A Hard Boiled Egg Stuffed Tomato With Pesto Recipe

"These are just fun. Perfect for snacks; or, as appetizers for a party. And, 3 ingredients ... well, 4 if you include the basil garnish. Now, I don't know about you; but, I grew up having a garden ... so, I loved my veggies. Fresh tomatoes were always a favorite; and, fresh eggs from the farm down the road ... they were the best. So, mom came up with the snack which actually became an appetizer for parties. She would literally stuff a farm fresh small hard boiled egg in a hollowed out tomato; add a little salt and pepper and ... it give it to me as a snack. Sometimes I would dip it in Ranch dressing; and, for parties ... Mom would serve Green Goddess dressing on the side. Well these days, my tomato/egg appetizers are a bit more sophisticated; but, still based on Mom's original recipe. And, they are so simple to make. However, one important note ... use small or medium eggs; and large plum tomatoes; otherwise, it doesn't work. And, as for the pesto; you can make your own; or you can buy a good quality store brand."

Nutritional

Serving Size: 1 (308.3 g)

Calories 338.3

Total Fat - 13.2 g

Saturated Fat - 5 g

Cholesterol - 155.9 mg

Sodium - 698.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate - 35.4 g

Dietary Fiber - 6.4 g

Sugars - 6.6 g

Protein - 20.9 g

Calcium - 252 mg

Iron - 2.6 mg

Vitamin C - 26.5 mg

Thiamin - 0.2 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Eggs ... First prepare the eggs. Simply make hard boiled eggs; using any method you prefer. I like to start them in COLD salted water, bring to a boil, cover, remove from the heat; and let the rest for 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled; then, peel. Obviously, these can be made in advance.

Step 2

PREP NOTE: It is important to use small/medium eggs; then, to try to pick out tomatoes - which need to be bigger than the eggs, and the same shape. This way, the egg will fit into the tomato. It took a couple of tomatoes to find the right size and fit. Note - a bit rounder plum tomato vs a skinny one works better; just trial and error. If you just hold up the egg next to the tomato; it is pretty easy to see if it will work. It really isn't that hard, trust me.

Step 3

Tomatoes ... Now, I make two (2) preparations.

Step 4

For the Whole Tomato ... Cut a very thin slice off one end of the tomato so, it will stand up. Then, cut a 1/2" piece off the other end. Then using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the inside. Season the inside with a little salt and pepper; and, spread a a little pesto on the inside of the tomato, about a teaspoon. Next, stuff the hard boiled peeled egg into the tomato. And usually, the top of the egg sticks out a bit, just just trim the end off. Done! As an appetizer, you can drizzle a bit more pesto over the top - and, add a basil leaf as a garnish. They are just fun and really cool looking. You can stand them up on a plate. And, they are definitely a conversation piece.

Step 5

For the Tomato Halves ... For this preparation; simply cut both the tomato and the egg in half lengthwise. Scoop out the the tomato, season with salt and pepper, a little pesto; and place the egg half in the tomato half. Plate and drizzle with a little extra pesto; and, garnish with a basil leaf.

Step 6

Both are easy, unique, delicious; and just something new.

Step 7

Note ... If you aren't a fan of pesto, try Ranch, Blue Cheese; or, even a Green Goddess dressing.

Step 8

Serve and ENJOY! ... It's just something FUN! And, it's 3 simple ingredients. Also, they can be made ahead; but, NOT too long; the salt, pepper, and pesto will start to soften the tomato. You still want the tomato firm and fresh tasting. A few hours ahead is fine; but, not much more.

Step 9

Note: If you want to get creative. My friend often adds a little fine crumbled Feta to the tomato (whole or halved) before adding the egg. Just something they like to do. As you can see, it really is flexible.