Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 8-10 Medium sized ripe vine tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh or dried mint
• Finely chopped onion - 1/4 cup
• Cashew pieces (optional)
• Raisins (green)
• 3-4 mushrooms - thinly sliced
• Boiled rice (leftover works best) or cooked mixed beans or cauliflower rice
• Tomato pulp and juice (from scooping out the tomatoes)
• Other optional veggies (diced zucchini or eggplant)
• Spices (salt, pepper, turmeric)

Cooking Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Wash and dry the tomatoes. Carefully cut the top off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp. Grind the pulp into a smooth paste in a grinder. Next, add some oil to a pan, and sauté chopped onions and garlic. Add the cashews, raisins, mushrooms and zucchini, and eggplant (if using). Sauté for 2-3 minutes on a medium-high flame. Add rice and tomato puree. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add salt, pepper, mint, and turmeric. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the spices are well incorporated. Now stuff the tomatoes with the prepared mixture, cover them with tomato lids, and lay them on a silicon cooking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked.