I love my raw vegetables. I eat them all year long, in salads, as juices, and to snack on. But with tomatoes they are just more nutrition for us after cooking them.
Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of caned tomatoes instead of fresh because they are picked ripe then caned right away. The fresh tomatoes usually had to travel a long distance and probably lost a lot of its goodness by the time you get to cook with it. When in season I do chose fresh! OK, about the added salt and other ingredients you don't like, you can find brands with low salt (add a little less salt when preparing them)and limited extra ingredients and organic just read your labels.
some ways I like to eat tomatoes in the winter are over spaghetti, eggplant Parmesan, on home made pizza, veggie meatball sandwiches, chili,and Pasta e fagioli. Or you might like to try making your own tomato sauce with vegetables, it's easy!
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 leaves fresh basil or 3 tsp. dried basil
4 leaves stevia or ½ tsp. dried
1 -2 cups of chopped vegetables
12 oz. bag vegetarian chicken pieces(optional)
¼ - ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
⅛ cup olive oil
Into a large pot add the tomatoes, water, chopped onions, and garlic. If you are using dried basil and stevia, add them now also. Bring to a boil. In 5 minutes turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the vegetables and veggie chicken pieces if you like. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add olive oil and if you are using fresh herbs put them in now. You now have a deliciousness sauce to use in any dish.
