Healthy Living: Stuffed Tomatoes to Complement Your Dish

You can eat right without losing the taste. Eating healthy sometimes requires adjusting our taste buds to food of higher nutritional value. Stuffed tomatoes is an excellent recipe that is full of nutrients that support your fitness goals, doesn’t require much time, and holds its natural tastes.

If you’re looking to make a simple side dish to complement your rice or sit in sizzle with your steak consider stuffed tomatoes. It is a low calorie option that doesn’t take much effort to prepare and complements a wide variety of pallets. This is a helpful recipe that improves on just about any dish you are planning to serve.  

It is beneficial to incorporate a healthy amount of tomato into your diet. Research has shown that the tomato protects against cardiovascular disease, ultraviolet light, osteoporosis, and cognitive dysfunction (Burton-Freeman & Reimers, 2011). It also acts like an antioxidant that removes harmful pollutants from the body. 

182 calories

Directions:

-Cut tops off of tomatoes and scoop out pulp.

-Use blender to chop olives, carrot, garlic clove, oregano and vegetable broth.

-Place pulp mix in frying pan and sauté with wine or vegetable broth. Cook a couple of minutes until tender. Let cool for a couple minutes.

-Mix in bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and basil.

-Stuff each tomato with the pulp mixture and replace tops.

-Put stuffed tomatoes in greased baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Ingredients:

-         4 tomatoes

-         1 carrot

-         1 stick celery

-         1 onion

-         1 garlic clove or salt

-         Oregano

-         2 tsp olive oil

-         1 tbsp white win or vegetable broth

-         2/3 cup bread crumbs or healthier alternatives.

-         4table spoon parmesan cheese.

-         Basil 

Burton-freeman, B. & Reimers, K. (2011). Tomato consumption and health: emerging benefits. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5 (2).

Low Calorie Clam Chowder in Bread Bowl Recipe

If you have been on the high seas all day or running around in the wilderness you are likely to have built up an appetite. Perhaps you spent your day on the beach or in the cold. Nothing is better than clam chowder in a bread bowl. It is hardy, tasty, coastal and will definitely fill you up.

My first impression was that it would be loaded with calories that work against a healthy diet. To my surprise, a single bowl of this soup is enough and it ranges from 500-600 calories which is less than many other less filling meals. Once you try this recipe, you are likely to keep it for your records.

Bread Bowl

2 packages yeast

2.5 cups warm water

2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

7 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon corneal

1 tablespoon water

1 egg white

Step 1: Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Add the oil, salt and half of the flour. Mix well. Stir in the remaining flour ½-1 cup at a time.

Step 3: Knead dough by hand or with electric mixer until smooth.

Step 4: Coat with a small amount of oil, place in bowl, cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until about twice the size. 40-60 minutes.

Step 5: Punch down the dough and break into 7-8 equal portions that are round by nature. Put within a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with damp towel and let rise in warm place until about double the size again.

Step 6: Place in oven at 400 degrees and brush with egg white solution (egg whites and water). Bake for 15 minutes, then recoat with egg white solution, and back for another 13 minutes.

Step 7: Take out of oven, cut ½ inch slice from the top of each loaf, scoop out the center with a spoon and put the soup mixture inside.

Clam Chowder

3 cans minced clams (6.5 ounce)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup minced onion

1 cup diced celery

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart half-and-half cream

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper or garlic to taste

Step 1: Place onions, celery, potatoes and carrots in large skillet. Drain clams out of water and place water in skillet. Cook under medium heat until soft.

Step 2: In medium saucepan melt butter and whisk in flower until smooth. Mix in cream and continue to mix until thick and smooth. Stir in the vegetable mixture and clam water. Continue to heat without boiling.

Step 3: Stir in clams to heat but not cook. Stir in vinegar and other seasonings. Pour into bread bowl.