My Signature Middle Eastern Stuffed Onions by Maayan Moss

Ingredients

• 4 large Yellow onions
• 1.5 cups Rice (medium or long grain)
• 1 lb Ground beef or vegan ground beef alternative
• 1 cup Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2-3 Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Allspice
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional)
• to taste salt
• 2 cups Beef or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil

Instructions

1. Boil the whole onions in water for about 20-30 minutes until softened enough to easily separate their layers. Drain and let them cool slightly.
2. While onions cool, prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the rice, ground meat (or alternative), chopped parsley, mint, dill, tomatoes, tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using). Mix thoroughly.
3. Carefully separate the cooled onion layers. If an onion is too small to separate its layers, you can gently hollow it out to create a "cup".
4. Stuff each onion layer or hollowed-out onion generously with the prepared filling mixture. Don't overstuff, as the rice will expand.
5. Arrange the stuffed onion layers snugly in a baking dish. Pour the broth and olive oil around them. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 40-45 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the filling is cooked through. Browning is a good sign.
7. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. The juices should have thickened and coated the onions beautifully.