Avocado Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Cut a thin slice from the top of each tomato. (If desired, cut a thin slice from bottoms of tomatoes so they stand upright.) With a small spoon or small lemon baller carefully hollow out the tomatoes. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Invert tomatoes on the towels. Let stand 30 minutes to drain.
• Meanwhile, for filling, in a food processor bowl combine avocado, cream cheese, pesto, and lemon juice. Cover; process until smooth. Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or open star tip.
• Place tomatoes, open sides up, on a serving platter. Pipe filling into the tomato cups. Serve immediately or cover loosely and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving. Sprinkle with snipped basil before serving. Makes 30 appetizers.

Steps:

• To make the pesto, turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the basil, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil to the food processor, and process until smooth and creamy. Add the Parmesan, and pulse until well combined. You can also use a mortar and pestle. Add the basil leaves gradually, and mash with the pestle. Add the pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Mash to a paste with the basil. Work in the olive oil and the Parmesan.
• Using a paring knife, cut thin slices from the tops of the cherry tomatoes. Use a grapefruit spoon or small spoon to scoop the seeds and flesh from the center of each tomato. Lightly salt the hollowed out tomatoes if desired, and place them, cut side down, on a rack to drain for 15 minutes. Fill with the pesto, arrange on a platter and serve. Refrigerate or freeze any excess pesto.

Steps:

• 1. Cut a thin slice from the top of each tomato so you can scoop out the seeds. (I also cut a very thin slice from the bottom of each tomato so they stand upright.)
• 2. Using a small melon baller, carefully scoop out the inside of the tomatoes. Turn them upside down on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and let them stand for about 30 minutes to drain. You can either add the pulp into the filling mixture, or, if there are too many seeds, just discard the pulp.
• 3. Meanwhile prepare the filling...put avocado, cream cheese, garlic salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor. Cover and pulse until smooth.
• 4. Add the grated onion to the mixture and stir to blend. Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a round tip or a ziptop plastic bag (cut a small tip off of the plastic bag AFTER you spoon the mixture into it).
• 5. Place the tomatoes, open sides up, on your favorite serving platter. Pipe the filling into the tomato 'cups'.
• 6. Serve immediately or cover loosly and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.