Whenever I am tasked with cooking a fancy meal, I always check for tomatoes in the fridge because a tomato with a bit of touch up can never go wrong as an appetizer. These tomato dishes (or plates) are super simple and healthy yet fancy to make for any formal or informal event, including a romantic dinner or a quick hearty snack. The pop and contrast of color between the red tomatoes, green basil leaves and white almonds or mozzarella cheese gives a holiday aesthetic and makes it perfect for the camera. Each of these directions makes four servings, but feel free to adjust as you need!
Dressed Tomato
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 8 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon almond slices
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 6 cups water
Directions
- Boil 6 cups of water in a pot.
- While the water starts to boil, take the stem off the tomatoes and make a cross-shaped cut into the bottom of the tomatoes.
- Dip the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Use a spoon or clamp to take them out.
- While the tomatoes are cooling, take 4 basil leaves and slice them into thin strips.
- Carefully peel each tomato from the cross cut you made earlier.
- Place each tomato, bottom facing up, in a small serving bowl or plate.
- Top the tomatoes with several almond slices, and decorate the plate with the whole and sliced basil leaves.
- Lastly, drizzle honey over the plate to sweeten the tomato!
Stacked Tomato
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes or 4 cherry tomatoes
- 8 basil leaves
- 8 mozzarella cheese slices
- 8 crackers (optional)
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar and olive oil (optional)
Directions
- Cut the tomatoes into 4 flat slices. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half.
- On a serving plate, stack a cracker (optional), mozzarella cheese slice, a basil leaf and a slice of tomato. Make 8 of these stacks.
- For an extra touch of flavor, drizzle them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
So there you have it! These are healthy bites you can indulge in without feeling guilty! Whether you’re assembling a quick snack for yourself or creating a plate for many, I hope that these tomato appetizers can elevate your meal.
Contact Eunkyo Jo at [email protected].
