Favorite vegetables - tomato: culinary properties and recipes

Today the tomato, as it is often called in European countries is one of the most common vegetables in Russia, and it is hard to believe that in the eighteenth it was cultivated by us only as an ornamental plant. To present the daily menu without this vegetable is impossible: we eat tomatoes regularly, making them a great variety of dishes. In this article we will talk about one of the most favorite vegetables - tomato sauce.

Due to dietary and nutritional properties, the diversity of varieties and dishes that can be cooked, the tomato is one of the most popular crops in the world. But some it ago in the world knew about them only the Aztecs! They called them "tomatl" and used mainly as a medicinal remedy for various ailments. And grew wild tomatoes in South America, until they were delivered in the mid-sixteenth century in Spain, where they were in Portugal, Italy (where, incidentally, was called tomatoes from Italy. "pomo d'oro", which translates as "Golden Apple"), France. Well, then began spreading the culture in other countries.

In South America there are still wild and semi-shaped tomato.

To us in Russia tomatoes brought only in the XIII century. and first they cultivated only as an ornamental plant. Eating them "invented" to use a famous Russian scientist-agronomist A. T. Bolotov, whereby the tomatoes from grade ornamental plants switched to the status of vegetable food crops. By the way, to him we owe and potatoes!

For a long time in Europe and even America, the tomato was considered exotic ornamental plant, like us. They even considered not simply inedible and poisonous, and the whole world knows the story of how the dish is cooked with tomatoes, tried to poison George Washington bribed the cook. The President of the United States, eat the dish, never even thought about the betrayal, and went on to do his business.

Between botanists still ongoing debate as to what to consider tomato: vegetable, fruit or berry. The European Union in 2001. in the end decided that it is a vegetable, not a fruit, and the U.S. Supreme court ruled in 1893., that the levying of the customs duties they too should be considered vegetables, noting however, that from the Botanical point of view it's still a fruit. Well, we, consumers, these details don't understand and just enjoy the great taste and benefits of consumption of this wonderful vegetable.

Tomatoes are extremely useful: it is a diet product that contains a lot of valuable substances in their chemical composition. Among them fiber, carotenoids, organic acids, pectin, fructose, protein, ascorbic acid, folic acid, and other acids (glycolic, malic, citric, tartaric, oxalic, succinic, coffee, stearic and other), anthocyanins, saponins, stearine, choline, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, minerals, iodine, chlorine, silicon, iron, cobalt, zinc and other vitamins in tomatoes, there is A, B2, B6, K, PP, E and other Regular consumption of this vegetable helps to improve the digestive tract and nervous system, the preservation of youth (antioxidants), they need to eat when metabolic and salt metabolism in the body, the problems of the cardiovascular system, low immunity. Tomatoes prevent DNA mutations, thereby exerting anti-tumor action.

For all its useful properties tomatoes are also harmful. First, it is allergenic product, and suffering from food allergies, people should reduce their intake to a minimum. The same is true for those suffering from arthritis, gout, kidney disease, cholelithiasis (in this case, to eat tomatoes dangerous - because they can "go" stones). High blood pressure and cardiovascular patients, people with kidney disease should not canned, salted and marinated tomatoes. Cooked and canned tomatoes can promote the occurrence of kidney and bladder stones. Well, nutritionists report that eating tomatoes can not with meat, bread, eggs and fish, with which they are incompatible. These foods should be eaten with a break in a few hours after consumption of tomatoes and Vice versa.

Recipes of dishes from tomatoes

Tomatoes are eaten fresh, boiled, fried, canned, make them such popular dressing as tomato paste, Lecho, sauces, juices. And even tomatoes can be stuffed and to make delicious snacks. In General, the culinary use of this vegetable is the most that neither is the widest. In this article, we have collected a few recipes of different interesting dishes from this vegetable.

Recipe spicy dried tomatoes in oil

You will need: 1.2 kg of tomatoes, 100-150ml of olive oil first cold pressed, 30g green Basil and parsley, 1 clove of garlic 1-2 tsp. salt, black pepper.

How to make spicy dried tomatoes in oil. In half cut small tomatoes, put on liberally greased foil on a baking sheet cut up, add salt and pepper, sprinkle with finely chopped greens, Basil and parsley. Dried tomatoes in a preheated 100-150 degree oven for at least 2 hours, then leave overnight on a baking sheet in the oven. Take a sterilized jar 200ml volume, put a few leaves of greens, garlic clove, cut into several pieces, tightly folded tomatoes, pour the oil, close the clear cover and remove the tomatoes for storage in the refrigerator.

With the thus prepared tomatoes often prepare different dishes in the Mediterranean countries: salads, pasta, pastries, snacks.

Recipe of tomato salad with walnuts

You will need: 100g of walnuts, 3 tomatoes, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. olive oil, salt.

How to cook salad with tomatoes and nuts. Slices, slice the tomatoes, the third nuts crushed into fine crumbs, the remaining mash with a knife in large pieces, combine the tomatoes to the other and mix. Chop garlic, add to salad, salt, drizzle with oil and serve.

Recipe of tomato soup with chicken

You will need: 100g vermicelli, 4 tomatoes, 2 chicken Breasts, onions and cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. oil, Bay leaf, black pepper, salt, lemon and herbs.

How to make tomato soup with chicken. Chicken breast boiled with whole peeled onions and peppers, peas until tender, strain the broth, removing products. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water, peel and blend blender. Chopped garlic fry in oil, add tomato juice, boil for 5-7 minutes on low heat. The fibers disassemble boiled chicken, pour the tomato mixture into the broth, bring to a boil, put the noodles, 3-min the chicken, bring to a boil, remove from the stove. Put in the soup to lemon and parsley when serving.

Recipe baked snacks of cheese with tomatoes

You will need: 500g cheese, 2 tomatoes, 1 tsp. of the mixture of herbs (Basil, oregano, etc. to taste), salt olives, olive oil.

How to prepare a snack with cheese and tomatoes. Cut the cheese into slices of 2cm thickness, mugs chop the tomatoes. Cover the baking dish with foil, put slices of cheese on each of several groups of tomatoes, sprinkle liberally with herbs and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated abs the oven. To submit an appetizer with olives, perfect, and the beer is cold, because quite salty snack.

Based on the recommendations of nutritionists, combine tomatoes are the best with the other vegetables, so the ideal option, it turns out, are various vegetable casserole (without eggs) and stew.

Recipe vegetable casserole with tomatoes and eggplant

You will need: 150g cheese, 6 tomatoes; 1 lemon and eggplant, 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil ? tsp. ground black pepper, parsley/Basil, salt.

How to cook vegetable casserole with eggplant and tomatoes. Cut into thin circles eggplant and tomatoes, and cheese. Eggplant with two sides fry with a little oil until Golden brown. The remaining beat butter with herbs, grated lemon peel, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, pepper and salt. Baking dish greased with oil, put the tomatoes and eggplant, top lay the cheese, pour the sauce made from butter, bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the beginning of melting cheese and serve hot.

Against the advice of physicians, the most popular dishes with tomatoes today are all over the world scrambled eggs and omelets, as well as sandwiches and pizza from them cooked tomato paste, which we added to many dishes, including meat and fish. Of course, how to eat your favorite foods and what, everyone decides for himself, the main point is to try not to forget about the doctor's recommendations, that such a wonderful product often appeared on your Desk with health benefits.