Stuffed Vegetables with Rice and Sour Cherries

From time to time, I've decided that I'm going to share some recipes that I've tried and tasted and have ABSOLUTELY LOVED. Here is one.....

This is a Base Recipe – Alter measurements when cooking for more or less.

Ingredients:

4 Large Beef Steak tomatoes

4 Large Peppers

2 tbsp butter ghee or clarified butter

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 onions, chopped

8oz minced lamb

2 cinnamon sticks

2oz dried cherries or cranberries

.5 cup of bulgur

3 cups of lamb or chicken stock

.5 cup rice

.5 tsp salt

2 tsp dried mint or 2 tbsp of fresh mint

1 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of cracked black pepper

1 tsp soumak (optional)

Preparation:

1. Roast tomatoes and peppers for 10 mins at 400 F- empty insides of vegetables
2. Sautee Garlic, onions, lamb, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, black pepper and soumak on high for 5 to 6 mins
3. Add the tomato pulp from tomatoes that are roasting, dried fruit, rice, bulgur, 2.5 cups of stock. Season with salt.
4. Return to boil and cover
5. Simmer for 10 mins.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake again 350F for 40-45 mins until the rice is plump and liquid has absorbed
7. Stuff veggies with rice
8. Garnish with labne (middle eastern yogurt) and mint

P.S- This picture is a similar picture of what it should look like...couldn't be bothered to scan from the book.