Intensely Flavored Rice Salad with Mediterranean Flavors: Olives, Onions, Garlic, Capers and Fresh Herbs - Served Cold or Room Temperature. A wonderful side dish or light lunch! Terrific addition to Summer Meals & Picnics. These are stuffed with a rice salad and topped with pesto, not cooked!
Cook rice (see recipe below.) Use when warm to grab the flavors.
Cut tops off tops of tomatoes - save tops. Scoop out tomato meat, juice and seeds - add to a bowl; reserve. Sprinkle insides of tomatoes with kosher salt, invert on a paper towel.Dice tomato meat from the "tops" discarding the core.
Saute Flavoring Ingredients:
In a 8 " skillet, add EVOO, set heat to low. Add onions and garlic; cook 2 minutes until just softened. Add the diced tomatoes, and cook to flavor 2 minutes. Add the olives, capers, anchovies, hot chili flakes, salt & pepper and cook 2 more minutes.
Strain 2 tablespoons of "tomato juice" from the reserved tomatoes - add to pan. Add the cooked rice (still a little warm), stir well to combine. Use the remaining pup and juice for another recipe.
Add the sliced basil. Invert the tomatoes - stuff with the Rice Puttanesca Mixture.
To Serve:
Serve at room temperature. Drizzle each with Pesto - garnish each tomato with an herb sprig; basil, oregano or marjoram. Serve over fresh basil leaves... pretty!
Stuffed tomatoes can be stored in a sealed container for up to a day in the refrigerator. Rice can be made ahead of time and added to the tomatoes later too.
Notes
Cooking Long Grain Rice: Cook 2 T. onion in 2 teaspoons EVOO, add herb sprigs (I used fresh oregano.) Add water (one part rice; 2 parts water) and a pinch of sea salt and cook over low heat until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Do not overcook - rice should be separated. Olives: I buy quality olives marinated in oil, not canned, then slice thinly.This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
COURSE: First Course & Sides, Main dish, side salad
CUISINE: American, Mediterranean
Nutrition Facts
Karen's Puttanesca Stuffed Rice Tomatoes
Amount per Serving
Calories
139
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
1
mg
0
%
Sodium
437
mg
19
%
Potassium
382
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
19
g
6
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
1268
IU
25
%
Vitamin C
21
mg
25
%
Calcium
43
mg
4
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.