Back With Caution

I'm  back and it comes with a caution. The blog was not on holiday.Thanks to a person's carelessness,I had a throat infection and cold, one of the very worst. Unfortunately, even though it's summer, we still need vitamins and all the produce we can eat.

Tomatoes are a must have if you're sick. One, they're loaded  with nutrients and two they're versatile. They're also light. A good tomato salad is easy to make. Just take a couple of vine ripes, slice and then cube. Put into a bowl with minced garlic, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh basil or oregano for more flavor and serve on slices of super crusty Italian bread. I like the fact that they can mix with eggs for a uovo e pomidori easy meal. For an easy meal with a lot of protein , stuff beef steaks or again vine ripes with a mix of tuna in water, and chopped celery. Nix the mayo. If you're sick, you're not going to want it anyway. Cauliflower and broccoli are also chock full of necessary Vitamin C. Try to get them riced. Stop & Shop has them mixed together. They are wonderful sub in's for traditional rice. Add some olive oil and lemon juice and you've got a great meal or side. Sliced carrots and peas can be tossed in for color and flavor.

Fresh fruit is important if you have a virulent summer cold. This is the time that you really crave ice, thanks to rough, sore throat and the nasty heat. What you can do cut up chunks of strawberries and peaches, add a bit of water (or even flavored water) and puree. This can be done by immersion blender or food processor. Pour the fruit into a slushie cup and  - voila - instant Italian ice. It's actually closest to the earliest versions of true Italian and Roman ice where real fruit purees were used. You can also pour the mixture into ice pop molds and have later as a dessert or snack. Another idea is layering fresh fruit in a creamless parfait. Stay away from any dairy when you have a summer cold. Ice cream and frozen yogurt unfortunately do produce phelgm. Try whipped frozen banana instead to sub in for any ice cream. Another sub in aquafaba meringue if you want to fool with making it.

A summer cold is pure hell. Eat right to keep it at bay. Use the produce of the season. It's your best medicine.


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