Wooo, TGIF!!

HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYY!!!

What better way to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the weekend than talking about fruits and veggies???

... uh, yeah. I'm serious. Fruits and veggies are AWESOME. They're packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and you can prepare them just about any way you want. A simple steam will do for some, whereas some of the more picky eaters require a cheese sauce or something a bit more elaborate. I will run through a list of my favorites, and give you some neat prep tips too.

We'll start with some veggies.

Awesome Veggie #1: Spinach.

Spinach, besides being available in various forms (fresh, baby fresh, frozen, canned, creamed, etc.), is an excellent source of dietary fiber and the vitamins A, K, B2, B6, C, and folate. It's also rich in iron, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and the amino acid tryptophan... I would go on and talk about phytonutrients, but I think you're already kind of zoning out. To wrap up, I prefer to buy frozen spinach in mass quantities (especially when it's on SALE) so I have it handy whenever I need it... lately I've been craving spinach in a big way, so my freezer is stocked. Spinach lasagna, curried spinach, spinach over polenta, spinach omelets, spinach knishes... yummy.

Awesome veggie #2: Zucchini.

Zucchini is not promoted as much in the superfoods-obsessed culture of today as it once was; even though it may not have an exotic vibe like the acai or goji berry (or the new kid on the health-food block, maca), it's a good veggie that can be used for many things. It's not super-packed with any particular nutrient, but it is a good source of fiber, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamins A and C, copper, folate, phosphorus, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamin K... which, last time I checked, were all very good things to include in one's diet. I've lately discovered that zucchini is excellent when shredded and thrown in some pasta sauce; I'll definitely be posting an official recipe for this at some point. As for buying it... frozen zukes, in my experience = not that great. This one you should buy fresh, preferably from a local farm (or grow it in your garden!!).

Awesome veggie #3: Broccoli/broccolini.

Yeah, those of you who have kids are laughing at me right now. I see you. Those of you who are planning on having kids, listen to me. There are ways to make your kid like broccoli. I know this because when I was little I LOVED broccoli. What kid doesn't love pretending he's a giraffe eating the leaves off his own little tree? Broccoli is FUN! Just steam it, slap on a little butter or olive oil and a little salt, and you're good to go.

Awesome veggie #4: Eggplant.

Skin it, slice it, bread it, fry it, roast it in the oven, simmer it in some curry sauce, puree it into baba ghanouj, layer it with tomato sauce and cheese, make sandwiches out of it... eggplant is yummy... and pretty, too. It's high in fiber and awesome phytochemicals like anthocyanin. And if you season it right, the kids'll never think to ask "Hey, what is this stuff?"

Awesome veggie #5: Butternut squash.

I had absolutely no desire to eat this stuff when I was young. For decades I held out, against my dad's wishes... then, a year-ish ago, I finally tried butternut squash. But I tried it on my own terms; I had no desire for brown sugar or maple syrup in my squash. I boiled it, then I pureed it (no need to drain) with some olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sage... and I fell in love. I eat squash this way all fall and winter long. It is deeeee-lish. So smooth, so complex. The sweetness is not overwhelming, as i had originally feared (I am a somewhat usual woman, in that I prefer savory flavors to sweet). It is nicely complemented by the subtle sweetness of the olive oil, and the particular combination of nutmeg and sage... it's divine. Then I threw it into a lasagna pan with some spinach, brown rice pasta, and goat cheese... my love grew deeper. Yours will too, when you try my recipe. Squash is also great in soups and even chili. Note: another awesome thing about winter squash of any kind is the fact that it keeps for a loooooooong time; depending on what type it is, as long as 6 months! Awesome.

Awesome veggie #6: Cucumbers.

Even if you're not a fan of pickles, regular ol' cukes have a lot to offer. For one thing, they're great for tired, puffy eyes (see moms, I'm looking out for ya); for another thing, they're composed of mostly water (like fiber, water is another important nutrient most of us get waaaay too little of)-- in fact, a 1-cup serving of cucumbers contains an amazing 13 CALORIES. Woooo! All these things make it an extremely useful food in the summer. It also contains a nice bit of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant... really good for the aftereffects of too much sun, inside and out. I like seedless cucumbers a lot, and they're readily available at just about any grocery store. It's not just the lack of seeds though... the skin is nicer too. You'll see when you try them.

Awesome veggie #7: Asparagus.

Anyone who's ever watched VeggieTales knows Junior Asparagus and how cute he is... but who would've thought he was incredibly tasty too? Well, guess what: he's not only tasty, but he's also full of vitamins A, C, K, folate, B1, B2, B3, B6; manganese, potassium, copper, phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium... and lots of other good stuff. You can sauté him in some olive oil, sprinkle him with some balsamic vinegar and roast him in the oven, or just steam him for 7-10 minutes. Or, yes, you could wrap him in prosciutto, or sauce him up with some Hollandaise, if you must... but why not try him on his own first? You don't need all those extra calories to make him taste good, and if you condition yourself or your kids to expect the fancy, fatty stuff with him, you'll never learn to enjoy him for who he really is.

Okay, so this last one is what I call a "frugetable"-- it's really a fruit, but everyone thinks it's a veggie.

Awesome "veggie" #8: Avocado.

Like butternut squash, I avoided this stuff earlier in life... I figured that nothing that tasted good was that color green... boy was I wrong. Avocado is now one of my favorite things to eat; for those of you who want to have good foods around that are convenient for snacks and whatnot, avocado is a must-have. Literally, all you have to do is cut it in half, remove the pit, grab a spoon, and have at it. I like mine with a bit of fresh lime juice and sea salt as well, and I have a friend that sprinkles a tiny bit of sugar on hers. Either way, it's delicious. The texture is like... plant butter. Except it doesn't leave a film of fatty nastiness in your mouth.

I know what some of you are going to say: "But... it's got so many CALORIES!!" "Wow, 22 grams of fat per cup? How is that healthy??" Allow me to esplain.

Yes, avocado has a good bit of fat; yes, because of said fat, it has a lot of calories. Now, if we were most other places in the world, we would not pay so much attention to the number of calories/grams of fat, but rather the types of fats that are giving us the calories (think of it as quantity vs. quality).

Most of the fat in the avocado is of the monounsaturated variety; this is GOOD fat. You want this fat in your diet way more than you want the saturated fat from those fries you're eating. Yeah, I see them. It's okay, I forgive you... just don't eat them more than once every couple of weeks. Oleic acid, the particular monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up most of avocados' fat content, is really good for your heart. And it may help prevent certain types of cancer. Woo-hoo! It's also great for your skin, and it's got a carotenoid called lutein, which is good for your eyes and can help protect against cancer as well.

Alrighty, kids... that's all for now. I'm off to enjoy some yummy veggies. Hope everybody has a super weekend!

Ciao!