The countdown to Super Bowl XVLIII is on!  Whether you are rooting for the Seattle Seahawks or the Denver Broncos, you are thinking about the food, right?  I am thinking about ways to serve up healthy, but tasty foods that everyone will enjoy.  I’ve got quite a few things up my sleeve – and we are sampling fun apps here at my house.  Here’s a quick one that you can whip quickly before your guests knock on the door.

Start with plump tomatoes.  I love tomatoes on the vine.  They are round, hardy and sweet – perfect for stuffing (and they hold up the heating well).  Look for firm ones without blemishes or soft spots.

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Next, choose a filling.  I am using one of my favorite veggies, artichokes.  I buy marinated artichokes in jars at Costco.  They work well in this recipe because you don’t have to add oil, salt or other spices because they are packed with flavor.

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Finally, finish it off with a good quality cheese with a kick.  I stumbled upon Cabot Creamery’s Horseradish Cheddar as a member of The Cabot Cheese Board, I am thrilled that I did!  I really enjoy this cheese because it’s soft (almost silky) cheddar with a super bite of horseradish. (You could say it makes the artichokes sing and tomatoes dance!)

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Horseradish Artichoke Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

Makes 2

2 ripe tomatoes on the vine, top off and hallowed out

1 1/2 marinated artichokes

2 cloves, garlic

2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup Cabot Horseradish Cheddar, diced

Directions

Cut off tops of tomatoes and hallow out (you can save the pulp and juice for tomato sauce).  Put tomatoes aside. Place the artichokes, garlic and yogurt in food processor and pulse – only until combined and artichokes are still chunky.  Spoon mixture into tomatoes and top each one with cheese.

Place in the oven on “Broil” mode for about 10 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown. Remove and serve while still warm.

Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories: 296, Total Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 25 mg, Sodium: 375 mg, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Dietary Fiber: 9 g, Sugars 13 g, Protein 6 g

Enjoy evolving your eating today!

-VSR