Tomatoes Stuffed With Rice Raisins And Nuts Recipes

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.

COLLARD GREENS STUFFED WITH RAISINS, NUTS AND RICE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you carefully stem the collard greens, trying to keep the leaves intact. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collard leaves in batches. Blanch two minutes and transfer to the ice water. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large lidded skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and sugar, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the rice and pine nuts, and stir together until the rice is coated with oil. Stir in the tomatoes, currants, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together, and add 1 cup water or enough to barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes without disturbing. Stir in the mint and dill.
• Oil a wide, deep, lidded sauté pan or saucepan with olive oil. To fill the leaves, place one on your work surface, vein side up and with the stem end facing you. The leaf may have a big space in the middle where you stemmed it; if so, pull the two sides of the leaf in towards each other and overlap them slightly. Place about 1 level tablespoon of filling on the bottom center of each leaf. Fold the sides over, then roll up tightly, tucking in the sides as you go. Place seam side down in the pan, fitting the stuffed leaves in snug layers. Drizzle on the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pour on the lemon juice. Barely cover with water, and top with a layer of lemon slices.
• Cover the stuffed leaves with a round of parchment paper, and place a plate over the paper to weight them during cooking. This will keep them from opening. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour until the leaves are tender. Remove from the heat, and carefully remove the dolmades from the water with a slotted spoon or tongs. Allow to drain on a rack set over a sheet pan. Serve warm 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.

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and then take a thin slice off of the bottom so that they sit flat in a baking pan. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp and reserve. Place the tomatoes into an ovenproof dish large enough to accommodate them.
• Heat the grapeseed oil in a large saucepan and add the ginger and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are just starting to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom and cloves, and continue to cook, about 1 minute. Stir in the leftover rice, almonds, raisins, reserved tomato pulp and salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the chives, and then spoon the rice into the prepared tomatoes. Drizzle with some olive oil and the chevre, and then bake until the tomatoes slump and the tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

STUFFED TOMATOES WITH RICE

Steps:

• Cut a thin slice off tops of tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out tomato pulp, chop, drain and reserve. Sprinkle sugar inside tomatoes.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add onion. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add rice, stir and cook a few minutes. Add currants, pine nuts, mint, half the tomato pulp and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Purée remaining tomato pulp, and spread in bottom of shallow baking dish that will hold all the tomatoes without much room to spare.
• Spoon rice mixture into tomatoes; it will not fill them. Replace tops, spoon a tablespoon of oil over each tomato, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 1 1/2 hours.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before serving as an appetizer or with cold poached fish or grilled lamb.

GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH RICE, RAISINS, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• If using grape leaves preserved in brine, remove the salt by putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes, then rinse in fresh, cold water and drain. If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a couple of seconds only, until they become limp, then lift them out. Cut off and discard the stalks.
• For the filling, fry the onions in 3 tablespoons of the oil until soft. Add the pine nuts and stir until they are golden. Stir in the tomato paste, then add all the rest of the ingredients down to and including the chopped dill. Mix well.
• On a plate, place the first leaf, vein side up, with the stem end facing you. Put one heaped teaspoonful of filling in the center of the leaf near the stem end. Fold that end up over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle and roll up like a small cigar. Squeeze the filled roll lightly in the palm of your hand. Fill the rest of the leaves in the same way. This process will become very easy after you have rolled a few.
• Line the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pan with tomato slices and any leftover, torn, or imperfect grape leaves, then pack the stuffed grape leaves tightly on top.
• Mix the remaining olive oil with 2/3 cup water, add the sugar and lemon juice, and pour over the stuffed leaves. Put a small plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from unrolling, cover the pan, and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until the rolls are thoroughly cooked, adding more water occasionally, a small coffee cupful at a time, as the liquid in the pan becomes absorbed. Let the stuffed grape leaves cool in the pan before turning them out.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH RICE, RAISINS, AND NUTS

Steps:

• Use the same filling as Bell Peppers Stuffed with Rice, Raisins, and Pine Nuts (above) for 6 firm, large tomatoes (beefsteak tomatoes are best) or 12 medium ones. Cut a small circle around the stem end and cut out a cap from each tomato. Remove and discard the center and seeds with a pointed teaspoon. Fill with the rice stuffing given in Bell Peppers Stuffed with Rice, Raisins, and Pine Nuts above and replace the caps.
• Arrange the tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Watch them carefully, and remove them if they start to fall apart.
• Serve cold, accompanied by yogurt flavored, if you like, with the crushed garlic.