Vegetarians in Paradise/Lentil Stuffed Tomatoes/Tomato Lentil Recipe

LENTIL STUFFED TOMATOES

I treasure a recipe that's versatile enough to be at home on the plate any time of year, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Here's one of my favorites. It's light enough to make a pleasant summer main dish, yet hearty enough to satisfy throughout the winter and seasons in-between. With little dollops of Tofu Sour Cream on top for garnish, these delicious morsels can even make great company fare that can be prepared ahead and reheated. (Look in the Recipe Index under Sauces for the Tofu Sour Cream recipe.) Tomato

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Pasilla pepper or green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 large tomatoes, cut in half, horizontally
Salt and pepper

In a 3-quart (3 liter) saucepan, combine lentils, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Turn heat down to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until lentils form a thick puree, about 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large, deep skillet, sauté peppers and onion in olive oil until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add to cooked lentil puree, and mix well.
Using a grapefruit knife, scoop out pulp and seeds from tomato halves, and put pulp into a small saucepan. Cook briefly over high heat, season to taste, and reserve for topping.
Put tomato shells on a baking sheet and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Broil about 5 minutes. Stuff tomato shells with lentil and vegetable mixture. Top with seasoned tomato pulp, and warm briefly in the oven if needed. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Click here for past cookingwithzel@home.comeonin recipes