Tomato ladybirds


Tomato ladybirds
Tomatoes filled with a tuna mayonnaise and rice mixture, in a fun ladybird shape that kids will love, served with a puree of fresh garden peas. A good way to encourage them to eat vegetables.
296 K 4/5 (23 reviews)
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Last modified on: February 21th 2011
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For 6 tomatoes, you will need:

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Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 40 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 1 hour 50 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
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Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - ⌛ 30 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 1
Peel 6 tomatoes.

Cut across the stalk end to form a flat base, leaving the largest possible dome.

Stage 2 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 2
Remove flesh inside tomatoes with a teaspoon or a pommes parisiennes spoon (easier), and keep all that you remove.

Stage 3 - ⌛ 3 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 3
Salt inside tomatoes, and leve upside down on a tray.

Set aside.

Stage 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 4
Dispcard tomato seeds, keeping the flesh and cut off pieces (minus hard green stalk end), chop roughly, salt and leave to stand in a strainer.

Stage 5 - ⌛ 10 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 5
Boil a pan of salted water, put in 200 g peas and cook until soft (2 or 3 minutes usually).

Remove from pan, drain and put into cold water. Drain again when peas are cold, then dry.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 6
Blend peas, and if possible pass through a fine strainer to remove skins and get a very smooth puree.

Stage 7 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 7
Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Add 2 tbs of this mix to the pea puree, salt, pepper, and keep covered in the fridge.

Stage 8 - ⌛ 10 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 8
Prepare stuffing: cut 2 radishes into very small pieces, put in a bowl, add 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 50 g tuna in oil, 50 g cooked rice, 1 bunch chives chopped, and the chopped tomato flesh. Mix well.

Stage 9 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 9
Fill tomatoes with this mix.

Stage 10 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 10
Place a tomato upside down on a serving plate, coat with remaining olive oil-lemon juice mix.

Stage 11 - ⌛ 5 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 11
With a very sharp knife, cut out tiny circles of olive, as thin as possible.

Stage 12 - ⌛ 20 min.
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 12
Stick olive circles on tomato to get the ladybird effect. Tip: position them with the point of a knife.

Make the head with 1/2 olive and 2 blades of chives, then surround with pea puree.

Do this with all your tomatoes, and serve without delay.

Stage 13
Tomato ladybirds : Stage 13
For adults you could make a quicker version without olives.
Remarks
With this recipe you will become a god or goddess of cooking for your young children or grand-children. After this they will frequently ask you to make ladybird tomatoes again... To make it a real surprise, close the kitchen door if possible while you cook, and then see their eyes open wide when you put the plates on the table.

To cook rice, use the pilaf method or rice-cooker.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered by a plastic film.
Source: Home made, from a photo seen in a women's magazine a long time ago.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe40 RDI=10 %90 RDI=8 %220 RDI=30 %2,090 RDI=110 %8,750 RDI: 110 %
Per 100 g3 RDI=1 %7 RDI=1 %20 RDI=3 %180 RDI=9 %770 RDI: 9 %
Per tomatoes6 RDI=2 %10 RDI=1 %40 RDI=6 %350 RDI=20 %1,460 RDI: 20 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman
Possible allergens in this recipe: egg, Sulfites, mustard, Fish, milk
How much will it cost?
  • For 6 tomatoes : 7.15 €
  • Per tomatoes : 1.20 €

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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
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The 1 comment already posted on this recipe
  • These are simply adorable JH. I must save this idea and share it with my blog visitors. Thank you!
    Posted by Louise august 31th 2009 at 18:52 n° 1

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