Recipe: Baked Stuffed Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers (no meat)

BAKED STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS

8 small tomatoes; vine-ripened (or 4 medium)
1/2 tbsp sugar
salt (preferably kosher)
1/2 cup olive oil, divided use
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups long grain rice, cooked
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (or 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, chop and cooked)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided use
8 small green or red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
lemon, juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

TO PREPARE THE TOMATOES:
Slice tops off tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out pulp with a small spoon; dice pulp. Sprinkle inside of tomatoes with a little sugar and salt; invert on paper towels.

TO MAKE THE STUFFING:
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy large skillet; add onion and cook on medium heat until transparent.

Add tomato pulp and juices, allspice, pepper and 1 tsp. salt; cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in rice, pine nuts, mint, currants and 1/4 cup parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

TO STUFF AND BAKE:
Loosely fill tomatoes and peppers, replace their tops and arrange them in a heavy baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and a little olive oil; sprinkle bread crumbs over tomatoes.

Add 1 cup water to dish and bake, uncovered, in preheated 325-degree oven 40 minutes to 1 hour, until vegetables are soft and slightly darkened, basting occasionally with liquid in pan. Add a little more water to pan if it appears to be drying out.

IF SERVING HOT:
Allow vegetables to cool 10 minutes in pan before serving; drizzle on remaining olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parsley.

IF SERVING COLD:
Allow to cool in pan; transfer to serving platter and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving. Serve cold accompanied by yogurt, olives and lemon wedges.

*TO ROAST THE PEPPERS:
Line large baking sheet with foil, allowing extra foil to hang over both sides of pan (after boiling you can use this extra foil to encase peppers). Position oven rack about 7 inches from broiler element. Place peppers in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil until charred. Rotate peppers to char all sides. Remove from oven and enclose peppers in foil; allow to rest 2 to 3 minutes. Open up foil; when peppers are cool enough to handle, cut off tops (reserve them), peel and seed them.

Servings: 6
Adapted from source; Los Angeles Daily News, October 6, 1994