Spiced Rice Stuffed Veggies

Total Time: 1 hr 57 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 42 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1/4 cup currants or 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 small eggplants (about 1 lb)
• 7 tomatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 6 mini sweet peppers or 6 cubanelle peppers or 6 banana peppers
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 ounces lean ground lamb or 8 ounces lean ground beef

Recipe

• 1 in a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat, saute pine nuts until slightly darkened,about 2 minutes.
• 2 add chopped onion and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
• 3 add rice, currants, 1 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, sugar, cinnamon, alspice and pepper, stir well.
• 4 add 2 cups boiling water, reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed but rice is still slightly firm, about 18 minutes.
• 5 scrape into bowl, let cool.
• 6 pressing lightly, roll eggplants over work surface to loosen flesh.
• 7 cut off 1/8 inch thick slice lenghwise from each.
• 8 with spoon, scoop out flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch thick walls, set shells aside.
• 9 chop flesh and slices.
• 10 core and chop 1 of the tomatoes.
• 11 in skillit, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium high heat, saute chopped eggplant and tomato and remaining salt until eggplant is softened, about 5 minutes, let cool.
• 12 add to rice mixture along with green onions, parsley, dill and mint, toss with fork.
• 13 cut 1/2 inch off tops of mini sweet peppers and remaining tomatoes, with spoon, remove seeds and ribs.
• 14 fill eggplants, peppers and tomatoes with rice mixture, place in roasting pan just large enough to hold veggies snugly.
• 15 drizzle with remaining oil, 1/2 cup water and lemon juice.
• 16 cover with lightly greased foil.
• 17 bake in 400f degree oven for 1 hour.
• 18 uncover and bake until veggies are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• 19 serve warm or at room temperature with pan juices spooned over top.
• 20 variation: brown 8 oz lean ground lamb or beef in skillet before cooking eggplant, drain off fat.
• 21 add to filling.