Stuffed Yellow Tomatoes & Purple Peppers

Remember when I said I bought some beautiful yellow tomatoes and peppers from the farmer's market? Well, I finally did something with them... I stuffed them! Stuffing is a skill I've been working on a little; what do you do with a boring old chicken breast? You stuff it! With cheese, prosciutto, spinach, or whatever! You can find some really interesting recipes online, as stuffing is a popular way to create a delicious and simple entree.

I was alone in the kitchen last Sunday afternoon, wondering what to do with myself. We had just gone to a matinee in 104 degree weather, I had already gone swimming that morning and went to the gym as well. Usually I like to experiment in the kitchen, especially when I have an unlimited amount of time to do so. But, I was making a dessert to bring to work as well, and was trying to defrost a rather stubborn package of chicken breast (we made sliders!).

Anyways, I found a simple and succinct recipe from Giada. Her stuffed tomatoes are a little different than what I created, but hey, who says I have to follow the recipe anyways?

I think my favorite part about the vegetables is their bright, vibrant colors, and the subtle and summery flavors that melt in your mouth.

Cook these up when you are on a tight schedule, or when you're lounging around the house on the weekend. They are so tasty, especially with a little bruschetta on the side, or some nicely marinated chicken your husband whipped up.

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized tomatoes, 2 large bell peppers, or both

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning (parsley, basil, oregano) or fresh herbs

1 tsp. garlic pepper

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1/4 c. Italian style bread crumbs

• 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

• 1 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon butter, softened

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Butter a 9x13 pie pan. Cut the tomatoes in half, horizontally. Use a small spoon to gently hollow out the inside of the tomatoes, getting rid of the seeds and saving the pulp. Roughly chop the saved pulp and put in a medium bowl. Add the dried or fresh herbs, both types of bread crumbs, cheese, pepper and olive oil.

Scoop mixture into tomatoes or peppers (or both!) and fill to the top. Press down lightly, but firmly to make sure the vegetable is full but not overflowing. Drizzle with about a tbsp. of olive oil. Bake for about 25 minutes until they look cooked and the bread crumbs appear toasted.

Mangia!

-K