Stuffed Tomato Recipe
Turkey Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe
Turkey is naturally very low in fat, but best if you stick to the white meat and also avoid the skin. A good source of vitamins and folic acid, eating turkey aids the nerve function and assists growth, along with boosting the immune system. It is a great favourite in low-fat diets and very versatile. Rich in calcium and protein and naturally low in salt, it is an all-round beneficial addition to your food intake. A wonderful ‘winter warmer’ or even a brunch dish, and a way to get the children eating vegetables!
Turkey Stuffed Tomato Recipe Tips
- You can really spice up the turkey stuffing mix if you want to serve this to the more discerning palate.
- Change the turkey to beef mince and make a more ‘bolognese’ style meat mix.
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 20mins
- Cooking Time: 25mins
Ingredients:
- 4 large beefy tomatoes
- 500 grams/1lb of lean minced turkey breast
- 2 tbs of sage and onion stuffing mix
- Handful of fresh chopped sage
- 1 finely diced white onion
- A few grinds of black pepper
- 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
- A little olive oil for frying
Directions:
- Heat your oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
- Finely chop the onion using your chopping board, and also the celery. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and celery on low heat, stirring to stop any burning. You only want to lightly soften the onion and celery as they provide a good texture against the soft turkey mince.
- When softened, put the turkey mince into the same pan and mix well, adding the curry powder and the stuffing mix as well. Leave on low heat, stirring well until the turkey is cooked through. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Taste the mix, and if you want it a little spicier, add curry powder or cumin to heat it up a bit. Leave to cool.
- On your board, take the tomatoes and cut off the stalk tops, about 2cm down. Leave to one side, do not throw away. With a sharp knife or melon baller, remove the inside core and flesh, being careful not to cut through the side of the tomato.
- On a clean board, place some kitchen paper and turn the tomatoes upside down to drain out the seeds and excess moisture. Carve a little piece of the skin off the bottoms so that the tomatoes will stand up when being cooked.
- When drained, turn back over and lightly season the inside of the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes with the turkey mix and place in a deep-sided baking dish.
- Place in the oven and cook for 10mins. Take the tomatoes out and place the little tops back on.
- Place back in the oven and cook for a further 20mins or until they are soft to the touch.
- Serve with an apple and watercress salad and delicious crusty bread (warm if you can!)
Mozzarella Stuffed Tomato Recipe
Mozzarella Stuffed Tomato Recipe Tips
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 15mins
- Cooking Time: 20mins
Ingredients:
- 4 large meaty tomatoes
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tbs salted butter, melted
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- oil for drizzling
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat your oven to 180C.
- Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally around the middle and use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the flesh.
- Be careful not to break the walls of the tomato, but if you do, the filling will plug the hole. Place empty tomato halves in a casserole dish or oven-safe skillet, and season with salt and pepper.
- Using your hands or a spoon, separate the seeds from the scooped out tomato flesh and transfer the flesh to a cutting board. Discard the seeds and the tomato water. Chop the flesh and set aside for the stuffing.
- In a bowl, add the chopped tomato flesh, mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese, basil, parsley breadcrumbs, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir thoroughly to combine together.
- Using a spoon, fill the tomato halves with the stuffing. Sprinkle filled tomatoes with the remaining parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 15mins, or until tomatoes are tender and cheese is browned, then broil on high for 1 minute until the filling begins to bubble and brown.
- Remove the tomatoes from the heat and garnish with torn basil and parsley leaves.
For more information on using a melon baller, we recommend you review the following:
Melon baller
To find out more about other recipes, you can read BellyBelly’s article:
