Rich summer tomato recipe

Ever wished tasting your favorite tomato and potato both in one dish?  Try this healthy Potato Stuffed Tomato recipe I grabbed from fitsugar.com.

This is a good recipe if you are controlling serving size and can be an entree or side dish.  Whichever you want it, it tastes good, healthy and easy to make.







Ingredients:

8 tomatoes
3-4 red potatoes
1/2 green chili
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil)
salt pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Wash the tomatoes.  Slice the top off of each one and scoop the seeds and juice out of the tomatoes and into a large bowl.  Set aside.

Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes, and let cool.  Mash the potatoes (keep the skin on).  After mashing, add the cumin-coriander powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Then, combine the mashed potatoes in the bowl with the tomato juice and seeds.  In a small pan, saute the chopped garlic and green chilis in vegetable (or olive) oil.  Add this to the mashed potato mixture.

After mixing thoroughly, spoon the mixture into the hollowed tomatoes.  Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, or until the cheese has slightly browned.

Hmm, yummy!

Remember, use the reddest tomato!

Don't ignore tomatoes!

I would like to share a very helpful article about keeping one's youth.  There are many cosmetic products available in the market nowadays that could make us look young.  Some known products and said to be effective but cost much.  Other beauty products are discouraged because they contain harmful ingredients.  Also, it is sometimes too tiring to follow the 'how to apply and what to apply' during daytime and during nighttime.

You have an option.  If you love tomatoes, you can maintain your youthful skin.

There is a recent study released in the UK acclaiming tomatoes as key factor in maintaining youthful-looking skin.  And what's more - eating tomatoes reduces appearance of wrinkles!

Read more from the Home and Garden page.

Freezing green beans

Green beans taste good and are known for their high nutritional value.  They are loaded with Vitamins A, C, B₁ & B₂, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, iron, calcium, copper, phosphorous, manganese and dietary fibers.  However, fresh green beans are not available all year-round.   For steady supply, many people freeze green beans rather than have them in cans. Freezing green beans is the easiest method and yet maintaining their dietary value.  This can be done in very simple steps.

To start with, prepare at hand desired quantity of the freshest green beans to freeze.  If the beans are taken from your own backyard, harvest early in the morning.  The flavor is at its best if picked while the weather is hot.  If purchased from the market, you can test the freshness by breaking it in half.  If it cracks, then it is fresh.  Freshness can be seen as well from its color.  It is fresh if the color is bright green and has no brown stains.  If there is time gap between harvesting/purchasing and freezing, put the beans in the refrigerator.  Never use beans that are already overripe or had dried out.  Freshness is crucial when freezing green beans, otherwise the freezing process doesn’t serve its purpose.

Wash the green beans in lukewarm or plain cold water in a colander or strainer.

The next step is to remove the stem ends of the beans and the strings, if any.  You may cut them to pieces that you prefer.

Blanche the green beans.  Fresh vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that change the color, texture and taste of vegetables and destroy the nutrients.  The blanching process removes these enzymes and bacteria.  This is done by first dipping the beans in boiling water for at least 3 minutes (or enough time to prevent the action of enzymes and kill the bacteria, usually 3-3.5 minutes).  Don’t overdo it.

After 3 minutes or so, the beans should be cooled immediately to prevent overcooking.  Immerse the green beans into a big bowl with ice-cold water.  Keep adding cold water until the beans have lost warmness.  Cool the green beans the same duration as they were blanched.  Drain thoroughly.

Place the cooled beans inside a vacuum food sealer or zeeper bags. Remove as much air from the bag and seal tightly.  Store the bags in the freezer. 

In less than an hour, we are done.  Freezing green beans consumes lesser time and only a colander, pot to boil water with, a container for ice-cold water and vacuum food sealer or zeeper bags as tools. 

Frozen green beans usually last until 12 months.  Beyond that, it won’t taste as good.

Effects of Nuclear Radiation

Talking about the rush of messages coming from unknown about the radiation leak at Fukushima, who wouldn't get worried? Imagine how people reacted - passing the text message to as many as the phone prepaid load can spend, calling loved ones to come home quick (before 4 pm!), rushing to schools to pick up sons and daughters, closing doors and windows (any holes, if possible!), betadine!, face masks!, movies about the effects of nuclear radiation suddenly recalled.  What an ugly sight!  As it turn out, the message is not true, a hoax.  According to the Department of Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona, that Philippines is safe from radiation exposure as consequence of the damage to Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Nakakatuwa, nauwat tanan.


If it was true, we should be scared. The effects of nuclear radiation on humans and animals are very harmful:  cancer (known to skin and thyroid), tumors, and birth defects.  The rate of survival decreases as dosage of radiation exposure increases.

We should be thankful to God Almighty that the radiation leak at Fukushima was a false alarm. However, since the nuclear plant was indeed damaged, we must be prepared.  Know how we can prevent ourselves from getting harmed.  Be informed of the current news.

Radiation leak at Fukushima

I got text messages to my mobile phone apparently flashnews from BBC network, that says:

Japan government confirms radiation leak at Fukushima Nuclear Plants.  Asian countries should take necessary precautions.  Remain indoors first 24 hours.  Close doors and windows.  Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first.  Take extra precaution, radiation may hit Philippines at starting 4pm today (March 14, 2011).  Please send to your loved ones.

We have to be vigilant.  Check the veracity of this news; then take necessary steps to prevent yourself and your loved ones to be exposed to this harmful radiaton.