When less is more, sensational flavors abound!

Your kitchen is well equipped, spice racks are bursting at the seams, and the variety of pantry items scream out, "pick me pick me", at first sight of light coming from a half opened cupboard door. Not wanting to disappoint, you begin to grab at a moment's notice, a spice here, a can there, and soon you're playing a balancing act with numerous items and gadgets resembling a cheap imitation of Rachel Ray on Thirty Minute Meals. Now, before the emails start pouring in, you're neither cheap and Rachel is a total godsend to so many of us that yearn to come up with dinner ideas that will wow the family in only 30 minutes prep time. She is a total 10!

But you've done all this before and this time you want to have an easy and simple moment in the kitchen, yet still please those that have come to expect great things from you. After all, by now you're following a dozen or more blogs, have a disk full of recipes, and have come to be fond of the room you once feared like a visit to the dentist, the kitchen. Today is the day you will come to realize when less is more, flavor does not have to be sacrificed.

Two ingredients, three condiments, and a shake of the salt and pepper, and you'll have a dish that is bursting with flavor at the delight of your guests. Freshly peeled tomatoes stuffed with peas in a creamy sauce will be a total win in your column, guaranteed. Here is the short list of needs:

5 medium fresh tomatoes
1 package of frozen peas
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of Dijon style mustard
1 tablespoon of horse radish
salt and pepper to taste

Start by peeling your tomatoes. You want to have a pot of boiling water and a large bowl of ice water. Remove the stems from the tomatoes and one at a time place each in the boiling water counting out 15 seconds. Immediately remove the tomato from the pot and into the ice water. With the tip of a sharp knife, simply pull skin apart where the stem was. The skin will easily be removed.

When you are finished peeling, slice the top of the tomato about 1/2 inch down, and with a melon baller, remove the seeds and excess meat of each tomato. When finished, set aside. Be sure to save the top of the tomatoes you sliced off.

In the same pot of boiling water, add the frozen peas and boil for approximately 3 minutes. Then remove the peas and run cold water over them to cool.

In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, and horse radish, mixing all ingredients well until all is well blended. Taste for flavor. Add some pepper and salt (only if you need it).

Now add the peas to the mixture and carefully stir so that peas are well coated. Once completed, simply get your tomatoes and stuff them, finishing off with fitting the top of the tomatoes. Take any remaining peas and spread them over the bottom of a serving dish and place each tomato over them. Serve chilled. As a garnish, you may sprinkle chopped parsley or basil if you wish. This dish is guaranteed to please!! Bon appetit!

3 comments:

  1. This is a test to see if comments are posted.

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  2. This looks very refreshing and tasty. Would definately be something I would make at my next dinner, sounds easy.

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  3. I want this. I may have to start with the peas since large tomatoes are tasteless and work my way up the ladder this summer.

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