STUFFED VEGETABLES This recipe for stuffed vegetables is very much in keeping with the Greek culinary tradition of eating in season. The summer's bounty of vegetables are perfect vehicles for rice, herbs and seasonings that taste wholly of the season.
3 large tomatoes 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 2 small round zucchini 1 large round eggplant 3/4 cup olive oil, divided use 1 large onion, grated 2 1/4 cups medium-grain cooked rice 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Salt and pepper 2 large potatoes, cut into wedges 1 cup tomato juice Slice off and reserve the tops of the tomatoes and bell peppers, and slice zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes and zucchini with a spoon and seed the bell peppers without piercing the skin. Sprinkle the interior of the vegetable "shells" with a little salt and set aside. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh to form 2 shells. Blanch the eggplant and zucchini shells in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain. Arrange all the vegetable shells in a large ovenproof dish. Finely chop the scooped-out flesh from the tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. Heat half the oil in a pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the tomato, eggplant and zucchini flesh and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the rice, mint, tomato paste, tomato ketchup and allspice, and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill the vegetable shells three-quarters full with the mixture and replace the tops on the tomatoes and bell peppers. (If there is any filling left over, use it to stuff zucchini flowers.) Put the potato wedges between the stuffed vegetables, pour the tomato juice on top and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Spoon the remaining olive oil over the potatoes and the stuffed vegetables. Bake for about 2 hours, or until lightly browned. If the tops begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. It may be necessary to add some water during baking to prevent sticking. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings, each 520 calories (49.6 percent calories from fat), 29 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 59 g carbohydrate, 11 g dietary fiber, 8 g protein. Source : Vefa's Kitchen My big, fat Greek cookbook via The World-Cuisine Mailer on cooking-lists.com _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
