I made these stuffed tomatoes to accompany Grilled Flank Steak with Soy Sauce and Garlic. Leftovers either warm or cold make a perfect lunch the next day.
Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa and Corn
recipe adapted from Pink Parsley
4 ears corn
1 cup chopped red onion
6 large ripe tomatoes
1 cup uncooked quinoa
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon chile powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
Preheat the broiler to high.
Place the corn and onions on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, tossing once or twice, about 10 minutes, or until charred and blackened in spots. Remove from the oven and place into a medium bowl.
Preheat the oven 350°F.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Carefully scoop out the tomato pulp, leaving the shells intact. Drain the pulp through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve 1 ¼ cups of the tomato juices, and discard the pulp and seeds. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with ½ teaspoon of salt (total, not each). Invert the tomatoes onto a lint-free kitchen towel and stand 30 minutes. Blot the insides of the tomatoes dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
As the tomatoes drain, cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse well under cold water, stirring as you rinse. Drain well. Combine the quinoa, reserved tomato liquid, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Add the quinoa to the bowl with the corn and onions, and stir in the cilantro, scallions, olive oil, lime juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, cumin, cayenne, chile powder, pepper, and ½ cup cheese. Spoon about ¾ cup of the quinoa filling into each of the tomatoes. Divide the remaining cheese evenly over the tops and bake about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven and serve.
