Oriental‑Filled Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 8 ripe large tomatoes
• 250 g fresh spinach
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1 onion
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g instant couscous
• 200 ml vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
• 1 bunch parsley
• 100 g Gouda cheese (freshly grated, sharp)
• Salt
• ground pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• parsley

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the tomatoes, cut a shallow lid off and scoop out the interior with a spoon, leaving about a 0.5 cm rim. Drain the pulp in a sieve, then roughly chop it. Turn the tomatoes upside down to drain. Wash, trim and rinse the spinach. Blanch the spinach for 2 minutes in boiling salted water, then drain well.

2. 2.

   Wash, trim and slice the spring onions into thin rings. Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Sauté both in hot oil in a wide pot until translucent. Stir in the couscous and spring onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach. Pour in the broth and season with thyme and paprika. Cover and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. Wash the parsley, pluck the leaves and finely chop them.

3. 3.

   Remove the finished couscous from the stove. Mix in the parsley, cheese (except 2 tbsp) and chopped tomato pulp. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and lemon juice, tasting as you go. Salt and pepper the inside of the tomatoes, fill them with the couscous mixture and place them in a greased baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with the tomato lids and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (fan) for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining Gouda and serve the oriental‑filled tomatoes garnished with parsley sprigs as desired.