Clearly I’m in the mood for stuffing food with other types of food these days (i.e. the peanut butter stuffed French toast).  In an effort to nourish my father who is cleaning out one of their storage rooms, I decided to make a light, but hearty lunch for the two of us.

Enter: stuffed tomatoes.

I knew they’d be fairly easy to make, totally customizable with what we had on hand, and yummy.  They didn’t disappoint!

Stuffed Tomatoes:

• 1 5 oz. tin of cooked chicken (you can easily substitute this for tuna, salmon, etc.)
• 1/4 cup cooked brown lentils
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind will do)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1.5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 medium-sized tomatoes

Mix all ingredients except for the tomatoes together in a dish.  Cut out a small “cone” in the top of each tomato and then use a small spoon to gently hollow out the tomatoes.  You can save the tomato “innards” to put into a pasta sauce, or just compost them.  The choice is yours!  Once the tomatoes are hollowed out stuff them with your chicken mixture.  It should fill approximately 6 medium-sized tomatoes.  Place the tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes.  Serve atop of salad greens and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.