Farmers Market fresh, sweet (and organic!) cherry tomatoes and a can of lightly smoked sardines are a great combination of ingredients for a quick lunch/snack.
During a busy work week, there is often little time for involved cooking. As I was reviewing my options, I thought of a can of lightly smoked sardines (in olive oil) I had. Along with some of those amazing cherry tomatoes and parsley from my Farmers Market. Quick meal problem quickly solved!
I've always liked mashing sardines with herbs and condiments to make toast spreads. Why not do something similar to make a stuffing for mini tomatoes? These are always fun to eat, great for snacks/fingerfood at parties (small or large), or for a light meal. And better still, this is all really easy to make.
I chopped some parsley (yielding about 1 good tbsp).
Which I combined with some pepper, a 1/2 tbsp of (organic) lemon zest (from a zester), a dash of lemon juice (to taste really), mashed sardines from an entire 4oz can and a bit of olive oil from the can. I then split 8 large(ish) cherry tomatoes, 2/3 (the filling "recipient") -1/3 (the "hat"), and emptied each recipient. And I simply filled the recipients with the seasoned mashed sardines, dressing them with their hat for finish.
Voila! Done in 5 and still pleasing to taste and eyes! :-)
By the way:
- I used a small melon baller to empty the tomatoes. This worked for me, but use whatever other tool you will succeed with!
- Little bonus: also pretty good, budget-wise.
- This recipe is dairy-free. But sardines are a great source of calcium!
- This recipe is also gluten-free and low in FODMAP.