Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

nom nom nom!

This recipe is delicious! I'm so glad that I happened to have the ingredient on hand (and I needed to get rid of them) so I could whip this up for our side dish for dinner on Saturday night.

I found the recipe at Joelen's Culinary Adventures and modified it slightly based on what I had in the pantry. I didn't snap any pictures of it because we were in a rush to get food on the table for our guests - plus they got eaten so fast, I didn't have time to snap any pictures! So here is one courtesy of Joelen.

Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
{I used NearEast Wild Mushroom & Herb couscous from the box. It was BOGOF at the grocery. So I followed the directions for cooking it on the box)

6 (7 oz) beefsteak tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced {I substituted squash for this, since it's what I had on hand}
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced {I omitted this because I didn't have one}
1 teaspoon dried basil {I used fresh - right out of my garden!}
1 (15.5 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed & drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce {I omitted because I didn't have any on hand}
1/3 cup crumbled fat free feta {I used a mix of mozzarella and pepper jack - its just what I had}

Bring the water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, cut a thin slice from the top of each tomato and reserve. With a spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving a tomato shell. Reserve the pulp for a soup or sauce.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and basil; cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomato sauce; cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the couscous, cheese, and remaining salt & pepper. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the filling into each tomato shell and cover with the reserved tomato tops.

* I baked these stuffed tomatoes in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes to roast them as well. This can be made in advance and frozen too!

Serves 6
Serving size: 1 stuffed tomato
WW Points value: 3 Points

I had extra stuffing left over because I only made 4 tomatoes. I mixed some chicken in with that for lunch the next day and it was still delicious! This recipe is a keeper!