Photo credit : Dana Dorobantu

Beef & rice stuffed tomatoes

Photo credit : Dana Dorobantu

1 vote

Here is a complete meal recipe for tighter budgets. Proving once again that you can eat well without ruining yourself at the grocery store. Not only that, but this recipe will leave you all warm and fuzzy during those cold winter days therefore, I rest my case.

Particularities

Serves4
Prep time15 mins
Cook time45 mins
Timeout5 mins

FreezingFreezes well

Ingredients

4 large red tomatoes
Salt & pepper, as preferred
Fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish

Stuffing

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 lb of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3/4 cup of cooked rice
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper, as preferred

Steps

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the rack at the center of it. Grease a baking pan and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan then cook the beef and onion, with the garlic, chili powder and smoked paprika for 10 more minutes.
Add all the stuffing ingredients to the mix then set aside
Slice the bottom of each tomatoes for them to sit flatly on the counter. Slice the top and empty them out with a spoon. Keep the flesh in a bowl.
Lay the tomatoes in the baking pan, and season.
Chop up the tomato flesh in small pieces and add to the meat mixture, then stuff each tomato with it.
Bake for 45 minutes in the oven and let cool for 5.
Top with a few cilantro leafs to garnish.

Tips & tricks

Can be frozen. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.