A-ha!

Stuffed tomatoes anyone?! I found a French recipe for stuffed tomatoes and quinoa, aka tomates farcies. How exciting! It is a traditionally summer dish, but is served warm and is really more received to be a comfort food dish. On this gray drizzily day, comfort food sounds lovely.

Tomates farcies are also not vegetarian...not traditionally at least, and are stuffed with sausage. This isn't a problem for us resourceful vegetarians...we just substitute. But what is a girl to do when she is gluten free, AND doesn't feel like going to the grocery store after her workout? What about chickpeas? I know those are in the pantry...and I love them. It appears that I will mix diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cilantro (or some kind of seasoning...Herbs de Provence?!) and Swiss cheese to stuff in the tomatoes. Since I wont be adding sausage...I think I will stuff them with the quinoa as well.

The author said that some people use breadcrubs as a binder, but she never does. I wont be either.

Here is the original recipe:
- 1 or 2 tomatoes per person: you want medium-size or big tomatoes, not plum-size. I like sto use Beefsteak tomatoes
- Hot or mild Italian sausages; about 1/4 - 1/2 per tomato
- Fresh cilantro or fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- Tomato Sauce ( I generally use about 1.5 cups for 8 medium tomatoes)
- Grated Swiss cheese (I generally use 1/2 cup for 8 medium tomatoes)
- Salt and Black pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375F (180C)
Slice the top of the tomatoes and keep them (we call them chapeau (or hat)).
Carve the tomatoes, trying not to cut through the skin. Reserve everything you get out (la chair)
Place carved tomatoes in a baking dish. They have to be tight so that they don't fall apart when they bake.
Take the skin of the sausages out and put the meat in a large bowl
Cut the chair a tomates in small dices, discard the extra juice and mix in the dices into the sausages
Add cilantro (or Italian parsley), Swiss Cheese
Pour tomato sauce and mix well,
Add salt and black pepper to taste
Stuff the tomatoes and cover them with their chapeau.
Cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
My Personal Comments:
I use pork, chicken or turkey sausages depending on what's available at the supermarket that day.
The tomatoes will release a lot of juice as they cook. I use it to cook the Quinoa or to pour over it.
You can reheat the tomates farcies; you can therefore make them in advance. Just cover them with foil so that they don't dry too much when you reheat them.

http://whatareyoufeedingyourkidsthesedays.blogspot.com/2010/02/stuffed-tomatoes-with-quinoa.html

We shall see how this goes! =)