Anyone want to join the Let's lose some fluff club?

[jaminkw]

Thanks Andrea but I'm giving myself 5 lbs already so I really want to take off the 10. My husband who sees everything I eat says it's all the bp meds they have me on to deal with Avastin. Anyway today I compromised for lunch--I had green beans and two amazing slices of eggplant. Sorry, the eggplant was fried after dipping in flour, egg and cornflake crumbs. I always allow us a couple of really good slices while I'm grilling the rest of the eggplant with other healthy ones for the rest of the week. I am lucky. I really like vegetables but definitely agree on the cost of eating healthy!

Judy in Key West

[Andrea]

It is more expensive to eat healthy. Crazy huh? I once read in a diet book that you really just have to go to the two ends of grocery stores, fresh fruit/veggies and meat and skip all the stuff in the aisles.

Judy, for those who are challenged in the kitchen, yet love eggplant, do you have to grill outside on a bbq, or can you grill inside? And can you tell me exactly how to do it? I love eggplant, just never know how to cook it. I will be back on food Sept 24 and need to eat healthier at that point

Your hubby could be onto something with the meds, my mom does not eat that much and yet she still manages to stay fluffy (yet cute of course).

[jaminkw]

Andrea, Grilled vegetables were my staple when I was on weight watchers. I sort of improvised and mixed veggies differently so I didn't get too bored. This time carrots, and red peppers and eggplant; next time yellow peppers, portabella mushrooms and eggplant; next time red peppers and yellow peppers and eggplant. See a theme going here. I love eggplant and could never cook it anyway but fried until I tried grilling them. I still can't do it to my liking in a pasta dish and have had awesome ones in restaurants.

You can grill your veggies on a cookie sheet in the oven at about 400 degrees. You can do them in a fry plan on a med to med-high heat. You can do them in the foreman grill. You can put the cut up veggies in a deep bowl, sprinkle with olive oil, add salt, Pepper, garlic and any other seasoning you like, for instance basil or parsley and grill in any the above ways. You can skip the olive oil and veggies in the bowl and just spray a cookie sheet, fry pan or Foreman grill with olive oil, season the veggies and grill them. You can brush olive oil on a cookie sheet or add a small amount to a fry pan, season and grill.

You have to turn them in the fry pan and on the cookie sheet but honestly, they look better if you flip them in the Foreman too. Grill them separately because timing them is the most important thing. I work longest on the Foreman and came up with 8 min for carrots, five to six minutes for peppers, 2 to 3 minutes for mushrooms and only two to three minutes for eggplant. If you do them in the fry pan or oven, you can start with have the recommended time and check consistency with a skewer. Just cut the time for the second side if they look like they're getting done faster than you want. Under cook rather than over cook. If you plan to eat them hot, this is most important because you'll be reheating (microwaving probably) and they're not as good if they are soggy.

Grilled vegetables are so versatile. You can eat them alone, with a half of backed potato, tossed in a little rice with seasoned rice vinegar (probably one of my favorites). There's no end to what you can do with them.

Andrea, I didn't really set this up recipe style but let me know if I can improve it for you.

MOST IMPORTANT THING I EVER LEARNED ABOUT EGGPLANT: iT CAN SOMETIMES BE BITTER AND I TRIED WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS THE TEDIOUS JOB OF STRAINING IT ETC. I READ THAT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID BITTERNESS, STAY AWAY FROM THOSE BIG GORGEOUS ONES AND GET THE SMALLER ONES. HAVEN'T HAD A BITTER ONE SINCE I STARTED FOLLOWING THAT ADVICE.

Judy in Key West

[Andrea]

THanks Judy!!! !I am saving that message for when I start my food again b/c I just LOVE eggplant!!!!