Tomatoes with rice-and-cucumber salad - country living
8 halves
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | cup | Long-grain white rice |
| 3 | tablespoons | Extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon | Lemon juice |
| 1 | teaspoon | Dried basil (opt.) |
| ½ | teaspoon | Salt |
| ¼ | teaspoon | Ground white pepper |
| 4 | Large (about 2 lb) ripe | |
| Tomatoes ('Northern Exposure') | ||
| ½ | cup | Diced seeded cucumber |
Directions
1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 inches water to boiling over high heat. Add rice and return water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook rice uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender-about 15 minutes. Drain rice in strainer and rinse with cold water. Drain rice well. Return to saucepan and add oil, lemon juice, basil, if desired, the salt, and pepper; toss and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cut each tomato crosswise in half. With fingertips, scoop out and discard seeds, leaving pulp. With knife, carefully cut out pulp, leaving tomato shells. Dice enough tomato pulp to measure 1 C. Add tomato pulp and cucumber to rice mixture; toss until well mixed.
3. Fill tomato shells with rice mixture and arrange on serving plate.
Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve-no longer than 4 hours ahead because the rice will harden.
Nutrition information per half-protein; 1 gram; fat; 5 grams; carbohydrate: 12 grams; fiber: 1 gram; sodium: 139 milligrams; cholesterol: 0; calories: 100.
Country Living/Feb/94 Scanned & fixed by DP & GG