Recipe: Cucumber and Couscous-stuffed Tomatoes with Mango Mint Salsa

Generally speaking, I'm not really a recipe-creating-type of person.  I like cookbooks and usually don't stray too far from the instructions in them.  Boring, I know, but I bought these cookbooks for a reason, right? 

However, when I saw that Olga of the Mango & Tomato blog was holding a recipe contest for her 2-year blogiversary, I figured it was a fun chance to make my own recipe, using mangoes and tomatoes.  After considering a few ideas, I came up with (drumroll please)... Cucumber and Couscous-stuffed Tomatoes with Mango Mint Salsa! This dish is simple, vegetarian, easy to revamp with other veggies if you want, and a nice way to celebrate fresh produce.  Granted, this recipe isn't anything groundbreaking, but I think it would be a nice salad/side dish option for summer BBQ's and dinner parties.  Please let me know what you think if you try it out, and fingers crossed that I do well in the contest! :o)  

Mise en place (minus the lime, whoops)

Cucumber and Couscous-stuffed Tomatoes:

- 4 medium-to-large tomatoes
- 1 box (5.8 oz) couscous (I used the Near East Whole Grain Wheat Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous.)
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cucumber, diced (I cut the seeds out to keep the dish from getting watery.)
- Salt and pepper to taste

Mango Mint Salsa:

- 1 ripe, peeled/pitted mango, diced
- 1/2 of a small onion, finely diced
- Juice from 1/2 a lime
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (I used around 10 mint leaves.)
- Mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Cook couscous according to package directions, substituting the water with vegetable broth to add more flavor.  Set aside to cool completely. 

Combine all of the Mango Mint Salsa ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and place in the fridge to chill. 

Cut the tops of the tomatoes (I cut about 1" around from the stem) and scoop out the innards with a small spoon, creating a tomato "bowl".   Set the tomatoes onto individual plates or a serving plate.

Once the couscous is cooled, add the diced cucumber, and mix thoroughly.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Fill each tomato "bowl" with the Cucumber and Couscous mixture, then top each stuffed tomato with the Mango Mint Salsa.   Garnish with mint leaves if you're feeling extra snazzy.  Enjoy!

Pre-salsa-ing...

 

Post-salsa-ing!

En-hance. (Super Troopers reference, haha)