Have a look at the gorgeous carrots!  This is the contents of my local produce box that I receive every week for only $25  from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks.  Everything you see is fresh and locally-grown.  These veggies travelled to my home in Chicago from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.  It’s all so wonderfully dirty, like it was just plucked from the garden.

And below is a quick meal that hopefully demonstrates how easy it can be to eat, and enjoy, vegetables. I grabbed a variety of veggies, chopped them up (dunking the hard stuff, like carrots, in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them up first) and sauteed everything with olive oil, salt and pepper until cooked but still crunchy. Meanwhile I sliced some polenta (the prepared kind from Trader Joe’s, right next to the pasta) and some tofu triangles, then browned them on the stove-top grill with salt and pepper. Finally, I topped everything with a killer balsamic glaze…just take about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then let it simmer down for about five minutes;  add 1/4 cup olive oil, some chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Voila!  You have an amazing “dressing” for your veggies, tofu and polenta.  This dish would work just as well by substituting grilled chicken or shrimp in place of the tofu.

Coconut water is causing some serious buzz in nutrition news these days. To see what all the hype is about, I tried some for myself.  This VitaCoco is 100% pure coconut water, and it suprisingly light, refreshing and satisfying.

Coconut water is simply the liquid inside a coconut.  Unlike coconut milk, coconut water is low in calories and fat.  This 11oz container of VitaCoco contains only 60 calories and zero fat, along with 40mg sodium, 680mg potassium, and 15g carbohydrate. When we exercise for extended periods of time and produce a lot of sweat, we lose carbohydrate stores, sodium and potassium.  Coconut water is being touted as “nature’s sports drink” due to it’s sodium content,  5 essential electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous), and natural sugar (carbohydrate). Considering Gataorade is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup (blech!) – why not give coconut water a try?  As I prepare to run a half-marathon this weekend, rather than endure the gastrointestinal pain of all the abundant sport’s gels and drinks, I think I’m going to opt for a bottle of coconut water.  I’ll try anything to stay motivated on the run!

Check out Vita Coco, Zico,  or O.N.E. brands.

Phew, one invigorating vacation in northern California, and a busier-than-usual work week, have kept me away from this blog for too long! It’s nearly Autumn, which means we need to be talking apples, but first things first.  Last week I bumped in to a friendly gentleman offering samples of something called “Co-Op Hot Sauce” at my favorite local market.  The hot sauce is a DIVINE combination of chipotle, ancho, pasilla and habanero pepper with chocolate mole, and the organization behind it’s existence is even more remarkable. Who knew a hot sauce would come in to my life and provoke a  “what is the purpose of my existence?” moment.  But that’s exactly what happened. It’s inspiring to see an innovative, grassroots organization, like Co-Op Image Group, enacting  positive change for our kids and our community.  

Cooperative Image Group creates public arts education programs for Chicago kids in need.  Don’t miss the video below! Their yummy Co-Op Hot Sauce is produced with fresh ingredients from the Co-Op Image Gardens right in Chicago. It can be used in all sort of ways in  your cooking, or just drizzled on your pizza, hummus, and eggs….oh, the possibilities! You best try some for yourself. Proceeds from sales of this otherworldly sauce (I’m not exaggerating) go directly to support the Co-ops Image’s free youth art center. Order it right from their website.