Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes
½ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ to 2 pounds ground beef (depending on size of peppers and tomatoes)
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons rice
1 bunch parsley, chopped
To prepare the peppers for stuffing, slice off and reserve the caps. Clean out membranes and seeds, rinse well inside and out, drain and place in an ovenproof glass dish large enough to hold pepper and tomato shells.
Slice off and reserve the caps from the tomatoes, and carefully scoop out the tomato pulp with a spoon, reserving the pulp. Drain the hollow tomatoes upside down on paper towels and place in the glass dish with peppers
To prepare the stuffing, sauté the chopped onion and chopped pepper in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and continue to sauté until garlic is soft and onion is clear.
Add ground beef, breaking up in pan, and sauté over medium heat. Add the reserved pulp of 6 tomatoes plus the can of stewed tomatoes. Sauté until liquid is almost gone and beef is brown. Add salt and pepper to taste and cinnamon.
Remove from heat and add the rice, covering for 5 minutes to allow the rice to begin to cook. Add the chopped parsley.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Stuff the peppers and tomatoes with the filling, but not all the way to the top because the rice needs room to expand. Cover the peppers and tomatoes with their caps. Add enough water to the dish to come up ½ inch around the vegetables. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil, and bake uncovered until peppers are cooked and soft (about another hour). Makes 12 servings.
PER SERVING: Calories 382 (61% fat) Fat 26 g (6 g sat) Cholesterol 49 mg Sodium 165 mg Fiber 3 g Carbohydrates 20 g Protein 18 g
