Beefsteak Tomato Stuffed with Aromatic Couscous
It has been the hottest day of the year so far today... Long, hot, stressful and exhausting! And those are only the good things about it... Ugh!
So, after getting home tired and hungry and very, very hot, I knew that I wanted something light to eat... And not anything that was going to have me chained to a hot stove... And so I came up with this little idea!
I had this lovely beefsteak tomato and was originally considering making a simple salad our of it, as delicious as they are... It would have needed little more than salt, pepper and good olive oil... And yet...
After such a long day of hard work, I thought I deserved something just a little bit more than that! So with a little couscous, herbs and spices... And BACON... It took just 10 minutes of time to transform a simple tomato into something akin to a full meal!
So this is all that I needed to turn a simple beefsteak tomato into a one-man meal... 2-3 tablespoons of couscous, 1 spring onion, mixed herbs (in this case parsley, cilantro, marjoram, mint and basil, about I tablespoon of chopped bacon, 1 teaspoon of Ras el Hanout spice, 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil.
This is another of those, " 10 minutes of work, 10 minutes of waiting" type dishes that I absolutely love... Especially in the hot, Summer months!
The preparation was quickly taken care of and in the time that enjoyed a refreshing shower and a drink, the couscous had plenty of time to cook, cool and become lovely and aromatic in the meantime.... Which I consider to be a very, very good thing!
The first thing to do is to cut the top from the tomato and to hollow out the insides using a melon scoop. Then to finely slice the Spring onion and to chop the herbs and bacon, ready for action!
I fried the chopped bacon together with the onion first of all, until they began to brown and then added the flesh of the tomato, that I had scooped out, after briefly chopping it up nice and fine.
I also added a teaspoon of Ras el Hanout and plenty of fresh pepper, along with a pinch of salt and stirred everything through for 2-3 minutes on a high heat.
I then added 2-3 tablespoons of couscous and I am sorry, you will have to judge for yourselves how many you will need, as it obviously depends on the size of the tomato... So, bearing in mind that the couscous will swell up to about twice its size, add just enough to fill your tomato halfway. Add a good splash of boiling water and stir everything through, then allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
After 2-3 minutes, pour into a bowl and allow to sit and swell up, then fluff the couscous through with a fork.
Allow the couscous to cool and to absorb every last bit of water, then add all of the herbs, plucked and finely chopped, along with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a good drizzle of olive oil. Mix together well and you are done! Ready, willing and able to be filled into that delicious tomato!
Lots of lovely fresh flavors, gentle but flavorful spice and the flesh and juice of the tomato itself make this into a perfect tomato dish for a summer night... With a little something added, but nothing taken away!
The beefsteak tomato is indeed something special... Not only does it look wonderful, but it has a rich fruity flavor and a wonderful, firm bite... And it deserves to be treated royally and to be celebrated... And enjoyed!
Hey, Summer!?! I ain't afraid your hot temperatures and unbearable humidity! I can still make a killer meal that will knock your socks off, WITHOUT collapsing from the heat! And so can everybody else that has read this, now!
You can make food that is beautiful, easy, healthy, and quick and it only costs you a bit of thought and a good idea. And the more you get down to cooking, the more cooking ideas you will have!
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