Tomato Week: Roasted Corn and Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

check it out - it's heart shaped!

Today is the start of my self-proclaimed "tomato week" -  better known around here as "what the heck do I do with so many tomatoes?" as I frantically search google for ideas before the tomatoes all go bad!

There are lots and lots of recipes online for stuffed tomatoes, I was looking for one that didn't bake the tomatoes for long so they turned into more of a mushy cooked tomato (I love tomatoes but when they are cooked like that and become almost 'stewed' they aren't my fave) - saw this idea for roasted corn and rice stuffing and since they only baked for a few minutes it seemed like the tomatoes wouldn't cook down too much - and they didn't. These turned out really good, and one really interesting thing I learned is you can make "roasted corn" using canned corn and a dry frypan. Very cool, I will be using this trick often. The only thing I changed was adding chopped spinach tot he filling, no basil but I sprinkled in some Italian seasoning, and I used shredded cheese blend left over from the green chili frittata that I didn't end up using (remember the whole "my sister needs a dish to pass but then changed it to sloppy joe" thing?) - yes I realize that I used both Italian seasoning and Mexican cheese blend but whatever, it worked :) Look, I'm multi-cultural cooking hahahaha.

Click here for the recipe I started with, I'll give you what I did:

5 medium/large tomatoes
1 cup cooked medium grain brown rice (white will work of course)
1 can sweet corn
big handful of chopped spinach, stems removed
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning blend, and garlic powder to taste
shredded cheese blend

• Drain the corn and blot it dry (I dumped it out onto paper towels and blotted). Place corn in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat with no oil or butter. Let sit for 3-4 minutes and stir. Repeat until corn gets nice and brown on the outside. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Cut the tops off the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the flesh, reserving the flesh. Set whole tomatoes in a shallow roasting pan or cupcake holder.

• In a separate bowl smush the reserved tomato flesh with the back of a spoon or fork until there are no large chunks. Don't totally puree it, just chop it up. Combine the tomatoes with the rice, roasted corn, spinach, and seasonings. Heat the mixture up in a frypan until well combined and heated thru. Note: the original recipe doesn't call for this step, but I wanted the stuffing to be hot before putting it into the tomatoes and baking - trying to limit the time the tomatoes needed to be in the oven. Remove from heat and add a small handful of the cheese. 

• Preheat broiler. Stuff the whole tomatoes with the tomato rice mixture until rounded on the top. Top with shredded cheese. Broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. If you didn't heat the mixture before stuffing the tomatoes you'll want to leave the tomatoes in the oven until they are heated thru.
  
  
  
  

I served these with grilled pork tenderloin and set the stuffed tomatoes on a bed of raw spinach leaves to add a little more veg and make the plate look pretty. So good!!!

one year ago: cauliflower waffles
two years ago: Barbie soap - wrong but funny.

Cauliflower Waffles

I know, I know - I have been making some kooky things out of cauliflower in my quest to lighten things up (cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza, cauliflower breadsticks, mashed cauliflower) ...and here's another one - cauliflower waffles! Do they taste like "real" waffles? No. Do they look like waffles? Yep ;). They are quite easy, taste good, and I think they're a genius way to (a) eat more veggies, (b) eat less bread/carb/flour, and (c) it's a great reason to dig that old seldom-used waffle maker out of the back of my cupboard!

Stay with me - it's not as weird as it seems. Just mix up the grated cauliflower with some cheese and eggs, spoon into the preheated waffle iron, cook for a few minutes until golden and crunchy. Serve however you can think - plain, topped with bacon, sour cream and tomatoes, or a fried egg for breakfast, smashed avocado for a take on avocado toast...you name it!

I made these the first time just for myself when Dave wasn't home in case they didn't work...but they did, and I loved them! So a few days later I made them as a side to grilled chicken for dinner and he loved them too...that's sayin' something.

Ingredients:

3 cups cauliflower, grated
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
3 large eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. paprika
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. preheat waffle iron
2. in a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until combined.
3. pour 1 cup batter into preheated waffle iron, cover and cook for 6 minutes or until cooked thru, golden brown, and slightly crunchy.
4. serve alone or with toppings of your choice.

I found the recipe here.