Stuffed Tomatoes & Gluten-Free Biscotti - 12/25/2007

As my contribution to Christmas Day dinner, I wanted to make stuffed tomatoes. Ordinarily, I would probably have stuffed them with a couscous mixture and done something a little Italian with a little lemon. My mom, though, has a gluten allergy, so I could not use couscous since it is a small pasta. Instead I used quinoa, a grain rich in protein and deficient in gluten.


I first cooked the quinoa according to the package directions except I used a mixture of 2 parts chicken stock to 1 part white wine to give it some flavor. While it cooked, I took out the centers of the tomatoes and sauteed some zucchini, onions and garlic. Once everything was cooked, I combined the quinoa, saute mixture and some lemon juice. I wanted the primary taste of this dish to come from smoked paprika, a spice I've never used previously. I slowly added smoked paprika along with a bit of salt until the flavor was strong but not overpowering. It is slightly smokey and slightly spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. Once it was all combined, I loaded up the tomatoes and baked them for about 15 minutes. The flavors blended well and I'm proud to say this dish was a success.

My mom enjoyed some gluten-free ginger biscotti I made for her on her trip to Michigan, so I decided to make a couple other varieties as a Christmas gift. Here is a photo of her and her present on Christmas Day:


The top set are Michigan cherry-walnut that have been dipped in chocolate. The bottom set are peanut butter. She was very happy and surprised with this gift (which is amazing because she has gift ESP). These "biscotti" are really just a gluten-free cake mix that has been baked, cut into pieces and re-baked until golden brown. Most biscotti are baked as a loaf that is then sliced and re-baked. That is what gives them their characteristic squat-loaf-slice look. But I guess it does not matter since rumor has it everyone enjoyed the first batch of biscotti, gluten tolerant and intolerant alike.