Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Whatever Floats Your...Stuffed Tomato Boats!

This evening I needed to use a package of ground sirloin I didn't use Sunday for my Zucchini Lasagna since my youngest son had requested "no beef".  I didn't have any plan for what to do with it...so I took a quick scan around my kitchen to see what I might be able to whip up easily and use up some of the other ingredients that needed to be used.  I started the process by browning the beef and then it just sort of spun off from there.  As the beef browned, I came across part of an onion in the fridge that needed to be used up...so I diced that and added it to the browning beef. I had half of a block of feta cheese that also needed to be used.  I found fresh basil and oregano in the produce drawer that was begging to be used too...LOL.  Then, I remembered I had a huge container of baby spinach in the fridge in the garage...and my final revelation/eureka moment was the 7 or 8 big ripe roma tomatoes just lying there on my counter looking all juicy and cute...so my plan was officially hatched.....Stuffed Tomato Boats!  Here is the easy peasy and sort of cheesy concoction I made up (recipe and photos below)...and by the way, they were delicious!  Enjoy!

Voila!


BOOM!

Stuffed Tomato Boats

  • Brown 1 pound of ground sirloin
  • Add about 1/2 cup diced onion to the browning sirloin and cook until tender
  • Season the beef and onions with salt and pepper
  • Add a couple teaspoons of fresh oregano and 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • Add about 5 big handfuls of baby spinach and cook until wilted
  • Remove from heat and add about 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese 
  • Halve 6 ripe roma tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out their pulp with a spoon
  • Tear up a large slice of provolone cheese and put a 50-cent sized piece in bottom of each tomato half
  • Spray casserole dish with olive oil spray
  • Put a heaping scoop of the beef/spinach mixture in each tomato half and carefully set it in the pan
  • Top each stuffed tomato boat with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, then switch over to broil and broil until lightly browned for about 3 minutes...and Voila...Boom...Stuffed Tomato Boats for dinner!



No comments: