Springtime Refreshment: Fruit-Infused Water!

When it comes to sweet tea, I feel the same way!! - Image via andsoitbeginsfilms.com

Y'all, there's nothing better than a cold glass of sweet tea.

I've been drinking sweet tea since I could hold a sippy cup. I used to watch my grandmother standing over the stove, mesmerized by the cascading waterfall of sugar that she poured into the pitcher. Her sweet tea was the best. Then when I 'grew up' and started making my own, I quickly figured out that a good glass of sweet tea was the way to a man's heart (extensive research had proven this to be true... at least with the Southern boys... wink, wink)!

But even though sweet tea tastes like HEAVEN and can potentially get you a hot date if you make it well, it sadly has enough sugar in it to kill an army!

So what's a girl to do when her man loves sweet tea, she's trying to deny her feelings for the stuff and plain old water is getting O-L-D?

That's right! INFUSE IT!

Water doesn't have to be so blasé. Now that things are warming up and the produce is looking better and better by the day, it's time we got a little creative.

Here, I'll make it easy for you...

STEP 1: Make a trip to the farmer's market, grocery store or even the fruit stand on the corner, if you live in NYC.

STEP 2: Pick out your favorite produce - we chose strawberry and lemon.

STEP 3: Select some fresh herbs (mint or basil will never do you wrong - we chose mint).

STEP 4: Proceed back to your casa and wash, peel or chop your purchases.

Slice as much lemon as you want flavor - we used 1/2 lemon for our small pitcher.

Wash thoroughly, then cut the tops off the strawberries and slice in half. We used about  6-7 strawberries.

Wash the mint and tear about 10 leaves off.

STEP 5: Fill a pitcher with filtered water and load it up with the goods.

STEP 6: Let it sit in the fridge overnight so that the fruit and herbs infuse the water with flavor.

STEP 7: Drink up and enjoy!

Who wants to pay for Vitamin Water when you can make the same thing yourself? There are endless combinations to try, and the kids will even want in on this project (if you don't have children, don't despair, you'll get this done in half the time).

The fruit will eventually go bad, so I'd suggest drinking it within 2 days of making it to be safe! You can try any number of combos - raspberry/lemon, cucumber, lime, orange/blueberry, lemon/basil.

Now that we've covered the basics, go forth and infuse!

Choo! Choo!: Everybody on the Eggplant Train!

Image courtesy of onehungrymama.com

I know what most of you are thinking! Ew! Gross! Eggplant? Why, Lauren? Why? My friends, you are not alone. I didn't eat one single eggplant growing up, and I've probably only had them a handful of times in my adult life. Eggplant is one of those fruits (yes! it's a fruit) that just doesn't have a good rep on the streets. It actually has a long history of being globally despised. In various parts of Europe before the 18th century, eggplant was believed to cause all sort of horrible things - insanity, leprosy, cancer, even bad breath. In Italy, it was dubbed 'mala insana', meaning 'bad egg' or 'mad apple'. Ancient Persian philosophers cited eggplant as the reason behind everything from pimples to epilepsy. Poor little fruit. Nobody seems to like it very much.

On this glorious Wednesday though, I'm here to tell you that eggplant has caught the attention of my taste buds. I'm not sure how it happened, but it did. If you can visualize eggplant outside it's typical (and disgusting, i might add) eggplant parmesan incarnation, then I'm here to tell you, you might just be pleasantly surprised!

Image courtesy of toonpool.com

In addition to being surprisingly tasty, eggplant is full of nutrients. Here's why you should work a 'mad apple' into your diet...

FIGHTS CANCER - Eggplant helps fight cancer in a number of ways... 1) The peel of an eggplant contains an antioxidant compound called nasunin, which has antiangiogenic properties. Cancer cells have angiogenic properties, allowing them to increase their own blood supply and grow rapidly. The nasunin in eggplant can actually prevent the growth from occurring. 2) Eggplant also contains a plant compound known as chlorogenic acid. It's actually the DOMINANT compound in eggplant. It works to fight cancer-causing free radicals and also has antimutagenic properties, which protect cells from mutating into cancer.

LOWERS LDL (BAD) CHOLESTEROL - The chlorogenic acid in eggplant also has the ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular disease.

AIDS THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM - 1 cup of raw eggplant contains 11% of your DV of fiber. The best part is that it contains both soluble AND insoluble fiber. When your digestive system is working properly, you decrease your risk for colon cancer and other intestinal issues.

RICH IN MINERALS - Eggplant boasts large quantities of potassium (for cellular and electrical function), magnesium (for energy production), calcium (for bone formation and maintenance) and phosphorous (for bone and teeth formation, as well as growth and maintenance of cells and tissues).

ASSISTS IN WEIGHT LOSS - Because of it's fiber content, eggplant will make you feel full without consuming a lot of fat and calories. A 1 cup serving contains no fat and only 27 calories.

Now here comes the disclaimer... If you have kidney or gallbladder issues, then you might need to watch your eggplant consumption. Eggplant contain a noticeable amount of oxalates. When oxalates become too concentrated in the body, they crystallize and can cause damage if your kidney or gallbladder are not working properly to flush them out. 

Last night for dinner I made Grilled Eggplant with Herbed Quinoa from Sprouted Kitchen (Can you tell I love her blog?). The dish was fabulous, first of all, but better yet was it's ability to provide leftovers for lunch at work the next day. That's what you call a win-win, folks! 

Here's a visual step-by-step for those of you who like that sort of thing (no shame in needing extensive visuals like this girl). Check the recipe link above for exact measurements 'cause this is only a quick play-by-play...

Cut the eggplant into slices about 1" thick.

Spread them out on a baking dish or cutting board and sprinkle the tops with salt. This makes the eggplant
'sweat' out all the water inside. Let them sweat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile...

Cook the quinoa. Quinoa is nothing like rice. Do not fear. You can't mess this up.

While the quinoa is cooking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and toast the pine nuts for 5-10 minutes until brown.
Pine nuts can be expensive, so feel free to use raw unsalted cashews instead.

Roughly chop the red onion, basil and cilantro. The recipe calls for fresh dill as well,
but I cheated to save the wallet. 

Now roughly chop the capers. You can find capers near the olives in the supermarket (usually in a glass jar).

Pat all the water off your eggplant with a paper towel or dishcloth. Brush both sides with olive oil
and grill 5 minutes on each side on a grill pan. They should be fairly soft when they're cooked.
Remove to a plate and sprinkle the tops with za'atar seasoning.

Now add all the fixins' to the quinoa, including the red wine vinegar, olive oil,
honey (or agave nectar) and salt and pepper.

 Cover the eggplant with the quinoa mixture and garnish with the pine nuts. You're done! Even the
eggplant-haters in your life will be converted with this one!

Here are some other recipes to get you started...

GRILLED EGGPLANT & TOMATO STACKS:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_eggplant_tomato_stacks.html

Image courtesy of eatingwell.com

BAKED EGGPLANT FRIES WITH LEMON DILL DIPPING SAUCE:

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/cooking-ideas/10-new-ways-cook-eggplant?page=3

Image courtesy of shape.com

Weekend Wrap-Up: Farm-to-Table Style

On Saturday I went to the farmer's market in Brooklyn with Adam. It was 5,000 degrees in NYC this weekend (literally...not joking, people) so I have no idea why we felt the urge to leave the comfort of the A/C. But...

Good thing we did! I've walked through the farmer's market before but never really taken the time to look closely at the 'wares'. There were tons of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, fresh fish and even the most gorgeous wildflower bouquets you've ever seen! HEAVEN!

We went a little crazy and bought enough food to make a few fantastic meals. Saturday night, we had sauteed tilapia with a zucchini and garlic scape saute, followed by vanilla icecream with fresh blueberries and blackberries on top (antioxidant city!).

Then Sunday night, we toted the mini-grill up to Prospect Park for a sunset grill out. Adam put on his 'Grillmaster' hat and threw some shrimp on the barbie....followed by grilled baby bok choy and a fresh tomato, basil and feta salad with balsamic. We ate at sunset and were surrounded by fiery pink clouds and the faintest outline of the moon overhead.

It felt good to support local NY farms and get the freshest produce, while still paying less than we would in the regular old grocery store! Yay for farm-to-table (or farm-to-picnic blanket, in this case)!

Check out your local farmer's market this week to load up on 4th of July goodies or give it a go next weekend to cure that post-holiday depression! A trip to the farmer's market is bound to make you feel much better!