Sardine Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes
BellaFina™ peppers may be used to create a wide variety of recipes, from appetizers to main dishes. BellaFina peppers are often used in salads, vegetables trays with or without dip, cooked in stews and sauces and stuffed with meat, cheese and grains.
Grown on the vine in the field, BellaFina peppers are a great source of vitamins and nutrients. They are low calorie, fat free, sodium free and high in Vitamin C.
Ingredients:
For 8 tomatoes:
8 tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
3-4 red Bellafina peppers
1/2 red onion
2 cans of sardines (approx. 8 oz)
1 1/2 cups cooked barley or brown rice
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon’s juice
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp green onions, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Slice off the tops of the tomatoes (set aside if you want to have tomato caps!) Carve and scoop out the tomato innards until you have a hollow bowl.
Rub down tomatoes with olive oil, inside and out, then season the inside of each tomato with garlic powder and a dash of salt.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and toast the rice or barley before cooking. (You can also use butter, because mmm butter.) This will give the barley/rice a slightly nutty flavor and make it light and fluffy.
Dice the peppers and onion. De-spine and dice the sardines, then add to the pepper and onion in a large bowl. Add the barley/rice when cooked.
Add chopped parsley, green onion, feta, thyme, pepper, salt, lemon juice, and panko. Mix till combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like it!
Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture, place on a lightly oiled pan, then roast in oven for about 30 minutes. (If you’ve got tomato caps, add them to the pan at about minute 25, so they’ll match.)
Note: You can save the oil from your sardine cans and use it to sub out the olive oil in this recipe, but this will add to the sardine flavor.
Slightly adapted from a recipe from katemakesthings.wordpress.com