Spiced Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
• In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.

Steps:

• Boil the onions:
• Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the onions and bring to a boil. Add whole onions, return to a boil, and cook until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions to a colander, drain, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut a 1/2-inch wedge from the outside to the core of each onion, then carefully peel 5 outer layers from each onion and reserve; chop the onion wedges and core, and reserve separately.
• Make the stuffing:
• In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lamb, anchovies, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until lamb is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spices and 1 cup broth; cook, stirring, until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer lamb mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and cool slightly; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator, transfer to a bowl, and add parsley, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses.
• Stuff and bake the onions:
• Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining broth and pomegranate molasses with the tomato paste. Wrap one onion layer around about 2 to 3 tablespoons filling and arrange seam-side down in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat with remaining onion layers and filling.
• Pour liquid over stuffed onions, cover with foil, and roast until tender and some of the liquid is absorbed, 2 hours (you can roast for up to 3 additional hours for softer, more savory onions). Remove from oven and uncover. Preheat broiler and broil until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. To serve, drizzle with oil, and garnish with pomegranate seeds, parsley, and cilantro.

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Oil a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate with 1 teaspoon oil.
• Cook onion with salt in remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
• While onion is cooking, cook orzo in a 2-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain orzo in a sieve.
• Spread half of onion in pie plate. Add lamb to remaining onion in skillet and cook, breaking up large clumps with a fork, until meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orzo, reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir tomatoes into onion in pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Nestle bell pepper halves, cut sides up, in tomato and onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Divide lamb mixture between bell pepper halves, then cover pie plate with a sheet of oiled foil (oiled side down) and bake until pepper is tender when pierced with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon dill.

Steps:

• Stand tomatoes on stem ends. Cut off top 1/4 of tomatoes (reserve tops for another use). Using melon baller, scoop out seeds and pulp from tomatoes. Sprinkle insides of tomatoes lightly with salt. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on paper towels and drain 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Mix lamb and all remaining ingredients in large bowl to blend. Fill tomatoes with lamb stuffing, mounding slightly at top. Arrange tomatoes in prepared dish.
• Bake tomatoes until stuffing is cooked through and meat thermometer inserted into center of stuffing registers 160°F, about 1 hour. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve tomatoes warm or at room temperature.