Tomato Recipes and Nutrition
It's summer, and our tomato plants are really producing! Bright red and so juicy--there's nothing like a home grown tomato! Store bought tomatoes are often picked green then "ripened" with ethylene gas. No wonder they taste flat. I really recommend a farmers market or growing your own. Tomatoes have a quality called SPF, sun protection factor. When you eat tomatoes, your skin is more protected from the sun. So eat tomatoes so you don't get as red as a tomato. Tomato Nutrition Tomatoes are famous for having lycopene. They also have Vitamin C, alpha and beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanathin, potassium, B vitamins, chromium, biotin and fiber. Lycopene quenches free radicals, lowers the risk of macular degeneration and protects against prostate cancer. You only need two servings a week to get the protection. Cooked tomatoes in sauces are more effective than raw tomatoes at reducing cancer. Lycopene is a fat soluble nutrient, so have your tomato sauce with olive oil. Tomatoes also reduce cardiovascular disease. They contain potassium, vitamin B6 and folate, all known to help your heart. Since tomatoes are acidic, avoid cooking them in aluminum cookware. The acid interacts with aluminum and causes it to get into your food. Aluminum cookware for any food is not a good idea. According to Asian energetics, tomatoes have a sweet and sour taste, are cooling to the body, and act on the stomach and liver meridians. They clear heat, promote body fluids, and nourish yin. Solanine But tomatoes have a problem! It's called solanine. The solanine in tomatoes upsets calcium balance and can cause achy joints, rapid heart beat, insomnia, fuzzy thinking, and contribute to osteoporosis. Some folks are sensitive to solanine in tomatoes. If you have achy joints, you may be. Learn more about nightshade vegetables here.
Tomato RecipesI use ripe tomatoes, at their sweetest, so I don't add any sweetener to my recipes. Tomatoes go great with basil, cilantro and parsley, and oregano. Try using different herbs in the recipes that follow.
Tomato Recipes: Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce 4 tomatoes 1/2 sliced onion, 3 cloves garlic, sea salt, dried oregano olive oil optional: 1 nori sheet, chia seeds Slice tomatoes and put on a baking sheet or pan. Put the cut side facing up. Toss in onion slices and garlic cloves. Sprinkle everything with sea salt, olive oil and dried oregano. Bake it all at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Then blend in a blender. add 1 sheet of nori and 1 Tbsp chia seeds. The chia seeds give it body. Ripe tomatoes can be very juicy. Serve with pasta, grain or pizza. Tomato Recipes: Pico de Gallo, Mexican Salsa This dish is raw. 1 1/2 cup diced ripe tomatoes 1 mild onion, sliced 1 1/2 c diced ripe avocado 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 cup chopped cilantro salt to taste Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. Serve with chips or tortillas. Tomato Recipes: Cuke Tomato Sauce 1 cucumber, sliced. 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into sections 1 scallion, sliced 1/2 tsp dried ginger or basil 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp sea salt Blend all in blender for a nice sauce. I like it over tamales. Tomato Recipes: Summer Basil Sauce 2 cups basil, lightly packed or 2 handfuls 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 ripe tomato 1 Tbsp flax seed, ground up 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 garlic clove Blend in blender and serve on a grain dish, fish, etc. Makes one cup. May you enjoy these tomato recipes! Food for Thought "Gladness of heart is life to a man, joy is what gives him length of days." -----Old Testament
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