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    Escabeche (Pickled Jalapeños)

    These classic pickled jalapeños, or jalapeños escabeche, are made with fresh jalapeño chili peppers, white onions, garlic, carrots, cider vinegar and herbs. Serve them alongside Mexican dishes, or slice them up for burgers, tacos, or salsas.

    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    This year I decided to grow jalapeño and serrano chiles—those wonderfully hot and flavorful Mexican chiles that are used to make salsa, guacamole, and so many Mexican dishes. But I certainly wasn’t expecting each plant to yield over a pound of chiles. What to do with so many?
    Make jalapeños escabeche, or pickled jalapeños!

    What is Escabeche?
    Pickled jalapeños, or escabeche, are served as a condiment with many meals in Mexico. Chiles, onions, carrots, cauliflower are pickled with the jalapeños. My mother used to buy jars of escabeche when I was a child. The chiles can be cut up and used for many dishes.

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    How to Make Pickled Jalapeños
    Unlike a lot of other pickle recipes, this one starts by frying the jalapeños and other vegetables in oil before pickling. This gives them a more complex, concentrated flavor.
    After frying, simmer the vegetables in a simple pickling liquid of cider vinegar, salt, bay leaves, dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, and sugar until completely cooked. Pack the hot vegetables and pickling liquid into canning jars and seal.
    Process the jars following the hot water bath canning method (Elise likes the method used here). If you prefer not to process your pickles, you can store them in the fridge and use within a month or so.
    Ways To Use Escabeche
    Crunchy pickled escabeche can be eaten as a snack or appetizer, or served on the plate alongside Mexican recipes. You can also slice or mince the pickled vegetables to make a quick relish for burgers, tacos, or burritos.
    More Easy Pickle Recipes

    Updated August 9, 2020 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle. No changes to the original recipe.

    Escabeche (Pickled Jalapeños) Recipe

    Recipe adapted from Diana Kennedy’s The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.

    Ingredients
    1 pound jalapeño (and/or serrano if you wish) chile peppers
    1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    2-3 medium white or yellow onions, thickly sliced
    2-3 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
    Florets from half a small cauliflower (optional)
    1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
    4 cups apple cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons Kosher salt or sea salt
    2 bay leaves
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    4 sprigs fresh marjoram (can sub fresh oregano) or 1/4 teaspoon dried
    4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
    1 tablespoon sugar

    Method

    1 Prep the chiles: Wash the chiles, leaving the stems intact. Cut a cross in the tip end of each chile so that the vinegar will be able to penetrate the chiles.
    2 Fry the vegetables in olive oil: Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the chiles, onions, carrots, cauliflower if using, and garlic. Fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning them over occasionally.
    3 Boil with vinegar and seasonings: Add the vinegar, salt, bay leaves, dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
    Make sure the chiles are entirely cooked through before canning. You will know they are cooked when they are no longer vibrant green, but a dull, olive green.

    4 Pack  the jars: Pack 4 to 5 pint-sized sterilized jars with the chiles and vegetables. Top with the vinegar cooking liquid and seal.
    5 Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
    Once opened, can keep for one to two months in the refrigerator.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
    More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO

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    5 Recipes to Celebrate Your Farmers Market Bounty

    This month, welcome Sara Bir. Sara Bir is the author of two cookbooks, Tasting Ohio and the IACP award-winning The Fruit Forager’s Companion. She also moderates and replies to your comments here on Simply Recipes. Follow her @sausagetarian.
    Since May, I’ve been riding my bike to the weekly farmers market, donning my mask, and buying up all the good stuff I can cram into my backpack. Now that it’s late summer, things are really rolling around here on the produce scene.

    Mid-week, I cruise to our favorite farm stand and load up on sweet corn, plus whatever other goodies they may have to offer: ripe peaches, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, blackberries, watermelon—this is what we dream of all year long!
    This week’s meal plan keeps that momentum going. Even if your farmers market happens to be a standard grocery store, you can still embrace the glory of summer produce. Whether the vegetables came from your own backyard or the produce aisle, we picked recipes everyone can dive right into.
    One last thing: Looking for dinner ideas? You’re in the right spot! We have delicious meal plans to suit every taste and lifestyle—Healthy Eating, Family Favorites, and Vegetarian just to name a few. These one-month plans are $6.95 and, with them, you get a dessert and weekend prep recipe and a shopping list. They’re beautifully designed and perfect to print and save or simply load and cook right from your computer! LEGGI TUTTO

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    Sandcastle Cake

    Layers of brown sugar cake, sea salt caramel frosting, and a sandy graham cracker exterior make this cake a beach lover’s dream!I’ve been meaning to share this cake I made for Food Network for a while now, and I guess I’d better get to it because time’s a wastin’! I can’t believe we’re already in the last full month of summer.If you’re like me and didn’t make it to the beach this year, this cake is a nice consolation. I admit – I’ve had many slices of this cake and it is delicious! I may even dedicate a whole blog post to its sea salt caramel frosting (it’s that good!). And! It’s so fun to build. Yes – it’s a little involved and has a few steps, but its general construction involves ice cream cones, sugar cubes, and lots of graham cracker crumbs.
    There are many steps to take before a cake like this comes to life, and I usually begin with a sketch. This was my plan for executing the cake, and I thought it might be fun to share it with you. It really does help to have a guide, even if the end result looks a little different (but this one was very close!).

    The cake starts with two tiers of brown sugar cake (yum!), one 8-inch and 6-inch. The sea salt caramel buttercream firms well in the refrigerator and when chilled, it has just enough tackiness for the graham crackers to stick to the sides.
    The towers/spires are made with frosted cake cones and sugar cones – which is nothing new to the world of cake decorating. But using them is easy, so cute, and really makes the cake look more convincing as a castle.
    A couple more spires on top! 

    One of my original ideas for the cake was to use brown sugar cubes around the top edges to make the crenelations. This is such an easy way to achieve the effect symmetrically all the way around the top edges of the cake.
    A few molded candy starfish and seashells were finishing touches. Here I’m applying a little cocoa powder to the shells with a dry brush, which makes them a little more 3 dimensional in appearance.
    Add to this a few chocolate pieces for windows and doors, and the all-important spire flags, and you’ve got yourself a sandcastle that the tide won’t wash away! (Although it still may disappear quickly.)You can find the recipe on FoodNetwork.com at THIS link. You can also view the video HERE on their website, or HERE on the Food Network Facebook page.Happy Summer, everyone! I hope it’s been more sweet than salty (wink).link Sandcastle Cake By Heather Baird Published: Friday, August 07, 2020Friday, August 07, 2020Sandcastle Cake Recipe LEGGI TUTTO

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    Easy Cucumber, Peach, and Basil Salad

    Cool, crunchy cucumbers combined with sweet, juicy peaches and dressed in a peppery basil vinaigrette is a great way to make the most of summer and all its gorgeous flavors. This refreshing salad is easy to make and goes great with grilled meat.

    Photography Credit: Kalisa Marie Martin

    Salads are a great way to celebrate the season and are especially refreshing on hot summer days. This peach and cucumber salad has a simple set of ingredients that play off of each other in a fun way.
    The black pepper and lime in the basil vinaigrette add a brightness and layer of complexity that gives this dish the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
    This quick and easy salad is delicious on its own but also pairs wonderfully with savory meats, adding a cool and zesty bite to whatever it’s served alongside. You’ll quickly see why this unexpected combination just works.

    HOW TO SLICE STONE FRUIT
    First, cut the fruit in half, lengthwise, slicing all the way around the pit using the indent as a guide. Hold each half of the cut fruit and twist in opposite directions.
    With ripe fruit, this action should help separate the halves easily. If not, use your hands to pull the halves apart. If you have a Cling-Free or Freestone Peach, you’ll be able to remove the pit easily. If not, use a spoon to dig it out.

    THE BEST CUCUMBERS FOR SALAD
    English cucumbers are ideal for this recipe because they’re nearly seedless and have thin skins. Sometimes you will see English cucumbers sold wrapped in plastic. They are also called seedless or burpless cucumbers.
    Persian cucumbers are often sold as mini cucumbers. They would be a good replacement for English cucumbers, however, you’d need two to three Persian cucumbers to one English cucumber, due to the size. With either variety, you won’t need to peel them as they both have thin skin.
    If you happen to have regular slicing cucumbers and would like to use those, just peel the skin, slice them in half, and scoop out the seeds so they don’t water down the salad. From there, you can chop them into chunks. 
    SWAPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CUCUMBER PEACH SALAD
    This salad is incredibly versatile. You can make simple swaps for almost every ingredient. The idea is just to have fun with it!
    Swap the basil in the vinaigrette out for mint, cilantro, or tarragon.
    If you don’t have peaches, try nectarines or plums.
    No cucumbers? Try leafy greens and whatever crunchy vegetables you have on hand, like fennel or even string beans.
    For a spicy kick, swap the subtle black pepper for a few slices of jalapeño.
    If you’d like to add cheese, try briny feta or creamy goat cheese.

    CAN YOU MAKE CUCUMBER PEACH SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?
    If you need to make this ahead, prepare the dressing and the cucumbers (but not the peaches), and store them separately. Wait to dress the salad until just before you’re ready to serve. This salad is best enjoyed immediately as, over time, the peaches will oxidize and turn brown and the cucumber will release water, diluting the flavorful dressing.
    WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SUMMER SALAD
    The freshness and acidity of this salad pair well with just about any grilled meats: chicken, steak, even burgers! Simple grilled fish like trout or salmon or seafood are also complemented by this flavorful combination.
    Really, this salad doesn’t need accompaniment and is also perfect as a stand-alone afternoon snack or light lunch.

    MORE SUMMERTIME SALAD RECIPES!

    Easy Cucumber, Peach, and Basil Salad Recipe

    Blending this vinaigrette in a food processor allows all of the ingredients to disperse most evenly. While the dressing may be whisked by hand instead, the flavors will not be as pronounced.

    Ingredients
    1 (12-14-inch) English cucumber, cut into 1-inch chunks
    2 fresh peaches, cut into 1-inch chunks
    For the vinaigrette:
    2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
    1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    Zest of one lime
    1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
    1 tablespoon honey
    4 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
    1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

    Method

    1 Prep the vegetables: Add the chopped peaches and cucumbers to a large bowl.

    2 Make the vinaigrette: In the bowl or a mini food processor or blender, combine the oil, vinegar, lime zest and juice, honey, basil, salt and pepper. Pulse until the basil is finely chopped and the vinaigrette is completely emulsified.

    3 Dress the produce: Pour the vinaigrette over the peach and cucumber mixture. Stir to coat evenly.

    4 Serve: Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with torn basil leaves and serve immediately.

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    Kalisa Marie Martin
    Kalisa Marie Martin is a classically-trained chef with a background in food science and nutrition, based in the Philadelphia area. She shares her unique perspective on food with the world at Kalisa Marie Eats. Kalisa has also been gluten-free for over 15 years and loves the challenge of recreating whatever she might be craving.
    More from Kalisa LEGGI TUTTO

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    Beginner’s Guide to Modern Mexican Cooking

    Learn how to make incredible Mexican food at home with help from cookbook author Gabriela Cámara.
    Photography Credit: Marcus Nilsson photo: Pozole Blanco from the cookbook “My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions”

    This post is part of our Summer Cookbook Club series for August 2020 featuring My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions by Gabriela Cámara.

    Like any cultural cuisine, Mexican food is vast, varied, and dynamic. Each house, neighborhood, community, and region has its version, and the modern Mexican recipes shared by restaurateur and cookbook author Gabriela Cámara are no different.
    In both her cookbook and her restaurants, she celebrates local, sustainable agriculture. She believes the quality of the ingredients make the dish, but that understanding how to balance a dish will make it sing. She clearly states that her recipes and approach are not to be the definitive guide to Mexican food, but rather a guide. This is how she lives, eats and breathes Mexican food and it’s how she wants to share it with you.

    ASK AN EXPERT: Gabriela Cámara
    I interviewed Gabriela and combed the pages of her beautiful book, My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions, to find out the essentials to making Mexican food at home.

    While Gabriela honors the traditions of Mexican cooking, she isn’t bound by them, and she doesn’t want you to be either. She does, however, want you to source the highest quality, most sustainably sourced products available to you, and most of all she wants you to have fun.
    Learn the basics, then learn how to combine them in different ways to come up with endless possibilities.
    ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR MEXICAN COOKING
    In the early pages of My Mexico City Kitchen, Gabriela says, “… the fewer the ingredients and steps a dish has, the more care you should put into preparing it.” This is true because the quality and the importance of each ingredient takes on higher role.
    SALSA: Gabriela recommends knowing how to make a good, moderately spicy green and red salsa. They will keep for many days in the fridge, so you can use them at will to top eggs, fish, chicken, and more.
    MASA: A corn-based wet dough made from nixtamalized white or yellow corn. It’s used to make tortillas and tamales.
    Fresh Masa: You can buy it fresh if you live in a community to with a tortillería. If you buy fresh masa, do so in small amounts and use it within a day, or it can ferment.
    Masa Harina: Commonly available in supermarkets. It’s just dehydrated masa. It’s sold in bags similar to how flour is sold. It looks like cornmeal. Gabriela prefers Bob’s Red Mill non-GMO, organic masa harina.
    BEANS: Use dried beans if you can. It takes some extra planning, but the texture and flavor are far superior to anything you can find in a can. The amount of time it takes to cook really depends on how old they are. Experiment with heirloom varieties. Gabriela recommends ordering them online from Rancho Gordo if you can’t get them locally. She does have some dos and don’ts when it comes to cooking dried beans:
    Gabriela doesn’t pre-soak the beans, because the skins can blister.
    Don’t salt the water too early in the cooking process.
    Don’t cook the beans on a hard boil.
    Do let them simmer gently.
    Do add herbs, garlic, and other aromatics.
    RICE: According to Gabriela, Mexican rice is often cooked in liquid with pureed vegetables, which brings both flavor and color to the plate. She prefers sustainably produced long-grain white rice.
    HERBS/AROMATICS: “I believe in simplicity and moderation when cooking,” Gabriela wrote in an email interview, “but you need more than one of these ingredients, usually. Onion, garlic, oregano, epazote, or cilantro, for example, are super basic for cooking “Mexican,” but none are actually used alone.”
    EPAZOTE: This herb is used both fresh and dried. The fresh stems and leaves provide the most robust flavor, and it’s commonly used in Mexican cooking. The herb is often added to beans to help aid digestion. It has a strong earthy flavor.
    UNDERSTANDING FLAVOR
    Salt and acid are both used to balance heat in a dish, but Mexican food isn’t all about heat.
    “I believe in general there is the misconception that Mexican food has to be spicy to be authentic, and that is not the case, actually,” Gabriela says. “Even heat needs to be used in moderation so it does not overpower all other ingredients in a dish or sauce, unless you are wanting to make a super special spicy sauce for a particular dish that can hold it and benefits from it.”
    Chilies, salsas, herbs, spices, and salt are all used to create a balance of flavors in Mexican cooking. A single bite can be bright, acidic, smoky, and spicy.
    When it comes to the fundamentals of good food, Mexican dishes require balance just like anything else.
    “As in any great cuisine, and as my dear Samin Nosrat would put it: Salt, fat, acid, heat. And I add smoke.”

    Want a deeper dive into modern Mexican cooking? Gabriela’s book My Mexico City Kitchen is our Summer Cookbook Club pick for August! Visit The Simply Shop to order a signed copy. If you want to cook along with us, visit the Simply Recipes IG stories for live cooking demos from the book on Thursdays at 1 p.m. CST throughout August 2020.

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    Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread

    This quick bead was inspired by a 1932 cookbook recipe and uses simple pantry ingredients. It’s rich with peanut butter flavor and can be endlessly varied with a smear of your favorite spread.I’m slightly late to the game with this recipe, as the original was posted to Reddit last year and became internet famous during quarantine. It harks back to a 1930’s Five Roses Flour cookbook published at the height of the Great Depression, and contains recipes for home cooks who may not have a large stock of fresh ingredients.

    I did some research before making this recipe because lots of people have made this bread. Almost every account had the same recommendation – more peanut butter.  I made the version as written the first time around and agreed with everyone else – more peanut butter! 

    The second time around I tweaked the amount of peanut butter and added wildflower honey. This was a wonderful improvement! One slice is nearly a meal topped with anything you want to throw at it: Nutella, whipped cream cheese, a drizzle of honey, more peanut butter (and sliced bananas!) – or use it to make the ultimate PB&J sandwich.
    There are four stages of simple mixing – first the dry ingredients are whisked together. (I’m using pink salt in the first picture if you’re wondering what that is!) Second, the peanut butter and honey are mixed together in a separate bowl. Third, the peanut butter mixture and milk are added to the dry ingredients. The last step is mixing everything together until a thick, sticky batter is formed.

    The batter is scraped into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and baked for about an hour. Quick breads usually crack in their centers as they bake, so I often help this along by making a line in the center of the batter using the edge of a rubber spatula.
    I checked my loaf at 1 hour and it needed a little longer according to the toothpick test, so I tented it with foil so it wouldn’t over-brown.

    The end result is lightly sweet, slightly crumbly, and rich! It’s best enjoyed with a tall glass of ice cold milk. I’m already thinking of making another loaf with a cup of chocolate chips added to the batter, for chocolate-peanut butter cup flavor!

    My updated version of this recipe doesn’t stray too far from the original, but I’m including the original formula in the footnotes if you’d like to give it a try first. It’s such a simple bake and I’ll be making some in colder months when we crave a stick-to-your-ribs snack. Enjoy!

    Depression Era Peanut Butter BreadYields one 9×5-inch loafCanned evaporated milk can be used in place of fresh milk in this recipe (be sure it’s evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk!).2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar4 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt1 1/2 cups (387g) creamy peanut butter (tested with shelf-stable JIF)1/4 cup (84g) wildflower honey1 1/3 cups milk (tested with 2%)Preheat oven to 325° F.Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.In a separate bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey. Add the peanut butter mixture to the dry ingredients along with the milk. Mix using an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and fold the batter to make sure no streaks of flour remain.Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. (I tested this recipe with flour-based baking spray in a dark nonstick pan.) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick tester inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean. When the bread is done, it should be well-browned on the outside (and your whole kitchen will smell wonderful!). If additional bake time is needed, tent the bread with a piece of aluminum foil so it doesn’t over-brown. My loaf baked was done at 1 hour 15 minutes.Let bread cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Slice using a serrated knife. Serve slices warm smeared with butter, Nutella, peanut butter, cream cheese – your choice! Original recipe from Five Roses Cookbook:Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/3 cups milk, 1/2 c. peanut butterMethod: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. Mix in the milk, then the peanut butter. Scrape into greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour.Sources:Five Roses: A Guide to Good Cooking – The original cookbook produced by Five Roses, a Canadian flour company.Glen & Friends Cooking – a video of the making of the original recipe.Reddit r/Old_Recipes – this thread is filled with information and reviews of this bread. 

    link Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread By Heather Baird Published: Wednesday, August 05, 2020Wednesday, August 05, 2020Depression Era Peanut Butter Bread Recipe LEGGI TUTTO

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    Mozzarella and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes

    Whether you’re looking for new ways to use the abundance of summer tomatoes or simply want a quick side dish, these vegetarian stuffed tomatoes filled with mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh herbs are simple and delicious.

    Photography Credit: Kalisa Marie Martin

    There’s something comforting about melty cheese and aromatic herbs, and this dish has it all. The mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and olive oil will remind you of drool-worthy margarita pizza—sans crust. And the best part? It comes together in minutes.
    In this recipe, the tomato pulp is scooped out and used in the filling (no waste!) along with just enough soft breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture and give body to the stuffing. You can use the recipe as a guide and swap in your favorite combination of cheeses and herbs.
    If you have the grill going, throw these on! If not, bake them in the oven and enjoy these cheesy stuffed tomatoes all year long.

    BEST TOMATOES FOR STUFFING?
    You want to use an evenly round, medium-sized tomato with firm walls for this recipe.
    I use a variety called “tomatoes on the vine” for their size, uniform roundness, and classic tomato flavor. They are commonly sold with 4-6 tomatoes still attached to the vine as the name implies. If you don’t have that type of tomato in your area, don’t worry! Any medium-sized variety tomato about the size of a tennis ball (2 1/2 inches) will work too.
    Just keep in mind that if your tomato is narrow like a Roma tomato you’ll likely have to trim the bottom to give it a flat base to stand on.

    HOW TO STUFF TOMATOES
    Remove the vines and stems. Wash the tomatoes, but do not core them.
    Next, slice the tomatoes in half horizontally and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Because of the uniformly round shape of the tomatoes on the vine, each half will easily sit up on its own. If you accidentally puncture a hole in the bottom, no worries! The filling will close it up.
    Lastly, prepare the filling. Instead of discarding the inside of the tomato, drain off the seeds and water, then chop what remains up to be used in the filling. If you notice the core or the flesh near the stem end is particularly tough, don’t include it.
    SWAPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR STUFFED TOMATOES
    This recipe can be customized to your liking. Mozzarella and basil are great but don’t stop there. Try these delicious combos as well:
    Cheddar and cilantro
    Feta and oregano
    Chevre and chives
    Just keep in mind the intensity of the herb you choose. For example, 1/4 cup of basil works but, for oregano, you’d need only half that much. If you’re using dry herbs, you’ll likely need 1/3 of the amount of fresh.
    Want to make this dish more substantial? Try mixing in meat, rice, or seeds.
    Cooked sausage
    Cooked ground beef
    Cooked rice or quinoa
    How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffed Tomatoes
    If you’re gluten-free, like me, using soft breadcrumbs made from a slice of gluten-free bread works just the same here. No fresh bread but you have dried breadcrumbs? That’ll work too.
    I prefer to use bread in this recipe rather than quinoa or rice because the breadcrumbs help absorb the liquid from the tomatoes.

    HOW TO MAKE AHEAD AND REHEAT STUFFED TOMATOES
    These tomatoes can be prepared and stuffed up to a few hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake. If you make the tomatoes too far in advance the filling will get watery because we used the inside of the tomatoes in the stuffing.
    They’re best served right out of the oven, but they do reheat well and quickly. You only need about five minutes under the broiler or in a toaster oven. Microwaving them works if you’re in a pinch, but you’ll lose some of the texture.
    WHAT TO SERVE WITH STUFFED TOMATOES?
    These stuffed tomatoes are great at any time of day! Try them in the morning with fried eggs or for dinner with a piece of grilled meat. They’re also perfect as a stand-alone appetizer.

    MORE DELICIOUS SUMMER TOMATO RECIPES!

    Mozzarella and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

    If preparing gluten-free, use gluten-free bread or bread crumbs.

    Ingredients
    4 medium tomatoes with firm, fleshy walls, 2 1/2 inches wide
    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
    1/4 cup packed fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
    1 slice of bread (enough to make 1/4 cup breadcrumbs)
    1 tablespoon melted salted butter
    1 teaspoon minced garlic
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon pepper
    Olive oil for drizzling

    Method

    1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2 Make the soft breadcrumbs: To make the 1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs, remove the crust from 1 slice of bread (preferably stale) and either pulse in a small food processor or shred with a fork until the bread resembles fine, sand-like crumbs.
    3 Prepare the tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally around the equator and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Be careful not to puncture the walls of the tomato, but if you do, the filling will plug the hole. Place empty tomato halves in a casserole dish 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.

    4 Make the stuffing: In a medium bowl, add the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, basil, breadcrumbs, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir to thoroughly combine.

    5 Bake: Using two spoons, fill the tomato halves with the stuffing. Sprinkle filled tomatoes with the remaining parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender, then broil on high for 1 minute until the filling begins to bubble and brown.

    6 Serve: Garnish with a few torn basil leaves and serve hot.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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    Kalisa Marie Martin
    Kalisa Marie Martin is a classically-trained chef with a background in food science and nutrition, based in the Philadelphia area. She shares her unique perspective on food with the world at Kalisa Marie Eats. Kalisa has also been gluten-free for over 15 years and loves the challenge of recreating whatever she might be craving.
    More from Kalisa LEGGI TUTTO