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How Cooking With Tomatoes Can Benefit Your Family

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Tomatoes have long been a staple of Mediterranean cuisine as they are one of the more versatile foods that you can use in a wide variety of dishes. While technically a fruit, in the kitchen a tomato is often referred to as a vegetable due to its use in savory flavored cooking. There are many different ways in which you can prepare tomatoes which makes them such a favorite ingredient with chefs of all skill levels.

They also happen to be packed with vital nutrients that can have a profound health effect on the body. If your diet is severely lacking in this food then it is time to step up you game. Below are just some of the ways and some reason why consuming more tomatoes is going to be something that your family can benefit from and enjoy.

Cooking

From the oven to the grill or just plain raw, the great thing about this food is all of the wonderful ways in which you can make use of it. It is also a great base for sauces and soups. Its versatility is what makes it so popular as the number of different tomato recipes out there means you will have a hard time getting bored with it.

Baked Dishes

If you cook for your family on a regular basis then you should be pleased to know that tomatoes come out great when used in the oven. We recently were lucky enough to receive a new toaster oven for the holidays and we have been extremely busy in our kitchen putting it to the test. The convenience of a countertop oven has made us want to use it more often so we are constantly scrambling to come up with new recipes to try. We have found that a lot of them include this food in some form or fashion.

Quite often we find that baking, roasting, and broiling our tomatoes has produced superb results for us. Homemade pizza has never tasted better. We have also been experimenting with oven roasting them and they always turn out amazing. If you do not yet own one of these small ovens for your kitchen then it is something we recommend looking into. Most of them are quite affordable and you will probably be amazed with just how robust and powerful these appliances can be for you. We were lucky enough to get a new Breville Smart Oven, which happens to be ranked as the best toaster oven for 2017 and we have been in kitchen bliss since we took it out of the box. This oven is made for those who love to cook, like us, and we cannot sing its praises enough. No matter your budget, there is a countertop oven out there for you that will make preparing home cooked meals more fun and less work.

Grilling

One of our favorite side dishes is cooking up some grilled veggies on the grill. There is nothing like tomatoes, peppers and onions with deep charred grill marks on them. This is one of the things that we love about this vegetable. It can really transform itself depending on how you choose to use it. Creativity is something that makes cooking for yourself so appealing to a number of people. You do not have to be a master chef to whip up something great with a tomato, it works just as well outside on the grill.

Health Aspects

Aside from the mouthwatering ways you can use a tomato to elevate the taste of your recipes, it also delivers a nutritional punch to your diet. There are several health benefits that you can prosper from by including this food in your diet.

Valuable antioxidant

Tomatoes contain a rich concentration of the flavonoid antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is highly effective in targeting and eradicating disease casing, oxygen- free radicals in one’s body. The powerful antioxidant actions are also effective in maintaining the fluidity, thickness and strength of cell membranes. Cell membranes are responsible for screening what goes enters and exits the cells in the body. They prevent toxins from entering into the cell while allowing good nutrients into the cell, therefore, strong and healthy cell membranes are vital in disease prevention. One can enjoy the benefits offered by lycopene even in heat processed tomato products such as ketchup.

Rich source of minerals and vitamins

Tomatoes are noted to contain a wealth of vitamins including vitamins A, B6, C, and K. It has been noted that one tomato can provide approximately forty percent (40%) of one’s daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C is important as it is a natural antioxidant which works to prevent cancer causing radicals from damaging one’s body system, whereas vitamin K is essential in the clotting process. Tomatoes also contain potassium and iron. Potassium is vital as it helps maintain nerve health whereas iron is essential in the maintenance of normal blood health.

Vision improvement

They contain Vitamin A and zea-xanthin which aid and maintain good vision. Vitamin A aids in the improvement of one’s eyesight by effectively working to prevent night blindness as well as macular degeneration. Zea-xanthin, as well, works to protect one’s eyes by filtering damaging ultra violet rays. Thus, one’s eyes are protected from age related macular disease.

Reduction of cholesterol

The cardiovascular system carries the greatest need for antioxidant protection. The antioxidant properties of lycopene prevent serum lipid oxidation, therefore exerting a defensive effect in opposition to cardiovascular diseases. Triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, the main agents in cardiovascular disease, cause the deposition of fats in the blood vessels. By eating tomatoes regularly, one effectively reduces the levels of both these harmful agents.

Healthy digestion

Owing to the large amount of fiber contained in tomatoes, the digestive system is improved through the prevention of both diarrhea and constipation. Healthy quantities of fibers aid in the stimulation of the digestive system. It helps with the release of both digestive and gastric juices. This works to regulate one’s bowel movements, thus improving one’s overall digestive well being and it may help prevent diseases such as colon cancer.

Good looking skin

The topical application of tomato extracts and juice is well known to cure severe sunburn. The daily consumption of tomatoes works to protect one’s skin from harmful ultra violet induced erythema. They are also well known for their anti-aging properties.

Tomato Love

We are not doctors and we know that we use tomatoes often because of how great they tastes but it is nice to know that one of our main ingredients is also quite healthy for us. There are plenty of reasons that you should be eating more of this delectable food and there are going to be plenty of recipes out there that let you take advantage of it. From pizza to pasta, there are tons of way to enjoy a tomato, just make sure to share them with the ones that you love.

Upping The Fun Factor With Ice Cream

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We all know how powerful the desire for ice cream can be. How many times have we used it for a reward? Parents know the allure and probably use it more often than they care to admit to bribe their kids to do something for them. There really is no easier way to treat yourself than to have a great big bowl of creamy goodness. This is why owning an ice cream machine is perhaps the simplest way to increase the fun factor in your kitchen. You just might be surprised with how you can uplift the attitude of your entire family with one of these small appliances at your disposal.

Plethora of Treats

The good times will never seem to end as there are almost countless recipes for ice cream and other frozen treats like gelato and sorbet that you can find online. You will never get bored. We have had one of these in our kitchen for a number of years now and it is still one of the most used appliances in our kitchen. We are always finding new ways to experiment and treat our palate to something indulgent and delectable. Here are just a couple of our new favorites that we have tried in recent weeks that have been a hit in our house.

Banana Ice Cream With Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( more if you prefer)
  • 1 box banana flavored pudding mix

Preparation: Mix 1 cup of the milk with the sugar and egg yolks. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly. Cook this mixture for 9 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Combine the rest of the milk, pudding mix, and vanilla together. Then stir this into the custard, banana and chocolate chips. Pour this into the ice cream maker can. Turn on and set according to the makers instructions. When its done spoon your fresh ice cream into a plastic freezer container and freeze until firm.

Peppermint Ice Cream With Mint Chips

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup finely crushed peppermint candies
  • 1 cup peppermint chocolate chips

Preparation: Mix 1 and 1/2 cups milk and the egg yolks. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat for about nine minutes. Stir this mixture constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool. Mix this egg mixture and extract and the rest of the milk in a bowl. Cover this and chill it an hour. Then stir in the mint chocolate chips and the crushed candy bits. Pour into an ice cream maker at this point. When its done remove and spoon into a plastic freezer container and let freeze until firm.

Home Ice Cream Machine Advantages

There are plenty of reasons that you could use to justify spending money one of these for your kitchen. Here are some we came up that won’t reduce some of the guilt.

Price

This is perhaps the number one reason to get one of these, they do not cost that much. We recently went hunting for the best ice cream maker and found that the two top rated machines cost well under $100 with the top spot costing under $50. Even though you cannot put a price on happiness, this is a pretty good starting point. Treating your family to something that they will love does not have to break the bank.

Sure, there are more expensive models that offer slightly more convenience and bells and whistles that would be nice to have, but you really don’t need them in order to make some ice cream. The less costly machines will do a great job as well.

Brings Everyone Together

Ice cream is also a great way to get the kids to be quiet and to get them out of the room. Making dessert can be a family experience that everyone gets rewarded for in the end. Time in the kitchen becomes more enjoyable and the experience is something that can bring everyone closer together. This is a tad corny I know, but this is something that you can tell yourself when splurging on one of these machines.

Simplicity

Making ice cream at home is really not that hard. Perhaps the toughest part of the entire process is deciding on a recipe to try. After that it is simply a matter of mixing the ingredients and waiting for everything to chill. Clean up is a cinch as well. Cheap and easy are a great combination.

Treat Yourself

There are more good reasons to get your own ice cream maker than there are not to get one. Life is short and you work hard, you deserve to live a little and some ice cream is one way to do this. We always want folks to find ways to have fun in the kitchen and this is definitely a great way to do just that.

Healthy Ways To Experiment With Carrots In The Kitchen

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Carrot benefits and cooking

If carrot cake is the extent of your use of this vegetable in the kitchen then you are limiting yourself in both taste and nutrients. There are many exciting ways to use this hardy food that can truly benefit your recipes and your health. Now baking and carrots usually do not mix that often, but they are something that you should try and incorporate into your creations. Here are some reasons why you should always have some of these on hand.

Fun Ways To Get More Carrots Into Your Diet

Before we get into their wonderful benefits let’s first look at how you can go about consuming more of this vegetable. While these are great finger foods to snack on occasionally, you may find yourself getting bored with them. Luckily, this is one versatile root veggie that can be taking advantage of in may different ways in your kitchen.

Cooking

Roasted, baked, and broiled are just a few of the many ways that you can spice up your favorite recipes. Adding a carrot into the mix can add not only some color, but some texture as well. Soups, side dishes, and casseroles can all benefit from the addition of a few carrots. There are many different ways to prepare carrots and whether you pop in the microwave, roast them in a toaster oven, or slow cook them in a crock pot, you might just be surprised how well they turn out.

Juicing

If you get tired of eating them then you could always juice your carrots. This is another superb way to get most of the nutrients from this vegetable. Juicing them will also save you a tremendous amount of time since you can fit a lot of carrots into one glass of juice. We use a Breville juicer in our kitchen for this purpose as it is great with hard fruits and vegetables. We can usually go through an entire bunch of carrots in only a couple of minutes and get enough juice for two people. Clean up is rather easy as well. It is a super simple way to supplement your diet with a very colorful drink. This also happens to be one of the more popular ingredients that people use in their juice recipes because of its health benefits and for the kick it adds to the overall taste.

Baking

Of course we would be remiss if we did not mention using them in some fantastic carrot dessert recipes. They mix well with sweet ingredients and it is one of our favorites in the summer time. Experimenting is half of the fun in the kitchen so do not limit yourself and go wild. You might just be surprised with what you can create with a few of these.

Possible Benefits To Your Health

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables around. They grow in abundance for the whole year and can be eaten in a variety of ways. You can have a carrot cooked, juiced, or even eaten raw. It can also be boiled, which makes it easier to digest. Also, ingesting it boiled lets your body absorb more falcarinol and less in it that will be included in the stool.

It is also called as “poor man’s ginseng” because it contains more than 490 phtyochemicals. It is packed with vitamins and nutrients that do the body a lot of favor in keeping it healthy.

The health benefits of carrots include:

  • The high content of Vitamin A and beta-carotene in carrots help protect your vision, and is helpful in enhancing the ability to see well in dim conditions.
  • Carrots reduce cholesterol levels.
  • High levels of beta-carotenes (which are found in carrots) are good for stroke patients. They are more likely to recover with daily dosages of beta-carotene.
  • Carrots have a high content of carotenoid. This helps in regulating blood sugar.
  • They also have antiseptic properties that can be used as laxative for treating liver ailments.
  • They are also used in cosmetic products or lotions; they help the skin to be moisturized, smooth and firm.
  • Carrot juice can also be used to treat gastrointestinal problems. High levels of intake of carrot juice have been proven to treat upset stomach, indigestion and peptic ulcers.
  • It also lessens diarrhea and treats vomiting. During diarrhea, carrots rehydrate the body and provide sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. It alleviates inflammation of the bowels. For vomiting, it tests out bacteria growth in the body.
  • Carrots also have a natural antioxidant called Glutathione (GSH) which is important in regulating blood pressure and glucose homeostasis. Also, this antioxidant provides the skin with a healthier and more glowing look.
  • Carrots can also be used as vermicide (worm expelling agent).
  • Carrot oil is beneficial to the skin. It treats dry chapped skin and makes it softer, smoother and firmer. It has been used in Europe for decades as baby oil, lip balm, night creams and vitamin creams. However, it should not be used purely and directly on the skin. It should be mixed with a carrier oil such as apricot or kernel oil. Pure oil can burn the skin.
  • Carrots also nurture ligaments, and can ease aching joints.

Aside from the health benefits that carrots can provide your body, they can also help avoid diseases. These diseases are:

  • Lung cancer-increased levels of beta-carotene have been found to reduce the risk of lung cancer, especially. There are also other cancers that a regular intake of carrot may prevent: breast, bladder, cervix, prostate and esophagus. While non-smokers have a lower risk of acquiring lung cancer, they can even reduce that risk by eating carrots.
  • Colon cancers-carrot polyacetylenes as phytonutrients can help prevent the growth of colon cancer cells, especially when they are in reduced (or eaten) form.
  • Heart disease-this can be avoided with carrots because this vegetable reduces cholesterol levels by 11 percent.
  • Stroke-this can be avoided through the so-called “carrot effect”. Daily intakes of carrots reduces the risk of having stroke up to 68 percent.
  • Diabetes-since carrots regulate blood sugar, this makes it effective in treating and preventing diabetes.
  • Macular degeneration and senile cataracts-these are eye diseases that a carrot prevents. It does not stop taking effect if you already have blurred vision; it still helps in preventing this more severe eye diseases.

These are the vitamins and nutrients that carrots are rich in:

  • Vitamin K
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin B
  • Vitamin B3
  • Vitamin A
  • Magnesium
  • Folate
  • Calcium phosphorus
  • Molybdenum
  • Manganese
  • Potassium

Carrots also contain:

  • Antioxidant compounds
  • Beta-carotene
  • Fiber

A carrot may be just a simple vegetable, but it can do the human body a lot of good. It should be included in your daily diet because it prevents severe, longtime diseases. Besides its potential to improve your health, carrots can also improve the taste and composition of some of your go to recipes. There are many dishes that can be enhanced with a little crunch, texture, and color. We love using this veggie in all sorts of ways in the kitchen, and with a little trial and error we know that you will to.