Moroccan rice-stuffed tomatoes recipe

These Moroccan rice-stuffed tomatoes are so easy to make, and packed with the flavours of the souk.

Stuffed tomatoes are such a pleasing dish. They are neatly proportioned, and presented in their own little bright red serving bowl, which you then eat in its entirety. The big beef tomatoes we've use here make a perfect light meal, that comes in at only 211 calories each. Alternatively you can serve them as a side dish to a simply cooked fillet of fish or pork chops. The secret to the sweet and spicy Moroccan flavour is the ras el hanout. It's a North African spice mix that literally means 'top of the shop'. Traditionally, it was a mix of the best spices a seller had available, though nowadays it's easily available in supermarkets. Find it in the spice aisle.

Ingredients

• 4 large beef tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 courgette, coarsely grated
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp ras el hanout spice mix
• 6 dried apricots, finely chopped
• 250g pack cooked rice (flavoured, if liked)
• Few sprigs fresh mint, chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Slice the top off each tomato and use a teaspoon to scoop out flesh. Roughly chop the flesh from 2 tomatoes; discard rest.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add courgette, pine nuts, onion, ras el hanout and apricots, cook for 5 mins. Stir in reserved tomato flesh, cook for 1 min.
3. Add rice and mint to pan. Stir, spoon into tomatoes. Top with lids and bake for 15-20 mins.

Top tips for making Moroccan rice-stuffed tomatoes

If you enjoy the stuffing used in these tomatoes, try it in other vegetables as well. Peppers are an obvious choice, but you can also use it in butternut squash (score and pre-roast the butternut squash first with a little olive oil) or aubergines (pre-roast them then scoop out some of the flesh to add to the rice).

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