September 23, 2009

Stuffed Tomatoes

This is the "too tall Stuffed Tomato"
that I cooked for Mr. and Mrs. P., If you don't understand, please read the previous post
"Bento Box! It's so smart!".


comment from Mrs. P.
This is the perfect summer treat - Light, tasty and satisfying! Thank you!


ingredients
4 medium fresh tomatoes
(scoop out the insides and keep the tomato cups in your fridge)
1 clove of garlic sliced
1/4 medium onion minced
a pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 cup of rice (Italian or your favorite)
3 tablespoons of pine nuts
1/2 kombu-tea powder or kombu-dashi powder
*
1 cup of water
some fresh basil (for topping and for the rice)
Extra Virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper

*Kombu-tea (konbu-cha) :
http://www.marukaiestore.com/p-492-gyokuroen-konbu-cha-19oz.aspx

Kombu-dashi powder :

http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/riken-dashi-kombu-1-4-oz



direction
Put 1 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic in your heavy, lidded pan. Bring the pan to low heat and fry the garlic very slowly until golden. Add the onion, turn up the heat to medium and stir the onion until soft but not brown. Put in the rice, red pepper and stir until the rice becomes translucent. Add the tomato pulp which you scooped, the water, kombu tea or kombu-dashi powder and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on, turn up the heat to high, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min. take the pan off the fire and let it steam for 10 min.
Bring a frying pan to medium heat. Cook the pine nuts with 1 tablespoon olive oil until golden and salt. Put the pine nuts with the oil, some torn basil on the rice and mix gently.
Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the tomato cups. Stuff the rice into the tomatoes with your spoon. Put it on your plate. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar around the tomatoes. Put the basil leaves on the tops.