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Tomatoes
Tomatoes ~ Natures Super Foods
  ~ A powerful blend of disease-fighting nutrients
They come in all shapes and sizes and pack a powerful blend of disease-fighting nutrients Juicy, sweet and plucked fresh from the vine are one of summer's greatest pleasures.
No matter how you slice them, these savory fruits add an irresistible tang to salads, sauces, salsas, and more. They're also packed with vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and lycopene, the pigment that colors them red and fights disease.
Traditionally, people have viewed lycopene as a "male nutrient" that protects against prostate cancer. But evidence shows it can protect women's hearts, too. A study of almost 40,000 women at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that those who ate more than seven servings of tomato-based food products a week cut their risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent. Tomatoes and products such as ketchup and salsa may also protect against lung and stomach cancers as well as cataracts in women and men, says Edward Giovannucci, MD, an associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Since the health benefits above may be derived from other compounds in the tomato, not just lycopene, it's best to eat the whole fruit versus taking a singular supplement.
Anytime is the right time, but with ripe varieties flooding farm stands and markets, you want to load up your basket! They come in dozens of varieties, including non-red fruits such as the dark purple, ruffled Purple Calabash and the green-and-gold-striped Green Zebra variety.
Although non-red choices taste fabulous, they contain very little lycopene and modest amounts of vitamin C. (They do, however, have considerable folate and niacin.)
Here's a list of some popular varieties you're likely to find at farm stands and produce markets.
We love them sliced and unadorned, or with just a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Big Beef: A big, fat, round variety that tastes almost meaty.
Brandywine: Considered a favorite among heirloom fans because its heavy, juicy flesh brims with flavor.
Currant: As tiny as its namesake, this sweet tomato comes in red or yellow.
Grape: Grown in clusters, this grape-shaped type has firm skin and juicy sweetness and is available in red or yellow-green.
Pear: This petite, pear-shaped type has a tangy flavor and comes in red, orange, or yellow.
Sweet 100: A popular cherry tomato that's prized, particularly among chefs, for its candylike taste.
We've added below just a couple of our favorite recipes.
Try 'em, we hope you'll love 'em.
Lime-Marinated Chicken with Salsa
Your Ingredients;
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
3 Tbsp. lime juice + 4 lime wedges for garnish.
2 Tbsp. olive oil.
1-1/4 tsp. ground cumin.
1/4 tsp. sea salt.
3 med tomatoes, chopped (variety of your choice).
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped.
1/2 c. chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia.
1/2 c. chopped cilantro + 4 sprigs for garnish.
1 sm. jalapeņo chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (wear plastic gloves when handling, trust me).
Preparation; 1. Put chicken into large zip-top plastic bag.
2. In small bowl, whisk lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt.
Transfer 2 tablespoons of lime marinade to medium glass bowl for the salsa, and cover with plastic wrap.
Pour remaining marinade over chicken and squeeze bag to coat.
Let chicken marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
3. Coat grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray.
Preheat grill (to medium-high) or broiler.
Grill or broil marinated chicken 6 1/2 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160 degrees F and juices run clear.
4. Now while the chicken cooks, add tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, and pepper to bowl with reserved marinade.
Gently toss to mix, and season to taste with salt.
5. To serve, place chicken onto 4 plates and top each with 3/4 cup salsa.
Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.
Makes 4 servings.
Per Serving: 290 cal, 35 g pro, 10 g carb, 13 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 80 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 250 mg sodium.
Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Marinating Time: 1 hour.
Cooking Time: 13-15 minutes
Tarragon Crab-Stuffed Tomatoes
Your Ingredients;
4 med. sized tomatoes.
1/2 lb fresh crabmeat (or substitute imitation crab, also known as surimi).
1/4 c. chopped yellow bell pepper.
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced. 1/3 c chopped fennel.
1/4 c reduced-fat (low fat, no fat) mayonnaise.
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon.
1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
1/2 tsp. sea salt.
1/4 tsp. black pepper.
Preparation; 1. Cut 1/2" slice off stem end of each of your red fruits (vegetables).
With small spoon, gently scoop out and discard pulp to create a hollow shell.
Turn your hollowed out, red fruits upside down on large plate lined with 2 paper towels and let drain approximately 25 minutes.
2. Combine crabmeat with bell pepper, scallions, fennel, mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper in medium bowl.
Stir to combine.
Spoon crab mixture into tomato shells and serve.
Makes 4 Servings.
Per Serving: 140 cal, 13 g pro, 9 g carb, 6 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 60 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 590 mg sodium
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Sizzled Shrimp with Heirloom Tomatoes
2 tsp. olive oil.
1 lb. lg. shrimp, peeled and deveined.
2 Tbsp. finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
1 med. red onion, chopped.
1 c. fresh corn kernels (about 2 med ears of corn). 4 cloves garlic, minced.
3 med heirloom tomatoes, chopped (about 3 c).
1/2 tsp. sea salt.
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper.
1/2 c. torn fresh basil leaves.
1/2 c. snipped fresh chives.
Preparation; 1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
When hot, add shrimp and sizzle 1 minute or until opaque but not cooked through.
Transfer to small bowl.
2. Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet along with your sun-dried delectables, onion, and corn.
Saute 6 minutes to brown onion and corn.
Stir in garlic and tomatoes and cook mixture 3 minutes.
Stir in shrimp and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked through.
3. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Stir in basil and chives, and spoon shrimp mixture into shallow bowls.
Makes 4 Servings.
Per Serving: 190 cal, 21 g pro, 19 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 170 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 520 mg sodium.
Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cooking Time: 12 minutes.
On a final note, the way I like to get a daily dose of these powerful nutrients, is that I have a glass of the red nectar each day, whenever I get an urge for a snack.
It's filling.
It seems takes the edge off.
And....it's very low in calories and fat.
If you have plain jane juice, I like to spice it up with a little worcester or tobasco.
But, I usually have several bottles of V-Go at the ready.
It gives me the necessary giddy-up when I gotta go.  Newsletter
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