A popular Greek recipe, a summer dish, Domates Yemistes, an ideal way to use those ripe and tender tomatoes which your neighbor just happened to bring to your door. Add some couscous and feta cheese to create a Meditteranean touch to your grill party. It’s equally good as a sidekick to a salad on a hot summer day or as part of a Mezze.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium-size firm tomatoes
- 1/4 cup (35 g) onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (90 g) couscous
- 1/2 cup (55 g) feta cheese, crumbled
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bring 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water to a boil. Drizzle in the couscous. Add salt. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, slice off the tomato tops and scoop out the inside of the tomatoes with a spoon. Chop the flesh finely and set aside in a strainer to drain. Salt and pepper the tomatoes inside and turn them upside down on paper towels.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté onion for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the chopped tomato flesh, season with salt and pepper. Bring briefly to a boil. Lower heat to medium and stir constantly until tomato flesh starts falling apart about 5 minutes more.
Add the steamed couscous and mix it well with the tomato sauce. Fold feta cheese and cilantro (coriander leaves) into the couscous-tomato mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary. If the filling seems a bit on the dry side add a bit of olive oil or water and mix it again. Top each tomato with a small piece of feta cheese. Brush tomato skins with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender but not falling apart.
Serve at room temperature as an appetizer or as a light vegetarian dish with a salad. Domates Yemistes are a popular part of a Mezze.
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