Made with organic soybeans, fresh and local Ingredients

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Greek (tofu) salad

by Francine

photo via greenmarketrecipes.com

Simple,  tasty, and nutritious, this salad is sure to please. One of the reasons we love it is because of the dominant ingredient--tomatoes. Choose your favorite--any variety (mix them up!), but if Heirloom tomatoes are available, be sure to include some of those in the mix. The silken texture and juiciness works so well with olive oil and vinegar. 

The tomato is a nutritious fruit commonly used as a vegetable. It comes to us from the ancient Mayans. The vegetable has incredible phyto-chemical properties with more health-benefiting properties than those found in apples. Tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. The fruit is often recommend  in cholesterol-controlling and weight-reduction programs. Antioxidants present in tomatoes help protect against cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumors.

Fresh tomato is very rich in potassium. 100 g contain 237 mg of potassium and just 5 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control a healthy heart rate and blood pressure. Also, keep in mind that some blood-pressure medications actually have a tendency to decrease the potassium in our bodies. So maintaining healthy levels of potassium in our bodies through the foods we eat is especially important if you're taking one those drugs. (Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about this.)


Dressing
Mix together: 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar (or Balsamic)
salt to taste
juice of one lemon
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano 

Pour the dressing over:
1 lb, tofu, cut in 3/4" cubes

Marinate for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally

Wash, core, and cut into wedges:
3 fresh tomatoes

Wash and slice thin:
3 cucumbers

Add these to the marinated tofu along with:
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup Greek or black olives

Toss and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Resources:

Nutrition and You

 


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