Tomatoes
(or other stuffed vegetables) with "Forcemeat"
Ingredients -- Vegan
"Forcemeat" is an old
medieval term for mock or substitute meat, made from
vegetables, when real meat is too expensive or not
available. This recipe is traditional English but has
been a bit modernized. You could add some meat to this
recipe if you feel like, but make sure the meat is pretty much
cooked in the Sautée pan.
I thought that making stuffed vegetables was a pain in the
neck, but this recipe makes it quite easy. The stuffing
is basically a stir-fry, so when you wind up with extra
stuffing, you can put it on top of more Quinoa or riced
cauliflower.
- 6 Large Ripe Fresh Tomatoes, or some other
vegetables suitable for stuffing. These might include
Bell Peppers or Ancho Peppers, or very large mushrooms, etc.
- Optional add 1 small can of Tomato Sauce if it
doesn't happen that you are stuffing any Tomatoes.
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or butter if you're not vegan)
- 6-8 ounces finely chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup cooked Quinoa (or brown rice)
- 1/4 cup Raisins
- 5 leaves of fresh sage, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon
dried sage)
- 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or a pinch of
dried rosemary)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Note: The above amount of spices, which the
recipe calls for, is not very much spice. I doubled all
the spices and it still didn't taste too spicy for me.
If you happen to be using hot chili peppers like Anchos to
stuff, that will add to the spice.
Consider fortifying the stuffing recipe with cubed tofu,
Clean & prep the vegetables that you are going to
stuff. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the
pulp. Chop the pulp and set aside.
If stuffing mushrooms, wash and snap off the stems. Soak
briefly in lemon juice. If stuffing bell peppers, slice
open the tops (discarding stems and seeds). You might
consider Roasting the bell peppers (oven at 400 degrees for 25
minutes +, until the skin starts to brown and blacken; allow
to cool in a big bowl sealed with plastic wrap to trap
moisture) -- then removing the skins.
If it happens that you are not stuffing
any tomatoes -- for example, if the only veg you are stuffing
happens to be bell peppers, or large mushrooms, or something
like that -- add some tomato sauce, about one small can, to
the stuffing mixture. The recipe depends on tomato pulp
to add a little sweetness and moisture, and bind the stuffing
together.
Sautée the onions in the olive oil (or butter) for 2 to 3
minutes. Add the mushrooms and sautée one minute more. Stir in
the tomato pulp, sage, rosemary, parsley, and salt and pepper.
Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice, raisins, and
paprika. Cook for a few minutes more, then remove from heat
and let it cool for a few minutes.
Place the tomatoes in a greased casserole dish. Stuff the
tomatoes and mound any extra filling over their tops and
around them. Sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of a
keto substitute for bread crumbs -- such as almond meal. Bake
at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.