Monday 11 March 2013

Roasted Tomatoes with Fresh Basil GF SCD


It's advised that you store your tomatoes at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. This ensures that the flavour enzymes remain active and enables them to continue to ripen naturally. If stored in the fridge not only will these enzymes stop working, the flesh may turn mealy.

Research has revealed that cooked tomatoes are actually much better for you than raw. This is because cooking the fruit breaks down the plant cells that trap the lycopene, the potent carotenoid antioxidant found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, enabling the body to absorb it more easily and because lycopene is fat-soluble, when tomatoes are heated in combination with an oil, the body will absorb it even better.



I've used cherry tomatoes below but you can adjust the cooking time if using larger tomatoes.


Roasted Cherry Tomatoes GF SCD

350g cherry tomatoes
handful fresh basil leaves
course sea salt
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
2-3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

Set the oven to 180° C (fan/convection oven). Wash the tomatoes and slice in half. Tip them into a glass oven dish which helps to retain those wonderful juices.



Tear the basil leaves and sprinkle over the tomatoes.  Add a teaspoon of course sea salt and some ground black pepper (optional).



 Drizzle one or two tablespoons or extra virgin olive oil slowly over the top.



Then roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.