Bulgur Stuffed Tomatoes

I realized that its been long since I posted a recipe. Not that I ain’t cooking. In fact, I did try a lot of new recipes from my bookmarked folder in this past month. But to plate and photograph our meals feels like too much work. Pure indolence, I should say. Adding to that, the emails that are waiting to be answered, the reader bursting with unread posts, the deadlines - not at all encouraging.

But today, I got over my lethargy, and clicked a few shots. Nothing fancy, a clove of garlic, a sprig rosemary, and yeah, these stuffed tomatoes. It was comforting, and made me feel ‘in the zone’. Oh yeah, I can get back to blogging.

Bulgur Stuffed Tomatoes
(serves 2)

Ingredients

Tomatoes – 6, medium sized
Bulgur wheat – ¾ cup
Scallions – 2, finely chopped
Mint – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Parsley or cilantro – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes – 1 tsp
Roasted pumpkin seeds – ¼ cup
Dried oregano – 1 tsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Juice of a lemon
Salt
Pepper

Method

Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out the flesh from the tomatoes to allow room for the stuffing. Take care not to break the skin. Strain this pulp and add to the filling.

Make the stuffing by soaking the bulgur wheat in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water, if any. Mix with all the other ingredients mentioned above, except dried oregano. Also, reserve 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Preheat oven to 350F. Season the inside of the tomatoes with pepper (too much salt can make the tomatoes soggy). Fill with the bulgur stuffing and replace the reserved tomato tops. Place them on a lightly oiled baking dish, pour a little water around them and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the tomato tops, sprinkle with the reserved pumpkin seeds and dried oregano, and serve hot or at room temperature.

I served them with a side salad for a light lunch. You can also serve ‘em with garlic bread and soup for a hearty dinner. This is my first entry to Vegan Ventures, round 2, an event in observed during November, the National Vegan Month.

I am far behind in keeping up with the other blogs and the various events. I promise to be back in the scene as soon as I settle a few things in the background.