This is an easy, flavorful dish that can be made vegan or vegetarian. I used ground poultry so it was fewer calories than beef and the taste was not compromised and Dan enjoyed it.
baked stuffed garden tomatoes
6 servings
- 6 large tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked rice, grains, and/or beans
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 can diced tomato
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (or your fav cheese)
- 1/4 cup red peppers, diced (fresh or roasted red peppers…btw, roasted red peppers freeze well to have on hand for recipes just like this or dips)
- 2 cloves garlic, diced (crazy easy to grow, plant in your flower bed at Thanksgiving harvest in early summer)
- 1 tsp salt & pepper
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
here is where you can get flexible…
- 12 oz ground poultry (buy local & grass-fed if you can) *** for vegetarian & GF sub 3 cups cooked quinoa & 1 can beans OR add mushrooms
1) pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a 9″x13″ with aluminum foil (for easy clean up)
2) slice the tops off the tomatoes and cut out the fleshy inside of the tomato. you can add the interior flesh to the saute or save for a salad
3) over medium heat, saute the onion, pepper, garlic until softened. Add the salt, pepper & spices followed by the ground turkey (or meat substitute), cook thoroughly. Add the diced tomatoes and rice/grain/bean mixture. Continue to cook over med/low heat until the moisture is absorbed, approx 5-8 minutes.
4) fill the tomatoes with the sautéed mixture, top with cheese, and pop in the oven for approx 45 minutes
no need to try to be perfect. messy is good!
Leave a Reply