RECIPES/VEGETABLES

Grandma's Simple Tomato Rice

Product

Recipe-Ingrediants

The classic tomato rice our grandmother used to make, which filled the entire house with the smell of tomatoes! The secret, of course, is to find garden-fresh tomatoes from a village, where we know they haven't been exposed to all the taste-destroying chemicals. I am lucky because my father has a garden and gave me ripe tomatoes from it. As soon as the tomatoes entered the house, the whole place smelled wonderful. I love smelling tomatoes on the vine with their incredible aroma that we've almost forgotten. Of course, they're not perfectly round and shiny like store-bought ones - they have marks and irregular shapes. But their taste and aroma are amazing!


Ingredients:

5-6 ripe organic tomatoes (about 1 kg/2.2 lbs)

300 g (10.5 oz) Carolina rice

1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Olive oil Salt and pepper

Optional: a little sugar, and grated feta cheese or fasting cheese for those who are fasting

Directions

1. Start with the tomatoes. Wash them and make small cross-shaped cuts with a knife at the top and bottom. Blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes, then put them in cold water and peel them. Cut them in half, remove the seeds, and grate them using the large hole of a grater.
2. In a pot, heat some olive oil and lightly saute the onions. Then add the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and rice. Stir quickly to coat the rice well with the oil, and then add the grated tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and as the liquid begins to reduce, gradually add boiling water (to not interrupt the cooking process). You'll need about 400 ml (13.5 fl oz) of water, depending on how many tomatoes you used and how juicy they were.
3. Season with salt and pepper at the end, drizzle with extra olive oil, let it rest for 5 minutes, and serve with grated feta cheese.


Estimated caloric value per serving: Calories: ~ 350-400 kcal
Please note that this estimate is approximate, and the actual caloric value may vary depending on the quantities and ingredients you use.