Stuffed Tomatoes- Juicy Red !

Ever wonder,the similarity in structure of heart and the tomatoes,both have four chambers and comprise of red fluid.In fact studies have shown tomatoes are good for heart health.

The tomatoes are rich in antioxidants called lycopene,which helps in fighting cancers and another antioxidant called beta-carotene which is good for healthy skin.Read details health benefit of this super food here.

Ravishing red ,tangy and juicy tomatoes stuffed with flavorful rice are perfect start of any meal.Couscous and bulgur wheat also work just as good.
Ingredients
6-8 medium size Red Tomatoes(I used the Campari tomatoes)
2 cups cooked rice or Bulgur wheat or couscous
1/2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste or freshly minced
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin or coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoon of Olive oil
3-4 tablespoon of Partly skimmed Mozzarella cheese, grated

Method
Hallow the tomatoes by slicing off the tops with sharp knife,keep aside the tops.Using a knife cut the insides of the pulp and with a small spoon scoop out the pulp and juice ,reserve it all for the stuffing.

To make the stuffing,heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan,add the ginger garlic paste and saute on low heat for a minute then add the spices ,reserved tomato juice and pulp ,cook until reduced to a thick gravy,stir in the cooked rice or couscous or bulgur wheat.Cook for a minute or 2 until flavors infuse.Cool the mixture slightly before stuffing.

Bake Method
Preheat oven to 350F.Spread 2 tablespoon of Oil on baking dish. Place the hollowed tomatoes on the dish and stuff the rice mixture in to the tomatoes until filled up.Sprinkle with grated cheese and place the reserved tomato tops back on .Drizzle little more oil all over and bake about 15-20 minutes until tender ,serve warm.

Stove top Method
Stuff the tomatoes with the rice mixture just as above.Heat a non-stick pan on medium flame and add 2 tablespoon of oil,carefully place the tomatoes along the sides of the pan to prevent from falling.Let cook 10 minutes uncovered then partially cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.Serve warm.


Beauty Tip
After the much appreciated Oats beauty secret,I decided to include a beauty tip related with the food.Tomatoes help in maintaining skin health,also acts as a good skin cleanser and rejuvenating the skin.Mix about 2 tablespoon of fresh mashed tomatoes(puree) with a teaspoon of honey,apply all over face and neck.Rinse it off after 15 minutes.


Click - Red!
Food photography is my new found passion,thanks to the inspirational bloggers like Jai and Bee,I started to be more acquisitive about clicking for eye-catching images.
I usually take the pictures during the day in the natural light,sometimes use a white curtains around to adjust the brightness.I also keep in mind the freshness factor in my images,especially for the veggies which look best when fresh.

This shot of stuffed tomatoes is my entry for this month's Click-Red ,a monthly photography event hosted by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi.For this particular image I used no tool to adjust the brightness,its natural light, was nice and bright by the window with snow on the ground.I used a thin red curtain on the side for the light tint of redness(also for the first picture in the post).Here is the same picture without the red curtain around.


I still have a lot to learn about techniques of clicking the perfect food images,but I think I'm making some progress here,what say folks?