Stuffed Stuffs

Mushrooms and tomatoes to be exact. This dish was originally planned for four gorgeous Portobellos, however, after inspection of the two I had purchased the day before yesterday, my big fatties had spoiled. I'm glad I opted to purchase two extra yesterday morning!

I thought to myself, "Self, it will be okay. Just bag and tag the extra stuffing and reserve for later." Then I tasted the stuffing...no, no, no. This stuffing was not going to be given the option to go bad before I could use it again. It was a sweet, creamy, yet texturally pleasing bombshell that needed to be enjoyed immediately.

So the search began.

Frantically I scoured through the pantry, trying to locate an extra pepper, mushroom, zucchini, squash, something, anything to carriage this delectable goodness. No luck. Heartbroken, I shrugged on my kitchen counter, maybe pouted would better describe it, and as I lifted myself up to put my two lonely little mushrooms in the oven, the answer was staring me right in the face. Right there on top of my microwave were three stunning heirloom tomatoes. A lemony yellow, a granny smith green, and a zebra striped burgundy and brown, were just begging me to stuff their guts out. So I did!

Oh Just Stuff It

4-5 Veggies for stuffing- Scoop out Tomatoes or Peppers, De-gill Portobellos, or you could even Hollow  out some Squash (I would use 1/2 a hollowed out squash per serving)

2/3 Cup of Couscous or 1 5.8oz Box (Get creative! Try using a flavored Couscous

for an extra boost!)

1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (Again, try a blend. I used Italian seasoned. Flavor, Flavor, Flavor!)

1/2 of 1 Large Red Pepper, finely diced, finely diced

1/2 of 1 Medium Yellow Onion

1/2 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

1 Large Egg

2 Cloves of Garlic, diced- or you could use 1 Tbsp of minced garlic (Really, it's all about the flavor through convenience!)

2 Tbsp Chopped Chives

2 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil or 2 tsp Dried Basil

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme or 1 tsp Dried Thyme

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil

1/2 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella

1/2 Cup of Shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with either Parchment or Aluminum Foil. You don't want your lovelies sticking! Gently coat the outside of your "to be stuffed" guys with 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil and place on cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients, saving the Mozzarella and Parmesan for crusting your stuffed veggies. If you are using a flavored couscous, which I highly recommend, add the seasoning packet to the mixture, and incorporate well. By the by, I used a Parmesan and Roasted Garlic Couscous, it kinda rocked!

Once your stuffing has taken on a somewhat cohesive state, start packing it in...THE VEGGIES, not your mouth! (That was a little reminder to myself.) Using a Tbsp, start filling up and packing it down. The entire mixture should fill about 4-5 Large portions.

Sprinkle Shredded Cheese on top and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden and your stuffed veggies have desired doneness!

They look great, and you'll want to chow down immediately, but fair warning...let them cool down huh!

Until next time-

****TEASER****

Meatloaf is on the way!