Stuffed Tomatoes

These stuffed tomatoes are everything you could want in a late summer meal…. fresh, filling, healthy. They are easily adaptable too! Think of Stuffed Tomatoes as you would Stuffed Peppers… they work basically the same way! I wanted to go full-out Italian so I stuffed these with the same type things I would use if I were making a nice bowl of summer pasta!

Italian Stuffed Tomatoes

• 4 – 6 large vine ripened tomatoes
• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 cup frozen (defrosted/drained) spinach
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup pesto (garlic pesto if you have it)
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic (if you are using a basil pesto – with garlic pesto: omit)
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Basil (or about a dozen fresh leaves)
• 1 Tablespoon Oregeno
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool rice a little bit, then mix in all of the rest of your ingredients (except tomatoes). Cut the tops off of your tomatoes & scoop out the insides (put them aside – they are perfect for making soup/salsa/juice/sauce). Stuff your mixture into the tomatoes, top with some mozzarella or fresh grated parmesan & place them in a lbaking/casserole dish. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes

And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… what foods do you like stuffed (chicken, mushrooms, pepper, etc) and what do you like to stuff them with!?

Fresh Stuffed Tomatoes

I promised you that you would see that goat cheese & the tomatoes again – so here we go! We had a few beautiful looking tomatoes & the goat cheese (which honestly, not sure if I will buy again – it was fun to work with and a different flavor, but as far as “exotic” cheeses go I love and would rather feta & blue cheese. I do love cheese though & was time and money allow, look forward to tasting and playing with them!).

Who doesn’t love the taste of tomatoes, mozzarella, & basil!? I can’t think of anyone. So I decided to play off of that theme. I mixed up cream cheese (less that a 1/4 of a package) some goat cheese (about an ounce or two), some 4-cheese shredded cheese mixture, diced up mozzarella and some garlic. Then I cut the tops off of the cherry tomatoes (and one larger one) & scooped out the insides. Finally just scooped some of my cheese mixture inside, topped it all with a basil leaf & plated it up with some toasted bread (the leftovers from the paninis).

Cheese Stuffed tomato

The look on Rich’s face when he came home and saw this waiting for him on the table was priceless – I should have set up that shot in addition to the food. He is learning very quickly though and before even touching the plate stopped to ask if I had already photographed the plate & if he could eat!

Eat Fresh, Eat Healthy, Eat Happy!