Stuffed Tomatoes
This works great with a variety of grains—try couscous, rice, quinoa, etc. Whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 c water
About 10 large tomatoes, tops removed and innards scooped out and set aside
Fresh basil, oregano, or thyme
½ cup Olive oil
2 T Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Directions:
Cook quinoa: Rinse the quinoa well and drain it. Add it to a saucepan with the 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until all the water is absorbed, about 20ish minutes. Then cover the pot and set aside for 5 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking: Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes and discard. Scoop out the innards and drain the juices. Chop half the innards (save the rest for soup stock). Pack the hollowed-out tomatoes into an oiled baking dish.
When the quinoa is ready, fluff with a fork, then stir in dressing, fresh herbs, tomato innards, half the cheese, and optional seeds or nuts. Fill each tomato cavity with this mixture, then top with the other half of the grated cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are browned. Perfect served with a green salad.
* You’ll want 3-4 cups of cooked grains total, so keep that in mind if you are substituting rice, couscous, etc, that you made need to adjust the amount of dry grains that you start with.