Canned Enough Tomatoes? Now Make Some Lycopene-Rich Tomato Powder!

Lycopene-rich tomato powder has many uses.

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Something to do with Tomatoes Besides Canning
I love to can diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. I also enjoy freezing them. But this weekend I thought I'd try dehydrating tomatoes and then grinding them into a powder. Besides the powder taking a lot less space than jars, dehydrating and powdering allows you to store the tomatoes in their raw state.

A Tomato a Day?
Tomatoes are packed with the carotenoid lycopene. They also contain other healthy carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. Tomatoes also are rich in other powerful phytonutrients such as flavonols, glycosides and others.

Tomatoes have long been associated with heart health because they contain lots of antioxidants which reduce inflammation. They also can reduce total and LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides. In addition to that, the phytonutrients in tomatoes can reduce the clumping together of blood platelets which often cause blockage. 

Besides being heart-healthy, tomatoes (and lycopene) have been recently connected to bone health. And the phytonutrient alpha-tomatine in tomatoes has been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer in men too.

Tomato powder is a good way to add these powerful phytonutrients to your favorite recipes. Here's how to make it!

Making Tomato Powder
Start with fresh, ripe tomatoes that have been washed with the stem areas removed.
You can remove the seeds if you'd like to get a finer powder but I just slice them as is.

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on dehydrator sheets.

Lay the tomato slices on non-stick dehydrator sheets.

Dehydrate at 115 degrees F. until dry, about 24 hours.

Turn over and dehydrate on the mesh sheet until tomato slices are absolutely dry, about another 6 hours.

This is what they look like after 24 hours of dehydrating.

Dehydrated tomato slices. 

To make tomato powder, place the dehydrated slices in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec. 

Blend until it becomes a smooth powder.

Place in a small spice jar and refrigerate until needed.

Place dehydrated slices in your blender.

Blend until the slices turn into powder.

Place in a small spice jar.

What to do with Tomato Powder
There are so many things you can do with tomato powder. Here are just a few:

* Season polenta, risotto or spanish rice
* Use it in soups and sauces
* Sprinkle on popcorn
* Blend into salad dressings
* Use it to thicken tomato sauce instead of tomato paste
* Flavor pizza dough or bread dough
* Blend into hummus or other dips

How do you use tomato powder? Let us know!

Blend 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato powder into your favorite hummus recipe!

Raw Fruit and Greens With Papaya Seed Dressing. The Health Benefits Of Papaya.

Papaya seeds look and taste like black pepper.

Papaya seed salad dressing.

One of our Favorite Fruits

My husband and I absolutely love papaya. Whenever we travel to a warm place like Hawaii or Mexico, the first thing we look for are papayas. Their sweet, buttery taste is unique and although we would love to restrict our shopping to local produce, this is a case where it's worth making an exception. Hawaii papayas are pear shaped, about 7 inches long, have orange flesh and weigh about a pound. Mexican papayas can be much larger and can weigh up to ten pounds or more. Because of the size, the flavor of the Mexican papaya is a bit less intense than the papayas from Hawaii but I think both of them are wonderful!

Ten Interesting Things to Know About Papaya

1. Papaya contains the digestive enzymes, papain and chymopapain that aid in the digestion of protein.

2. Because of its high antioxidant content (vitamin C, E and beta-carotene) and its enzymes, papaya helps reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease and and may help reduce symptoms of arthritis.

3. Papaya seeds are edible and look and taste like black peppercorns.

4. Rich in lycopene, papaya consumption may help lower the risk of prostate cancer.

5. Papayas is associated with latex-fruit allergy syndrome so if you have an allergy to latex, you may be allergic to papaya. (Ditto for avocado and banana).

6. Ripe papaya has been used as a topical remedy against ringworm.

7. Unripe papaya can cause uterine contractions and should not be eaten in early pregnancy. Green papaya has been used as a folk remedy to prevent pregnancy.

8. Papaya seeds are said to reduce male fertility and are used as a folk remedy as birth control (don't count on it!).

9. Some papayas can grow as long as 20 inches!

10. Christoper Columbus called papaya "the fruit of the angels".

The Black Peppery Seeds

Pop one in your mouth and notice the peppery taste of the seeds. When blended in a VitaMix, the seeds look like specks of black pepper! Adding the papaya and strawberries, the dressing has the look and consistency of a thousand islands dressing. If you want larger "chunks" of black pepper, add the seeds at the end with the olive oil.

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Fruit and Greens with Papaya Seed Dressing

[serves 4]

For the salad dressing:

1/4 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon papaya seeds (or to taste)

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1 clove garlic, chopped

6 to 8 drops stevia (or 1 tablespoon agave or honey)

1/2 cup papaya, cubed

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

1 head butter lettuce, cleaned and torn

4 large strawberries, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup papaya, sliced

16 raspberries

Clean and prepare all salad ingredients and place them in a salad bowl and set aside.

Place all salad dressing ingredients except the oil, in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add olive oil and blend briefly until combined. This makes one cup of dressing. Toss desired amount into salad and serve.

Per serving of salad: 85.8 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g protein, 9.8 g carbohydrates and 4.9 g of fiber.

Per tablespoon of dressing: 34.1 calories, 3.4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.1 g protein, 0.8 g carbohydrates and 0.2 g of fiber.

Raw Garden Salsa with Cherry Tomatoes - Rich with Lycopene

Shopping in my garden for salsa ingredients.

Raw garden salsa with optional fresh corn.

Summer's Bounty

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of vine ripened tomatoes. You know, the ones that actually taste like tomatoes unlike the ones we buy in the winter at the local grocery store. And then there are the cherry tomatoes. You can't pick them fast enough. I love "shopping" in my garden and this morning I picked a basket of cherry tomatoes, some basil and a few small jalapenos. To this I'll add the garlic I've already harvested and I've got most of the ingredients for today's raw garden salsa. This recipe is low in calories and saturated fat and has no cholesterol.

Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C. One cup provides about half of your daily requirement. Since this vitamin is very heat sensitive, this raw salsa will preserve its vitamin C content. Tomatoes also contain lots of vitamin A, K, potassium and manganese. They are a very good source of fiber and are most noted for their high content of lycopene. This well publicized carotenoid is known to have high antioxidant and cancer fighting properties.

As a strong antioxidant, Lycopene has been shown to help prevent heart disease. This phytochemical has also been associated with the reduction of numerous types of cancers such as prostate, lung, pancreatic and intestinal cancers. Because carotenoids are fat soluble, they are more effective when eaten with high fat foods. I've added a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to this salsa recipe for that purpose. To get a similar effect, and an added taste treat, you can substitute half a chopped avocado for the olive oil. Some studies show that cooked tomatoes have more of an affect in reducing prostate cancer although raw tomatoes also showed some benefit.

How to Serve

For a completely "raw" appetizer, serve with zucchini slices or raw chips (see my April 14, 2009 post for raw jalapeno corn chips), or buy your favorite healthy chip. I like to serve Trader Joe's "hemp tortilla chips with black sesame seeds".This salsa also makes a great topping for grilled salmon or you can try adding it to your favorite taco or burrito recipe. Or, if you're in the mood for pasta, mix an extra tablespoon of olive oil into the garden salsa and throw it on top of hot whole wheat fusilli.

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Raw Garden Salsa with Cherry Tomatoes

[serves 4 without corn or 6 with the optional fresh corn]

2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved depending on size

2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

2 tablespoons scallion, finely sliced (white and green parts)

1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped, about 1 tablespoon

2 packed tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

2 shakes of black pepper or to taste

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or 1/2 chopped avocado)

1 cup fresh corn kernels, about 1 large ear - optional

Gently mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Per serving (without corn, 4 servings): 50 calories, 3.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 4.4 g carbohydrates and 1.0 g of fiber.

Per serving (with corn, 6 servings): 55 calories, 2.7 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 1.2 g protein, 7.8 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.

Creamy Vegan Avocado Dill Dressing

There’s nothing richer than a ripe avocado and they are plentiful and reasonably priced this time of year. Although some may avoid them because of their high fat content, most of the fats are healthy, monounsaturated fatty acids that include oleic acid. Oleic acid, the same fatty acid found in olive oil, has been shown to be a key contributor to the healthy Mediterranean diet and the prevention of breast cancer.

Adding avocado to a salad increases the body’s ability to absorb healthy carotenoids (like lycopene and beta-carotene) from spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots. Lycopene is a very powerful antioxidant and has been associated with the reduction of cancer and heart disease. Avocados themselves are a good source of the phytochemical lutein, necessary for good vision. Lutein may lower your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Several studies that received a lot of attention showed that cooking food can significantly increase the bioavailability of some carotenoids in vegetables. Lycopene cooked in olive oil was shown to increase blood levels of this phytochemical. Since adding avocado may accomplish the same thing, perhaps it is the oleic acid in the olive oil, not the cooking, that increases the bioavailability. This is important for raw foodists who may be able to achieve this benefit without cooking the food and destroying other heat sensitive vitamins and phytochemicals.

Avocados are high in fiber and a good source of important vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, potassium, folate, B6, vitamin C and copper.

This creamy salad dressing is very versatile and can be used in many types of cuisine. It makes a wonderful vegan salad dressing and can also be used as the “hollandaise” sauce in my “Healthy Veggie Eggs Benedict” which I will post in a few days. It also makes a delicious sauce that can be served with baked or grilled salmon. For a “raw vegan” creamy avocado dill sauce, substitute the soymilk with raw nut milk.

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Creamy Vegan Avocado Dill Dressing [makes 1 cup or 16 tablespoons]
1/2 cup avocado (about 1/2 of a large avocado)
1/2 cup organic, unsweetened soy milk (or raw nut milk)
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon dried or 1/4 teaspoon fresh dill
2 grinds black pepper
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Per tablespoon: 15 calories, 1.2 g fat, .2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, .4 g protein, .8 g carbohydrates and .5 g of fiber.