PAW's Recipe of the Month June 2014 - The Wonders of The Tomato

It occurred to me with all the controversy on the media front just how confusing the messages are about what you should eat and not eat and the quantities. In this light I thought I would start to do a series on notes on specific foods and their possible uses.

So the start the ball rolling here are some notes about the TOMATO.

Tomato, a nutritious fruit commonly used as a vegetable, is another wonderful gift of Mayans. The humble vegetable has grabbed the attention of millions of health seekers for its incredible phyto-chemical properties. Interestingly, it has more health-benefiting properties than that in an apple. Tomatoes are one of the low-calorie vegetables containing just 18 calories per 100 g. They are also very low in any fat contents and have zero cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, they are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fibre, minerals, and vitamins. Because of their all-round qualities, dieticians and nutritionists often recommend them to be included in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. The antioxidants present in tomatoes are scientifically found to be protective of cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumours. Health Benefits of Tomatoes can be read all over the Internet. Of course the nutrition and health benefit will depend on whether eaten raw or cooked the options are endless and whilst often used as a vegetable it is actually a fruit.

Whilst for speed it can be beneficial to buy a Tomato Sauce I do prefer to make my own and usually use the microwave. I sweat 4 chopped Onions and add 2 x 14oz cans of Chopped Tomatoes, a splash of Red Wine and Seasoning. (If you want to use fresh Tomatoes then you will need about 2lbs skinned, seeded and chopped).

There are a host of ingredients that can be added to enhance the flavour – Crushed Garlic, Herbs like Marjoram, Oregano, Basil, and Fresh Chilli. You may add Ketchup or Tomato Paste or Passatta to enrich oh and a little sugar is useful to counter the acidity. Once you have decided on your preference a host of meals come to mind.

1. By reducing the sauce you can spread it on Pizza bases.
2. Add to fried Minced Beef to make a Bolognese Sauce,
3. To fried minced Lamb layer in a dish with cooked Aubergine Slices and top with White Sauce for a Moussaka.
4. To cubed Lamb rolled in flour, fried to seal, add chopped Green Sweet Peppers, some Paprika, Marjoram and your Sauce – braise in the oven for about 1½ hours for a Goulash.
5. Add to Meatballs (bought or home-made) serve with Rice or Pasta
6. To your Sauce add sautéed sliced Mushrooms, Fresh Tarragon and White Wine and a large spoon of the Sunday Roast Gravy - to make a Chasseur Sauce to go with Steak.
7. Serve with breaded Escalope’s of Chicken, Turkey, Veal or Pork.
8. Add to Cubed Beef floured, fried to seal. Add a few cloves, a little Cinnamon, some Red Wine, chopped Carrots and braise for about 2 hours to make a Greek Stifado.
9. Serve with Baked or pan-fried Fish
10. Add it to a collation of Beans and cooked gently for a Bean Stew. Add spices or herbs according to taste.
11. Add Courgettes, Aubergines and Peppers, Garlic for a Ratatouille.       

So there you have just a few ideas to start you off. Store your Sauce in the fridge or freeze in batches for future uses.