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Meatless Monday: Fresh & Easy Herb Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are absolutely gorgeous, juicy and delicious in summertime.  High in health supporting phytonutrients like vitamin C and lycopene plus potassium and fiber these gems are also low in calories.

Tomatoes are a perfect example of the question – are raw foods or cooked foods better for you?  The answer is often that both can be best.  When we consider absorption of nutrients it’s easy to see how raw and cooked tomatoes shouldn’t be missed this summer.  The vitamin C’s absorbability and content will be higher in a raw vs. cooked tomato since heat can break down some of this antioxidant.  But, lycopene, which research shows may help lower the risk of prostate cancer, can be absorbed in greater quantities when a tomato is cooked and eaten with a healthy fat, like olive oil.  So go ahead and enjoy those summer tomatoes raw in a salad and cooked in a sauce like this one!

Elizabeth Troendle, DDS, one of our amazing Rebooters from Camp Reboot at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, brought me a crate of yummy Creole tomatoes all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana!  I couldn’t wait to get home and make them into a delicious sauce the whole family enjoyed.  I added it over brown rice! Thanks Beth and big hugs from Boston!!!

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 10 tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tbsp old bay seasoning
  • sea salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
  • fresh ground pepper to taste (about 1/2-1 tsp)

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F or 177 C degrees.

2.) Heat oil in iron skillet or oven safe pan/pot on low-medium heat.

3.) Chop onion and garlic.

4.) Wash and chop tomatoes and parsley.

5.) Add onion to pot and saute until soft, about 11-13 minutes.

6.) Add tomato, garlic, parsley, herbs, salt and pepper to onions in pot.

7.) Simmer on low-medium heat for about 5-8 minutes.

8.) Place pot into oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4 cups

Substitutions

  • old bay spice – chili powder
  • parsley – basil
  • olive oil – coconut oil
  • dried herbs – fresh herbs

Calories: 100

Fat: 7g

Trans Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 20mg

Carbohydrates: 10g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 5g

Protein: 2g