The Curb Your Snoring Recipes Of The Month – Tomatoes and More

This was a guest post written by Sharon Goldner from Recipe For A Healthy Life. 

Here are some fun facts:

• Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit, but in 1893 the US Supreme Court ruled that the tomato is legally classified as a vegetable because it is used as a vegetable.
• After potatoes & iceberg lettuce, tomatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetable in the US.
• Due to their solanine content, tomatoes are best avoided by people with arthritis and osteoporosis.
• The highest concentration of vitamin C is in the jellylike substance that surrounds each seed.
• Vine-ripened tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and good source of vitamins A and B-complex and of potassium and phosphorus.
• A hothouse-grown tomato has half the vitamin C as a field-grown one.
• According to Dr. Bernard Jensen, author of the book Foods that Heal, the acids of green tomatoes are especially detrimental to the kidneys. If tomato seeds, or any part of its fleshy interior, are green, then it was picked green, despite its cosmetic red façade.
• Never cook tomatoes in aluminum or cast iron; their acid binds with these metals, and this will impart a metallic flavor to the tomatoes.
• Do not refrigerate tomatoes because it will drain their flavor and create a mealy texture. If they become ripe before you are ready to eat them, store them in the butter compartment of the refrigerator.
• The tomato’s claim to fame in the nutrition world is its lycopene content as well as other carotenoids which are important antioxidants that protect cells, lipoproteins and DNA from oxygen damage. Tomatoes also play an important role in cancer prevention

Tomato Recipes
Here are just two out of millions!  What are your favorite tomato recipes?

Fresh Tomato Dip or Sauce:

Combine the following ingredients (by hand or in food-processor):

2 medium tomatoes chopped into small pieces3 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh minced basil
1 Tbsp sliced scallions
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Seal salt and pepper to taste

Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Pour over hot or cold vegetable pasta for a delicious fresh sauce.

Guacamole

Fresh tomatoes are a great excuse to pair with avocado.  This all-purpose recipe can be used for vegetable dipping, topped on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise, or even mixed in as a casserole layer.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
2-3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
½ cup scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Method:

• Cut the avocados in half, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl, and break it up with a fork. Do not mash the avocado too much—you want to keep the guacamole chunky.
• Gently stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Taste and adjust the salt and add the extra lime juice if desired.