Since I've returned from Greece, I've made stuffed tomatoes at least once a week. The first batch had crunchy, undercooked rice. The second batch was delicious, but I spent at least an hour chopping all the ingredients and referring to a cookbook. The third batch turned out just right, and thanks to my food processor, it was simple to put together.
The rice stuffing I liked the best included shallots, dill, parsley, fennel, pine nuts and obscene amounts of olive oil. Thanks to all this Greek food experimentation, I had to buy my olive oil in bulk!
While the book called for expensive risotto rice, I substituted a Chinese short grain rice. The results were very risotto-like, so my next food experiment is to use this same rice for an actual risotto (it's much, much cheaper).
This short grain rice is the same one I use for my Thanksgiving turkey stuffing with Chinese sausage and shitake mushrooms.
Now that I got the flow of the cooking method down, I want to experiment with different grain stuffings and different seasonal vegetables.
Your Thanksgiving stuffing sounds like mine, but I use Chinese sausage and oysters (and water chestnuts and celery). It's what my Dad used to make. Happy food!
ReplyDeleteWe always buy a 3l tin of olive oil - we get through maybe 2 a year and it is definitely an economy! I do love those Greek stuffed vegetables but I don't have the patience to make it myself.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, that stuffing sounds good, too! I think I'll make some this week since it finally feels like Thanksgiving weather here.
ReplyDeleteFoodycat, I'm on a roll to go through one 3L tin in a month. Sheesh, no wonder my pants feel tight...
I love those tiny, cherry tomatoes. Baking them on whole is the best. They pop open and explode their wonderful tomato juice on your mouth once you eat them. Instead of meat balls, I use them on my spaghetti. They're healthier and cheaper, haha.
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