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>> Stinson: On tonight's Fit to
Eat, we prepare vegetarian
lasagna with eggplant pasta and
homemade tomato sauce.
We pay a visit to the first
legal distillery in
Mississippi.
And we keep the proteins in
your diet without meat.
And we welcome as our guest
watercolor artist Wyatt Waters.
>> Chef Rob Stinson: Welcome
back to Fit to Eat.
I'm your host, Chef Rob
Stinson.
Tonight, watercolor artist
Wyatt Waters joins us as our
special guest.
Wyatt is an award-winning
artist, a musician and he
recently put out his third
collaborative book with Chef
Robert St. John called An
Italian Palate.
I'm glad you could join us,
Wyatt.
>> Waters: Thanks for
having me, Rob.
Looking forward to it.
>> Stinson: I think it's kind
of fun because we're going to
have a great time tonight.
We're going to be preparing a
lasagna layered with eggplant,
not pasta- which is low carb-
tomato, fat-free cheese,
homemade pesto used as a
dipping sauce.
It sounds semi-traditional, but
it's anything but traditional
because we're doing it totally
healthy.
>> Waters: Wow.
>> Stinson: So this thin-sliced
eggplant is going to become the
pasta sheets in the lasagna.
I've taken the liberty of
slicing quite a bit.
If you would grab that spray
for me right here.
This is a zero-fat spray.
We're going to spray these
pans.
Get a nice coating.
We're going to do our tomato
sauce in the back.
And then we'll take our
eggplant, layer them in the
pan.
>> Wyatt Waters, Artist: That
looks good already.
>> Stinson: I could eat
eggplant no matter what you do
with it.
>> Waters: I'm with you.
>> Stinson: Eggplant Parmesan,
eggplant lasagna, it isn't that
much of a push.
It was funny, I know you spent
some time over in Italy and I
spent time there as well and I
thought it was neat that in
Southern Italy, they had
eggplant lasagna.
That's where this idea came
from for me.
We are going to put quite a bit
in because this is going to be
quite a bit more than one
portion.
It's almost impossible to make
a lasagna small enough for one.
You just have to have some fun
with it.
>> Waters: Why would you?
>> Stinson: While we're getting
started, I'm going to throw the
onions and the garlic right in
with the eggplant.
And I've got to ask, how did
you get into what you're doing?
Let's talk about art to begin
with, because unbelievably
great work.
>> Waters: This is the
profession that you most
associate the word "Starving"
with so being able to work with
a chef is a real God send.
But truthfully, food and art
are tied together in culture.
It's a big part of it.
>> Stinson: Absolutely.
It really is.
And as you move around the
world, you see so many
different styles of cooking.
Kinda similar in the art world
in its own sense, huh?
>> Waters: Yes.
>> Stinson: I loved Italy, just
the architecture throughout.
>> Waters: Well there's no
explaining art and there's no
real explaining food, it's just
to taste.
>> Stinson: That's right.
Well we have a lot we're going
to do on this one, so where
we're going to start now is
what they would call in Italy
sort of a "shway shway."
When you were over there, I'm
sure they would do fresh, quick
tomato sauce.
That's what this really is.
We're going to start off with
about a half teaspoon of oil in
that pan as well.
We're going to throw in about a
tablespoon of our garlic.
A tablespoon of our onion.
Two tomatoes, and those are
fresh.
The pan is nice and hot.
We're going to add into that a
bit of natural tomato paste.
Good part of that is it adds
virtually no calories.
So that's a wonderful thing.
A little bit of black pepper.
Try to get a little bit of
spice in there.
And then some crushed red
pepper that we'll spread
throughout to give it a little
pep.
Now, instead of adding canned
tomatoes in this to do it
quickly, we're going to throw
in some vegetable stock and
then turn that heat up on high.
We've been having some fun with
the eggplant, let's go ahead
and flip all of these.
That will put the garlic and
the onion right in the pan.
And all this really does is get
them tender enough that they'll
be pliable to use as our
lasagna is put together.
You see how most of them have
browned?
>> Waters: That's going to be
great.
>> Stinson: There's a lot
going on.
Today's going to be a fast
one to watch.
So don't forget:
So you have a couple of
options, and the recipes are
there.
Let's turn this one over.
Let's see here.
And it really doesn't take long
for them.
Now let's go back and get that
back on the heat.
Turn this heat up all the way.
I'm probably driving the camera
people crazy on this one.
I've got to ask you, how did
you come up with watercolor?
Why the medium?
>> Waters: Watercolor chose me.
It's a lot like this: It's
quick, it's fast, it's in the
moment.
You get in, you get out.
You can't go backwards.
That's what I like about it.
I like the things that people
associate with problems, but
they're opportunities.
Like this is fast.
>> Stinson: It really is.
The Italians call it "Shway
shway" but I think the thing
with watercolor, wow boy.
That's got to be the trickiest
that I've ever seen because you
make a mistake there and it's
hard to come back from.
>> Waters: You can trash it
pretty quick, but that's the
adventure in it.
>> Stinson: I'm going to move
this one up front so we can
keep an eye on it.
Move these to the back.
>> Waters: Wow, that smells
great.
>> Stinson: Isn't that
incredible?
This one's done real well.
We're going to throw in our
basil.
And then stir this a little bit
more.
And now, I may put you to work.
You all right with that?
>> Waters: Yes indeed.
Give me something to do.
>> Stinson: While this is
simmering...
Going to let that kind of work.
Now what we're going to do -
You know lasagna typically has
a ricotta cheese mix.
Well this is done with fat-free
cream cheese and fat-free
mozzarella.
But it basically has the same
components with some fresh
chopped spinach, fresh chopped
basil.
This adds so much flavor to the
lasagna.
A little bit more pepper.
Mozzarella.
And then we're going to take
our fat-free cream cheese.
Now here's the tricky part:
mixing this together.
And it's just a matter of me
getting this thing started
because what will happen is -
and I think we can get that
view.
Look at that.
It's tricky at first because it
doesn't look like it's going to
mix.
But then after it starts
liquefying, it does.
And you take two spoons and you
can pull it off and there you
see that fat-free cream cheese.
Keep mixing it together and if
you don't mind, that's what I'm
going to ask you do.
>> Waters: I'll be glad to.
>> Stinson: Just work on that.
I'll move that out of your way.
>> Waters: All right.
>> Stinson: Going to add a bit
more water to that tomato
sauce.
Let's just keep stirring it.
You didn't know you were going
to have to work when you came,
did you?
>> Waters: No, this is fine.
This is good.
This is why I came out with the
chef.
>> Stinson: Makes it kind of
fun.
>> Waters: I love that.
I love hanging around chefs.
>> Stinson: When you were in
Italy, did you have a favorite
area that you found?
>> Waters: Tuscany.
Tuscany is great.
>> Stinson: Isn't it, though?
>> Waters: The people were
farmers and pretty frequently
you would eat something that
was grown right outside the
door or drink a wine that was
bottled right next door.
>> Stinson: Isn't that the
incredible part of it?
I think a lot of people, if
they haven't been, it's kind of
hard to visualize all of that.
It really is.
So let's take now a little bit
more of our spray.
We are doing the inside of the
pan.
And I'm going to layer that now
with the lasagna pieces.
That becomes the pasta.
So about three.
Then we're going to take a
little bit of that warm tomato
sauce, about a third of it, and
put it on top.
And how are we doing over here?
You think we're good?
>> Waters: I think we are doing
okay.
>> Stinson: Looks great.
>> Waters: Take a look.
>> Stinson: Yep, beautiful job.
Wow, you're hired!
Wyatt is hired.
>> Waters: I have a job,
finally!
>> Stinson: I love it.
Now watch.
We're going to take that and
mix it right on top.
That warm sauce will melt the
cheese in between.
Put a little bit more each
layer.
Now we are going to take
another layer of the eggplant.
So basically just like you are
really making a lasagna except
the eggplant is actually the
pasta.
Save that piece.
And what I want to do is put
some of those great onions and
garlic in there for the flavor.
We do that in between each
layer now.
>> Waters: Man, that looks
good.
>> Stinson: Woo hoo!
A little more tomato.
Another layer of the eggplant
and we are going to be ready to
put this in the oven.
We are just about there.
So we will be popping this in
the oven.
While the lasagna is in the
oven, let's hear from our
nutritionist, Rebecca Turner.
She shows us how to have a
protein-enriched diet without
meat.
Come right back, we're going to
have fun.
♪♪
>> Rebecca Turner, Registered
Dietitian: Strength it is more
than a term for gym rats.
Regardless your age or fitness
level, building and maintaining
muscle mass should be a
priority.
Why?
Because lean muscle is the
furnace in which calories are
burned and energy is stored.
So without adequate muscle,
weight loss or weight
maintenance is impossible.
In fact, studies show that we
lose up to one percent of
muscle mass each year starting
in our thirties.
Eeek!
But fear not, you can defy age-
related muscle loss
specifically with the foods
that you eat.
Today, we are going to focus on
vegetarian protein sources.
Why?
Because protein is the only
food group that actually helps
you maintain and build new
muscle mass.
You can start by choosing a
Greek yogurt.
I know that Greek yogurt
actually comes from an animal,
but it is not the flesh of the
cow.
And actually, Greek yogurt will
provide you twice as much
protein as regular yogurt.
So snacking on a cup a day and
adding berries, you are going
to get about as much protein as
three ounces of chicken.
That's a big deal.
Another plant-based protein
favorite are beans.
A lot of times we go to black
beans, which are a great
choice.
But let's not forget some of
the other varieties.
You have garbanzo beans, which
makes a great hummus which
could be a protein-rich snack.
Or we have those red kidney
beans which are often found in
our chilies and our stews or
our famous red beans and rice.
Without even knowing it, we are
adding fiber and protein to
that meal.
It would be easy to leave out
the sausage and you would have
a great vegetarian option for
dinner for your family.
Now another popular plant
protein source is nuts.
But I do want to caution you.
The fat in nuts is higher than
the actual protein amount.
There is still enough protein
to be significant.
You just want to make sure that
you are only getting one
serving of nuts a day.
That is about the size of the
palm of your hand, or a fourth
of a cup.
Whichever works for you.
Now I want to introduce you to
a super food: quinoa.
It's actually a seed that cooks
up like a grain.
As you can see, it is real
flaky and it comes very small
and tiny.
But after you soak it overnight
and you cook it just like you
would rice, it cooks up super
fluffy.
It's rich in all of the quality
proteins found in meet.
It's important to maintain as
much lean muscle mass as you
can from your 30s onward.
But even if you start later in
life, you can still make a big
difference.
My best advice is to eat a
variety of protein-rich foods
daily including meat and
meat-free options.
And if you do this, your meals
are sure to be fit to eat.
>> Stinson: All right, welcome
back.
I thought we had to, Wyatt, at
least show them the finished
product before it goes in the
oven because I have to pull
that presto change-o and
actually bring it as a finished
product.
It takes about 30 minutes.
Let's go ahead.
We are going to bring that over
to the oven.
And this is an oven set at 400
degrees and it will be there
for about 30 minutes.
Now we are going to work on our
pesto dipping sauce.
I know you had pesto in Italy,
right?
>> Waters: Oh my, yes of
course.
>> Stinson: I just love it.
It is such a wonderful flavor.
This is the healthy version, it
is very different, because you
know pesto is loaded with olive
oil, Parmesan cheese, pine
nuts.
So we are going to put in our
spinach.
I use it as a filler along with
the basil.
Now we are going to put in,
instead of olive oil--I know
this sounds crazy.
This is vegetable stock.
And that is about half of what
we want to start with.
Now we are going to mildly
pulse it, get it going around.
(machine whirs).
All right, we will take that
lid off and push it down a
little bit.
Very sharp blades in there, so
we want to be careful.
And instead of pine nuts this
is my little, as they say in
Italy, my trocha, the trick.
And those are sun-dried
tomatoes.
It adds kind of a neat
nuttiness.
(machine whirs).
We are going to try to grind
this up a little bit more.
And now...
(machine continues).
A little bit more.
Going to turn off.
Push it down again and look at
that.
>> Waters: Oh wow.
>> Stinson: Is that incredible?
See those vivid colors it gets?
And you get the aroma.
>> Waters: Red and green are
complementary colors, you know.
>> Stinson: And now a little
garlic.
A little pepper.
And to hold it all together, a
little bit of our fat-free
cream cheese.
So tell me, while we are doing
all of this Italian, what about
the new book: An Italian
Palate?
>> Waters: We had a great time
working on it.
An Italian Palate was 70 days
I spent with Robert in Italy
doing 128 watercolors.
We put a book together and An
Italian Palate the most exciting
thing I've ever worked on.
>> Stinson: I bet it was
incredible.
What a great challenge, too,
because I don't believe there's
anywhere in the world that I've
been where there's a better
variety of landscape,
buildings, coastline.
>> Wyatt Waters, Artist: It's
all about food.
It's all about art, the country
is.
So that was a wonderful way to
pair this into this book.
>> Stinson: What a neat idea.
All right, let's see how we're
coming here.
Oh, I tell you what.
Here's where we're going to go.
It looks just perfect.
There may be one last little
portion I want to do it one
last and we'll be perfect.
It looks like pesto, though.
Isn't that amazing?
Without olive oil, without any
of the unhealthy.
>> Waters: That's amazing.
>> Stinson: And with this, we
should...
A few pieces in there that
didn't, but you know what?
The pesto dipping sauce for the
lasagna will work so well this
way.
Look at that vibrant color.
Isn't that incredible?
>> Waters: Oh man, that's
beautiful.
>> Stinson: And it's really
hard to believe that you can
have something that tastes this
good that's that healthy.
I love, in Italy, how you ate
what was from the region and
places where they made the
pesto, I fell in love with it.
I was determined that we didn't
have to give that up to do
healthy cooking.
This is kind of a neat little
twist on a classic.
It's what we try to do on Fit
To Eat and I'm sure you come
across improvisation in art.
>> Waters: Yes.
>> Stinson: We do it in our
cooking where we try to say eat
this, not that.
And that's really the fun of
it.
>> Waters: It looks great.
It smells great.
>> Stinson: At this point,
that's ready for the lasagna.
We're going to put all of this
into another oven.
It's already done over there.
>> Waters: It's magic.
>> Stinson: That we will be
bringing back.
If all this good food has you
thirsty, Cathead *** in
Gluckstadt has something to
whet your whistle.
As a matter of fact, they're
the first legal distillery in
the state of Mississippi.
I think that's great.
>> Richard Patrick, Co-Founder,
Cathead: ***, from a business
standpoint, is the largest
category in distilled spirits
in the United States.
Still is, which is amazing.
We put out a honeysuckle ***.
We put out a pumpkin spice, a
seasonal offering.
And then a fall offering which
is our pecan ***.
>> Austin Evans, Co-Founder,
Cathead: As a local small
distillery, we're always
focusing on when we create new
products to create them all
natural and no additives and
trying to keep the integrity as
high as possible with every
product we create.
It's what most small
distilleries go after and
that's certainly one that we're
trying to obtain.
>> Phillip Labner, Distiller,
Cathead: We were looking at
trying to use ingredients that
are relative to the South and
the Southeast since that's
mainly our sales area.
We're more of a regional ***
at this point being a
three-year-old company.
After we did the honeysuckle,
we played around with other
ingredients.
Pecan always kept popping up
with so many pecan farms here
in Mississippi.
We ended up going with just a
basic spiced pecan.
Our pecan has a little bit of
cinnamon and a little bit of
clove in it that gives it just
enough of a bite to make it
really flavorful.
>> Patrick: We have a lot of
fun things that chefs have done
with our honeysuckle.
They've made gelato and sorbets
with it.
Kind of a staple cocktail for
honeysuckle has been our
honeysuckle lemonade.
It's just a really nice,
refreshing drink to have on a
hot summer's day.
And then another one that's
really been big for us is a
honeysuckle watermelon
cocktail.
You can find over 100 cocktails
on our website.
Obviously we sell our product
through a lot of local liquor
stores and a lot of local
restaurants and bars.
So we put a lot of investment
in marketing.
>> Evans: And we're sold in 12
other states so it always kind
of carries back and represents
Mississippi.
If you're drinking Cathead
*** in Charleston, South
Carolina, for instance, the
conversation might come up
about Mississippi.
So that's kind of reflective on
our domain of Mississippi as a
state.
I believe it's always spun
off of where we're from and our
lifestyles growing up.
I think it's a "you do what you
like" concept mentality and
that's where we are and what
we've created our business
around.
Supporting our home state is
something you kind of have to
do as a business.
If not, then what's the point
of doing it?
You take pride in where you're
from.
>> Stinson: Welcome back.
Obviously, I've got to go get
the lasagna out of the oven.
Now let's see how we did over
here.
>> Waters: Ooh!
>> Stinson: Oh yeah.
>> Waters: Very nice.
>> Stinson: That came out
looking wonderful.
Let's take it right over here.
And now a little trick that I
have on this.
Everybody can do it their own
way.
I take a knife, cut around the
edge, loosen it all up, and
then shake it a little bit.
It moves really well.
You can see where it might not,
though.
There you go.
So now what our goal is, take
it underneath...
>> Waters: Wow.
>> Stinson: Let's get this
plate-- actually put it on the
white plate.
I think it will look prettier.
We'll have a little bit that
will come around the sides.
>> Waters: Oh my!
>> Stinson: Isn't that
incredible?
>> Waters: That looks and smells
great.
>> Stinson: We're going to take
a little bit and sneak it
underneath.
Look at how that cheese melted
so well.
Rhen we'll clean the plate up.
But really, it's about enough
for two people is what we'd
like to think.
I'm going to take a little bit
of a cloth and quickly come
around the edge.
I saved some beautiful basil to
go around the plate.
A little bit extra of that
fat-free mozzarella.
And then we'll take some of
this pesto.
And as you're looking at this,
it's got to bring back ideas of
food in Italy, huh?
>> Waters: Yes.
This looks good to me.
>> Stinson: Isn't that
incredible?
And it's just such a great
healthy version of a classic
dish.
I think you were mentioning how
great the seafood and all was.
>> Waters: There were a lot of
things.
In one town, there was this guy
named Pasquale who was a fish
butcher.
I was painting on the side of
the road, real hair-pin turns
and all and he didn't speak any
English, but he drank a bottle
and a half of wine while he was
smoking a cigarette cutting up
fish.
Loved his job.
This gal came up and I asked,
"Do you know who this is?"
They didn't speak much English.
I tried to do sign language.
I said, "This is Pasquale."
And she rolled up her sleeve
and had this big tattoo that
said "Pasquale" down her arm.
So the fish butcher, everybody
knew the fish butcher.
>> Stinson: Everybody knew the
fish butcher.
All right, let's take a look at
the nutritional values:
I would like to thank our
guest, Wyatt Waters, for
joining us tonight on the show.
And if you're interested in any
of the recipes you saw on
tonight's show, visit the
webpage:
Or go to the FaceBook page.
Until next time, I'm Chef Rob
Stinson.
Eat well.
>> Waters: Thanks for having
me, Rob!