs dreid oregano
Handful fresh basil, chopped small
Handful fresh mint
Pinch sea salt
Pinch cracked black pepper
Method
Watch Tutorial VideoPre heat your oven to 180 degrees C.
Carefully cut off the tops of the tomatoes and set them aside. Scoop out the flesh from each tomato, being careful not to pierce the outer walls I use my pairing knife first making an incision before scooping.
Reserve the pulp then lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes & place them onto a plate upside down.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until caramelised. Add the minced garlic & mushrooms. Then cook for at least 10 minutes you want the mushrooms to release all their moisture as they cook down, sautéing until they are golden and all the liquid has evaporated.
Next, add the chopped apricots, preserved lemon, and the reserved tomato pulp to the pan. Season with the paprika, cumin and oregano, stirring well & allow the mix to cook for a few minutes.
Once the mushroom mixture has dried slightly in the pan & caramelised, stir in the mixed nuts, rice, basil and mint. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat & allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Carefully spoon the mushroom filling into tomato, packing it in gently. Once all the tomatoes are filled, place their tops back on and arrange them in a baking dish.
Drizzle a little oil over the stuffed tomatoes & season with a little rock salt. Bake them in the oven until the tomatoes are slightly blistered. This should take around 20-25 minutes.
Serve up right away with salad & sides of your choice.
