Lamb-Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes with Herbed Cauliflower Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A grain-free take on Greek gemista: sweet bell peppers and ripe tomatoes hollowed out and packed with cinnamon-scented ground lamb, cauliflower rice, pine nuts and a fistful of fresh herbs, then slow-roasted over sweet potato wedges until the edges char and the pan juices turn jammy. Everything is cooked in olive oil, finished with lemon, and needs no cheese at all.

Ingredients

• 4 medium bell peppers (any color)
• 4 medium firm ripe tomatoes
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 3 cups riced cauliflower (about 1 small head)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup water, for the pan

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and set a rack in the middle. Slice the top 1/2 inch off each bell pepper and each tomato and save the caps — they go back on as lids. Scoop the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Using a spoon, hollow out the tomatoes, leaving a 1/4-inch wall, and reserve the pulp in a bowl; chop any large pieces. Lightly salt the inside of each tomato and set all the shells cut-side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Tuck the sweet potato wedges into the gaps between the vegetables so everything stands upright. Set aside while you make the filling.
3. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 6 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the ground lamb, break it up with a wooden spoon, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook 6 to 8 minutes until no pink remains and the meat begins to brown.
4. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon and allspice and cook 1 minute until fragrant and the paste darkens. Add the reserved tomato pulp and simmer 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
5. Add the riced cauliflower, pine nuts and currants. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cauliflower is just tender and the mixture looks moist but not wet. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, dill, mint, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the salt — the filling should be assertively seasoned.
6. Spoon the filling into the pepper and tomato shells, mounding it slightly but not packing it tight; it should sit about 1/4 inch below the rim so it can steam. Set the reserved caps back on top.
7. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over the stuffed vegetables and the sweet potatoes and season the potatoes with a pinch of salt. Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the dish, being careful not to splash the tops.
8. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until the pepper skins are blistered and slightly collapsed, the tomato caps are browned at the edges, and a paring knife slides easily into the sweet potatoes.
9. Let the dish rest 10 minutes so the juices settle. Scatter with the remaining parsley, spoon some pan juices over each portion, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem