Stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers

After four healthy and almost raw recipes, I really needed a break! That’s why I decided to spoil myself a little in the weekend. What I did is, I took the chance and cooked my secret recipe, which is not secret any more!, and enjoyed the taste again. This is a very well known recipe in the Arab world. Once you try it you would make it again and again and again! Although it needs preparations and it consumes a lot of time and energy , not like the previous ones, but it worth every moment you spend on it!

My farther, he is a big fan of this stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers, didn’t wait after I took it out from the oven. He directly picked one stuffed tomato and started to eat it. The tomato was so hot and he continued eating it was amazing. That was really nice! Seeing the people you love enjoy eating what you have cooked, especially if he is your father.

The amount of serving not like the previous recipes, which were usually for one or two, this is for a big family. It serves approximately seven persons. That’s why I decided to keep half for my family and take the other half to the beach for my friends.

Adapted from my mother.

Main ingredients

7 to 10 big pieces of tomatoes/bell peppers ( the amount depends on the size and capacity of each one that’s way the number would vary )

The Stuffing

1/2 lb minced meat

1 big chopped onion

1 cup short grain rice (like the one used to make a risotto)

3to4 tablespoons of dry mint

2 small tomatoes, chopped

70 grams tomato paste

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

The finishing

70 grams tomato paste

one cup of water

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Making the stuffing

Preheat oven to 350°F. I prefer to start with the stuffing, which is the heart of the recipe, then move to the remaining. In a big bowl mix the chopped onion with salt and pepper. Thoroughly wash the short grain rice, then add it to the salted and peppered onion and mix. Add the 1/2 lb minced meat to the onion-rice mixture, using a wooden spoon mix the whole thing together. Now, add the dry mint and stir till all the ingredients mix with each other in balanced way. Add the tomato past and the olive oil and stir again till fine mix.

Stuffing the tomatoes and bell peppers

For tomatoes, partially cut the top half inch. Don’t completely slice the top, keep it as a hat for the tomato, and scoop out the pulp. Keep a medium sized bowl besides you, to put the pulps and the tomato juice in it which will be used later. For scooping you can use small spoon.

Cut the pulps in very small pieces but don’t juice! just cut using a fine knife.  Pour the small pieces of the pulp and the juice in a medium or large, depends on how many stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers you have stuffed, sized baking dish.

For the bell peppers, remove the stem and the top half inch. Also scoop out the seeds and remove the membranes.

Fill the tomatoes and the bell peppers with the stuffing mixture, don’t over stuff, rice will double in size. Place the stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers upright in the baking dish.

Mix the remaining 70grams of paste with the one cup of water and stir till the mixture becomes homogeneous. Then add some salt and pepper to it and stir again.

Pour this water-paste mixture on top of each stuffed tomato and bell pepper. Pour the remaining in the baking dish. Pour the remaining olive oil tablespoon on top of each stuffed tomato and bell pepper. Also pour some salt on top of each one.

Bake for one hour, if the whole water evaporated before one hour, just pour another half cup of water on all. Keep cooking till the hour finishes and the rice well cooked.

Updated on January 08,2010

I’m so happy and glad that my last four recipes reached the today’s top 9 in foodbuzz community! This new year started with very good luck and I wish to continue to like this to the end of the year. Thanks for all people who buzzed me and believed that this recipe is a good one to be nominated to the top 9. Wish you the best!

enjoy with love,

Maryam