Monday, September 26, 2011

Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes

 {Meatless Monday}

I found a couple new blogs last week and this recipe caught my eye!  It looked perfect for the end of summer with all the tomatoes coming off...and it has feta cheese, so it was perfect for us!
This recipe came from Cookie and Kate.  Head on over and check out all the other great recipes!



Here's what you'll need:

1 cup cooked red or black quinoa
8 medium tomatoes
1/3 can quartered artichokes, chopped
1/2 cup feta, plus extra for topping
15 kalamata olives, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

I actually used some leftover short-grain brown rice instead of the quinoa.  It was just something in my fridge that needed to be used...and I thought it turned out great.  I have just started using short-grain brown rice and I love it.  It is much more palatable than the long grain variety.  My kids and I love it, but I still can't convince my husband!  : )

But if you are using quinoa...here's the directions for cooking it:
 Measure out 1/3 cup of quinoa, pour into a mesh colandar, and rinse the quinoa under running water for a minute. Pour the rinsed quinoa into a small pot and add 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes, and fluff with a fork. 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa should yield a little over one cup cooked quinoa.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 


Core the tomatoes by slicing off the top 1/8 inch of each tomato.   

Using a small knife and your fingers, take out the center of the tomato.

In a medium bowl, mix together the filling (cooked quinoa, feta, artichokes, olives, olive oil and garlic).  Add salt/pepper to taste. 



Spray your dish with cooking oil and brush the tops of the cored tomatoes with olive oil.  Use a spoon to stuff the tomatoes with the quinoa mixture.  Top each tomato with extra feta.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the feta starts to turn golden.




Serve immediately....mmmmmm.

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