Quick Cheery Cherry Tomatoes
Festive Fancy Five-Minute Vegetable Dish that Even Kids Love
You might not think of serving these delicious little salad fruits hot, but you'll think again when you see and taste this fast, nutritious company-perfect treat.
Juicy, tangy, sweet and bursting with flavor when you serve them chilled in salads, cherry tomatoes (or you can use the smaller grape tomatoes) take on a whole new persona served warm. The extra-virgin olive oil makes them glisten and also makes the basil flakes and minced garlic cling to these bright red morsels.
Best yet, they are bursting with as much nutrition as flavor and eye appeal. Serve them with almost any roasted meat or chicken. They add a tart, fresh note that’s a good garnish for fish. For a real surprise, serve them over a bed of uncooked baby spinach or other dark spring salad green as a first course or a warm-and-cold salad.
They look great as a garnish or can even be served over pasta, and if you have any leftovers (very unlikely), mash them as a delicious topping for bruschetta. What other dish can you cook in five minutes that can be a salad, appetizer, garnish, pasta topping or vegetable? About the only way we haven’t served them is as a dessert. Tomatoes and ice cream anyone?
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boxes cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried crumbled basil leaves
Process:
1. Wash tomatoes and roll on a terry towel to dry
2.Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat
3. Add garlic and stir constantly for about 15 seconds
4. Add tomatoes and shake pan as they heat, to coat them with oil
5. Sprinkle with basil and continue cooking until tomato skins have begun to split; they should keep their shape and not become soft or burst out of their skins – about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.
