Healthy Homegrown Summer: Eggplant Caprese

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of homegrown produce. I do not claim to have one bit of a green thumb, but thanks to my dad and granddad's gardens, along with our local produce stand, I'm always filled to the brim with the best, homegrown picks. This time of year especially breeds some ripe, juicy Creole tomatoes and tons of eggplant, so I figured I better start getting creative with some new ways to cook these babies up. My mother is quite talented in the kitchen, so if I'm being honest, she's usually the base of where my recipes come from. I then usually just tweak to make it a little more of what I'm feeling.

Preston and I usually have cooking and movie date nights on the couch once a week or so, so that's usually when I'm trying to whip up a new recipe. Generally something that pairs well with whatever wine we are feeling. In this case, I was feeling red wine, so obvs something healthy and italian came to mind! And in case you were wondering or need a new red suggestion, we paired Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel with this.

Ingredients:

2-3 Large Eggplant (I like the fat kind with the seeds, but smaller would work too)

2 Creole Tomatoes

Fresh Mozerella (the kind you get whole, not shredded)

Basil Leaves (enough for 2-3 per slice)

Olive Oil (4-5 TBSP)

Spices: Rosemary, Oregano, Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder

Pastry Brush (I'll be real with you, I used a paint brush)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Start by slicing the eggplant about 1/4" to 1/3" thick. I generally go thicker for more veggie with each piece, but if you're not worried about that, thinner is fine. Place Eggplant pieces close together, but not on top of each other on a greased baking sheet. In a small bowl, put 4 TBSP of olive oil and add seasonings listed above. I grind up fresh dried rosemary and oregano, but if you don't have fresh, any will do. We are really just looking to make a good italian seasoning mix in the olive oil here. Add pepper, garlic powder, and just a dash of salt. Be sparing with salt as the eggplant absorbs it really easily. Mix them all together with the olive oil (it will appear like the dipping oil you get at restaurants to pair with bread). Using the paint brush, lightly coat each piece of eggplant with the olive oil mixture.

Next, very thinly slice tomatoes into circles. Like the eggplant, the size of the slice is really based on your personal love for tomato. Add tomato on top of each eggplant slice. Next, brush any remaining olive oil on top of the tomatoes. You can also sprinkle a tiny bit more of garlic powder, salt, rosemary, and black pepper if you desire on top of the tomatoes. Place in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Lately, I've been having to cook them at about 38 minutes, but this is with my eggplant sliced pretty thick. So, if you slice thinner, start monitoring at 30 minutes (maybe even 25). You're looking for the eggplant and tomato to begin to appear soft in the oven.

Once you take them out, it's time to place the basil and mozzarella on top. I placed 2-3 leaves of basil on each large slice, but as little or as much as you want works. Repeat the same cutting and placing method with the mozzarella, eyeing it based on your desire for cheese here. You can go pretty light with the mozzarella, in my opinion, because it sort of spreads as it melts.

And voila! You're done! As usual, my directions are vague because I eye things and guess as I'm cooking, but if you're wanting to try something new for your summer harvest, I suggest giving this light Italian dish a try!

What I'm Loving: Early Summer Edition

Back by popular demand, and because I got fancy with some cleaner photoshop tricks for these things, I thought I'd catch you up on some of my faves as we're heading into summer this year! As you guys probably know by now if you're a regular into the knowings of my life, healthy living, fashion, and good spirits are some of the main things that I try to keep akin. So, naturally, these totes have to do with those categories...

1. The Honest Company's Body Oil: If you're familiar with these posts about my favorite things, then you probably remember my mention of both Jessica Alba's book The Honest Life and my love for organic coconut oil as a moisturizer. Well, fear not! I still use coconut oil for my body moisturizing needs; however, after using it for a bit on my face, I found it was just a bit too much oil concentration for my tender little face. The oil kept causing breakouts, so I went on the search for something lighter that was both non-toxic and the perfect blend, as to not cause any more breakouts. Finding a good facial moisturizer (non-toxic, please) always proves a challenge for me, especially when the seasons change--as my face's moisturizing needs generally do too. Such high maintenance requests this skin of mine has, geesh! Since I order from The Honest Company for several of my home and body products, I decided to give their body oil a try for my face. Because it's oil, a little goes a long way!

Here's how I use it...

MORNING FACE CLEANSE/PRE-MAKEUP MOISTURIZER: Upon rising, the first thing I do every morning is wash my face. Not only does it wake me up ,but it makes me feel super refreshed and ready for the day. Since my face isn't really dirty from sleeping, this gentle oil works great as my morning cleanser. A little dab, along with a splash of water and a pat of a clean towel and I'm good to go! Since oil and water don't mix, after dabbing with the towel, my face still retains a nice amount of the oil. I let it set in while I head to the kitchen to feed Chewie and get some O.J., then when I return, my face is perfectly moisturized and ready for primer and makeup application!

You can purchase it on The Honest Company's website, here and it sells for $9.95. On top if that, if you become a member--which really means nothing commitment-wise (score!), only that you purchase 5 products at once--then you save a whopping 35% on your total order. Double score. If you do consider becoming a member for these savings, let me know and I'll send you a little email. You can sign up without me sending you an email invite, but their referral program is pretty fantastic...so hey, I'd love to say I referred you. (:

2. Summer Sangria: We had this at the Art in April event downtown Hammond put on at the beginning of the month and it's been my go-to to bring to parties and whatnot ever since! You can also bet your bum I'll be making a batch to sip in the sand during our upcoming beach trip, too. It's so refreshing and not too sweet! I'm not at all a fan of super sweet adult beverages.

Here's what's in it:

1 Liter Seagram's Ginger Ale, chilled

1 Bottle of white wine (I used Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio...don't judge me)

1/2 Cup of Light Rum (I used Malibu Coconut because I like to feel like I'm at the beach ALL of the time)

1 lemon sliced thin

1 orange sliced thin

1 Pint Raspberries

Strawberry for garnish

If you find you need rum, add accordingly--I ain't judgin'!  As for the quality of wine, $3 Oak Leaf works for me for Sangria and is totally palatable. But, any white wine of your choice or rose' will do!

3. Avocado & Greek Yogurt Dip: Oh holy moly. I was on a quesadilla kick last month and decided to whip up a healthy little dip for it. Well, OH MOMMA, let me tell you. This tastes like a zesty Southwest dip--and I've even used it as a creamy salad dressing. I pretty much substitute greek yogurt for a gazillion things, namely sour cream here. If you're an avocado fan, this is a fan favorite. All raves from everyone who's tried it.

Here's what's in it:

1/3 Avocado

1 TBSP Fage' greek yogurt

1-2 TBSPs Fresh salsa (SAMs Club has tasty large fresh salsa)

Lemon Pepper

Garlic Powder

I never measure, just add according to taste. Yikes, sorry! This is why I could never write a cookbook.

4. Bristols Six Nippies: Bye bye bandeau, hello nippies! My lovely friend introduced me to these babies recently and mylanta, where have I been? These are a must have for flowy summer tank tops--especially if you rock some festival styles. They are very reasonably priced at $24 and don't lose their ability to stick like some I've had in the past. You can check out what Bristols Six has to offer, here. Additionally, after your first order, they send you a coupon for 20% off of your next order. I may or may not have ordered some patriotic ones to go under a white tank top for our upcoming music fest. Oops...