Lentil-and-Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed Tomatoes waiting to be sauced and baked

I don't often eat lentils.  I think I should.  The filling for these tomatoes was really tasty just on its own, and superb stuffed inside tomatoes with a garlicky sauce and crumbled feta on top!

The recipe is based on one from AllRecipes.com, incorporating a number of reviewer suggestions.  Here is the original.

The following describes exactly what I did, which involved making a heck of a lot of filling - so much that I stuffed the original 8 tomatoes then a couple of days later used my leftover filling to stuff about 20 more little Campari ones.  So you could reduce the amount of rice and lentils if you're only stuffing 8 tomatoes, or you could just have extra tasty stuff.


*Note if you're in a hurry, you could make a really tasty stew by just preparing the filling and mixing in some chopped up tomatoes (this is basically what I did with some of my leftovers)... just don't forget to top it with feta for extra tastiness!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup brown rice
- 3/4 cup Puy Lentils (I thought these would have a good taste/texture and they did.  The original calls for red lentils and other reviews used green ones or even black beans, all of which would also be good... these alternatives might require some adjustment of cooking time.)
- 3-4 tsp Veggie stock powder
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbs chopped fresh mint
- salt and pepper
- cumin or garam masala
- several cloves of garlic, minced (I use lots!)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 8 medium tomatoes or more smaller ones
- crumbled feta for topping


Directions:

1. Put the rice, 4 cups water, and the veggie stock in a medium-sized pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 mins.
2. Add the lentils into the pot with the rice and simmer for about another 25 mins, until most of the liquid is absorbed (probably not quite all though).
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saute pan. Add onion, and saute until golden brown over medium low heat. Stir in lentil mixture and mint. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add cumin or garam masala to taste for extra flavour. (I used cumin).
4. Slice the tops off tomatoes, and reserve. Scoop out the middles, and reserve. Fill tomato shells with lentil mixture, and replace the tops. Stand in a baking dish.
5. Chop reserved tomato middles, and place in a small bowl. Mix in oil and garlic. Pour around the stuffed tomatoes. 
6. Bake in a preheated 450 degree F (230 degree C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve with crumbled feta as a topping.   Good with some tasty bread on the side to soak up the extra sauce!

The Verdict:

Katie's rating: delightful!

Easiness: Easy
Speed: Slowish

Black Bean Salad

I always forget about bean salad and then when I finally remember I get really excited about it.  How can you go wrong with tasty fresh things doused in lime juice and cilantro?

Bean Salad

Ingredients:


There are infinite variations on this - choose what looks tasty!  Here is roughly what I did tonight...
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 red pepper, diced small
- 1 tomato, diced
- some feta, diced
- some sugar snap peas, chopped
- 2 green onions, diced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
- juice of 2 limes (they weren't that juicy)
- olive oil - a little less than the amount of lime juice
- 1 chili pepper, seeded and sliced
- a clove or 2 of garlic, minced
- a few shakes of salt
- black pepper
- a dash each of cumin, coriander, and mystery red powder (I think it was actually paprika, though it ought to have been chili powder)
- a dab of honey (about 1/2 tsp)

Directions:
Whisk the dressing ingredients together with a fork in a mug or small container.

Drain and rinse canned beans and toss in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Toss with the dressing.

It's probably a good idea to let everything meld together in the fridge, but it tastes good eaten right away too.

The Verdict:

Katie's rating: yum

Easiness: Super easy
Speed: Super speedy