Greek Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes

This is another one of those recipes that has been lurking in the depths of my collection for far too long.

You see I love the idea of stuffed tomatoes, but in my head the whole scooping out the insides thing always goes horribly wrong and results in thin shells dotted with holes that leak out the filling and generally look unattractive.

Despite this, I kept collecting various forms of stuffed tomato recipes, tomatoes stuffed with rice, tomatoes stuffed with roast vegetables, tomatoes stuffed with just about anything you could imagine....but I was still not quite confident enough to actually make them.

Until now.

And let me tell you my being wary of making stuffed tomatoes days are over.

Plus it kind of helped that Mr B did the scooping part for me......

These were absolutely delicious and really simple, I have so many ideas for stuffed tomato dishes I want to try now!

Greek Lamb Stuffed Tomatoes - Serves 2

4 large firm tomatoes
1/2 tspn crushed sea salt
1 tbspn crushed garlic
1 tbspn panko breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely diced
250g lamb mince
1 tbspn Gourmet Garden Mediterranean Herbs (or substitute for oregano)
1 tspn lemon juice
1/2 cup cooked white rice plus 1.5 cups extra to serve
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Using a sharp knife, cut the top off the tomatoes and then using a teaspoon, carefully hollow them out leaving 1/2 to 1cm thick shells. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt and place cut side down on some kitchen paper or a chopping board to drain.

In a lightly greased fry pan over medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 mins or until softened. Increase the heat to medium - high, add the mince and cook for 5 mins before stirring through the herbs, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of cooked white rice. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture evenly into the tomatoes and place in a baking dish. Top with panko crumbs. Bake for 25-30 mins.

Season remaining rice with lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve with the cooked tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx