Keep Calm and Grill On

Fruit: a healthy alternative to dessert. Want to have an excuse to keep the party alive and the flame going? Just grill it!

Grilling fruit is a great way to bring out the natural flavors within via caramelization. (and is highly endorsed by Mr. Bobby Flay).

The process is incredibly simple as well!

Now, corny [or should i say, citrus] joke time!!

What are a vampire’s favorite fruit?

Blood Oranges! 

hehe!!

Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C and are complementary to many fish and chicken dishes.

I have never really enjoyed raw oranges, but I am beginning to open my eyes to a entire, unexplored world of magical fruits!

Step by step instructions: http://www.livestrong.com/article/450372-how-to-grill-an-orange/

I sprinkled a blood orange, a satsuma and a valencia orange with a tiny bit of light brown sugar on one side – delicious! It is a great, innovative way to balance the acidity of citrus fruits, and is a sexy approach to spicing up whatever you have sitting in your refrigerator. Juicy, light and a great side dish, salad addition or enjoy it as a yummy, healthy snack. Very romantic indeed!

“Daily Needs for Fruits & Vegetables:
Most people should increase the amount of fruits and vegetables they currently eat every day. Daily fruit and vegetable needs depend on a person’s calorie needs, which are determined by age, sex and level of physical activity. For example, an adult should eat 2 cups of fruits and 2½ cups of vegetables daily, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.”

Brought to you by Clemson University (and the letter [vitamin] C) at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/hot_topics/2010/08grill_veg.html

Other useful websites and tips:

http://bbq.about.com/od/fruitandvegetables/a/aa081305a.htm

Trying Grilling Fruits and Vegetables

http://www.organicauthority.com/eco-chic-table/grilled-grilling-fruits-101.html

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/most-grillable-fruits

Happy Barbecue Month!

Happy May!

May is barbecue month and to take advantage of this beautiful spring time weather while it lasts, I will attempt to barbecue as much as possible! I absolutely love to grill, and although I do not eat meat, one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables is to fire up the propane or charcoal and allow it work its magic.

In honor of this special time of year, I will share one of my absolute favorite dishes to make…

Grilled Eggplant with Provolone and Red Onions

Eggplant gets an entirely underrated and misconstrued reputation. That may be because it is usually not made properly. I have learned that if you want your vegetables to TASTE good, they need to LOOK good. And I do not mean that in the realms of food having to look neatly plated in order to devour it, I am talking about in the sense of BUYING produce that looks HAPPY. Sounds a bit foolish, but give it a go next time you are picking out fruits or vegetables. If they look sad, skip by it. If it warms your heart and catches your eye – do not hesitate, it will taste good and you will be satisfied.

This recipe is simple, but it is delicious. I have made it for a few people who never tried eggplant, and those who have always had a bad experience eating eggplant. Well, fear no more! This recipe will give you an entirely new perspective, and a new dish, surrounding this purple “fruit”.

How to tell if an eggplant is ripe: (also includes some fun trivia and knowledge on this “mad apple”)

http://www.helium.com/items/1786217-how-to-know-when-an-eggplant-is-ripe

Ingredients:

Baby Eggplant (or a purple of your choice), 1/2 inch slices (keep skin on)

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar (I used Lucini’s cherry balsamic)

Salt

Black pepper

Fat-free Sargento Provolone cheese

Red onion, sliced

Directions: 

1. Wash the eggplant and cut off the stems and bottoms. Slice the eggplant into at least 1/2 inch slices (up to about 1 inch). You do not want them to be too thick or they will take longer to cook.

2. Combine EVOO, balsamic, salt and black pepper (just a dash for seasoning) in a small to medium sized bowl.

3. Dunk each slice of eggplant into the oil marinade. Once they are covered (front and back), let them sit for a few minutes to allow the oil and balsamic to soak into the eggplant.

4. Lit up the grill or a sautee pan (with a bit of oil) and allow each side to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. If grilling, you want to see grill marks before flipping them. The red onion can be put on the grill with the eggplant as well. Give the onion slices about 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.

5. Once the eggplant is tender, with grill marks on both sides, cover each slice with provolone cheese, or some cheese of preference. Once the cheese is melted, and the onion is grilled, you are ready to take it off the grill and enjoy!

I personally love to eat this eggplant with ketchup, but it alone, even without being smothered in gooey cheese, is delicious.

To fancy it up, you can lather the eggplant up with some BBQ sauce of your choice.

This recipe also makes a great substitute for a burger or portabello mushroom sandwich. This eggplant recipe is also the same one I use for my Eggplant Parmigiana. Just add sauce!