BAKED VEGETABLE

Ingredients

4 peppers (capsicum), any colour
4 tomatoes, washed
2 potatoes
2-3 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoon tomato puree
150ml / 1/4 pint hot water
80ml / 2.5 fl oz / 1/3 cup olive oil

For the Filling

5 tbspn vegetable oil for frying
1 large onion, finely chopped
350g / 11 oz minced beef or lamb
1 tspn ground cinnamon
2 tbspn parsley, finely chopped
freshly ground salt and pepper
150ml / 1/4 pint hot water
50g / 2 oz long grain rice
50g / 2 oz sultanas
50g / 2 oz pine nuts, lightly roasted

Preparation

1. If the peppers are very thick, you can drop them whole in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes to soften. Drain.
2. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and peppers, keeping them in one piece.
3. These will be the caps on top of the stuffed vegetables. Put aside.
4. Using a small spoon, scoop out and de-seed the peppers.
5. Gently, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving a bit of pulp next to the skin.
6. Sprinkle a quarter teaspoon sugar to the insides of the tomatoes to balance the acidity.
7. Be careful not to go too thin, or cut the surface.
8. Chop all the tomato pulp and along with all the juice, keep for adding to the stuffing.
9. Fry the onion in the oil until golden.
10. Add the mincemeat and cinnamon and fry until brown.
11. Make sure you break up any clumps of meat.
12. Separate the tomato pulp from the juice and add the tomato pulp to the meat, along with salt and pepper.
13. Fry for 5 minutes to soften.
14. Add parsley, tomato juice and hot water.
15. Simmer for 15 minutes.
16. Add the rice, sultanas and pine nuts and mix through the mixture.
17. Cook for another 10 minutes.
18. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
19. Prepare a small baking tray, drizzle a lit olive oil over the bottom, then place the peppers and tomatoes upright in the tray.
20. Stir the stuffing mixture so the rice etc is evenly mixed through.
21. Fill the peppers and tomatoes with the stuffing, to just below the top of each vegetable to allow room for the filling to fluff up.
22. Place the reserved tops back on top of each vegetable.
23. Place the quartered potatoes between the tomatoes and peppers to help keep them in position.
24. Mix the diluted tomato puree with the water and oil and pour over the vegetables.
25. Cover the baking tray with foil.
26. Bake in a preheated oven, 190C, 375F, gas 5 for about 1 hours and 15 minutes.
27. Check that the shells are soft and the rice filling is cooked.
28. You can turn the temperature down and roast for longer to help infuse the flavours.
29. You may need to baste the vegetables once or twice during cooking so they do not dry out.

Serve baked vegetable recipes with a light crispy green lettuce salad, plenty of fresh crusty bread and chunks of feta!