Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

Throughout my food journey, I have come to realize that Greek food offers some of the most beautiful and aromatic flavors that I have yet to work with. The ingredients in Mediterranean foods are very bold and and I really wanted to showcase that in a dish for you guys. I love stuffed foods and many times I have experimented with peppers and squash using meat-based fillings. I decided to make vegetarian stuffed tomatoes with beautiful herbs like dill, mint, and parsley. After coring the tomatoes I stuffed them with seasoned rice and chopped herbs. I baked these delicious beauties and served them with a side of chicken and mashed potatoes! These stuffed tomatoes are now one of my favorite dishes I have ever had!

I used long grain white rice, but you can use any rice you prefer, whether it's brown rice, Basmati, or Jasmine!

The mint and dill are the stars of this dish in my opinion. They compliment the flavors of the tomato so well and make the flavors balanced.

Believe it or not, when I was younger I barely ever ate tomatoes, especially if I could see them in a dish. Now they are one of my favorite vegetables to work with! I love how the flavors can change so drastically from when the tomato is fresh versus cooked. Tomatoes also pair well with many different ingredients to create incredible dishes.

Stuffed foods can sometimes be a bit tedious or hard work. I have simplified this dish so that most of the time spent is the dish in the oven cooking! It took me half an hour to cook the filling and stuff the tomatoes before I placed them in the oven. When I tell you guys this is probably one of my new favorite dishes I am not lying. You guys need to try this!

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Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4 People

Cook Time: 80 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, and 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Beef Tomatoes

• 1 Yellow Onion, diced

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

• 1 cup Long Grain White Rice, soaked and drained

• 3 Tbsp. Tomato Puree

• 1 cup Water

• 2 Tbsp. Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp, Fresh Dill, finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Mint, finely chopped

• Zest of 1 Lemon

• Salt and Pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice the tops of each tomato off, and core the insides, removing the pulp and seeds (don't discard them we will be using some of the pulp later on).

2. Place the hallowed out tomatoes into a greased square baking dish so that they fit snugly.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. In a large skillet, add in the olive oil and heat it on medium-high. Saute the onions for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and transparent. Remove them from the heat.

5. In a medium pot, add in the rice, 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato pulp, tomato puree, onions, water, salt and pepper.

6. Bring the rice and other contents to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the majority of the liquid is gone. The rice doesn't have to be fully cooked at this point because it'll continue to bake in the oven.

7. Once most of the liquid is gone, stir in the parsley, dill, mint, and lemon zest.

8. Spoon the mixture evenly into each tomato.

9. Cover the tomatoes back up with their tops. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook for an hour until the rice and tomatoes are fully cooked.

10. Serve and enjoy!