Lorraine Fitzmaurice adds some flavour to this simple dish
Ingredients
- for baked tomatoes:
- 6 beef tomatoes, ripe but firm, (not too soft)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 100 g basmati rice
- vegetable stock cube
- 25 g toasted pine nuts
- 1 tblsp finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 tblsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 25 g finely grated parmesan cheese
- sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- for the tzatziki:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 500 g greek style yoghurt
- 2 tblsp finely chopped fresh mint
- 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
- lemon or lime juice
- salt and pepper
Method
- Wash the rice and place in a pot with a tight lid. Crumble in the stock cube and pour in water. Then Bring to a boil, lower the heat and place the lid on top. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Cut the top off the tomatoes. Scoop out the pulp and scrape some of the tomato from the top. Chop and save the juices.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the tomato and juices and a pinch of sea salt and cook until the juices are reduced. Check the seasoning. Fluff up and add the mint, parsley, pine nuts, tomato and onion, and parmesan cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4).
- Using a spoon, fill the tomatoes with the filling. Leave a little room to allow the rice to expand. Place the lids on top and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 1 hour. Serve with Tzatziki.
- For the Tzatziki:
- Peel the cucumber, and coarsely grate. Place in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the liquid. Then allow to rest for a further ½ hour and squeeze out any further liquid.
- Place the yoghurt into a bowl. Add the cucumber, mint, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and stir. Season with lemon or lime and salt and pepper to taste.
- Potential Problems and Solutions:
- P: Tomato will cave in while cutting the top off.
- S: The tomatoes were too soft. They must be ripe but firm. Also use a sharp knife, a blunt knife will ruin the effect
