Go into the lite: Healthy choices for summer barbecue

Growing up in Texas, everything was about beef. The longhorn was as much a symbol of the Lone Star State as the lone star itself.

One of my mother's prize possessions was a cookbook by Walter Jetton, LBJ's personal barbecue chef, filled with legends and lore of Texas's early cattle days, and pictures of the cowboy president on his ranch entertaining heads of state while mopping sauce on racks of ribs smoking over a grill the size of a trampoline. It wasn't about the recipes. It was about the attitude and the atmosphere: big, bold, and often over the top to the point of ridiculous. Where else could you find someone walking a pet armadillo with an $80,000 collar from Cartier? That man's gonna need a big steak - a steak as big as Texas.

So here's the irony. The recipe we are doing today, a perfect accompaniment for your Fourth of July barbecue, has nothing to do with beef. In spite of my "hook 'em horns, slap it on the grill and walk it out here" upbringing, it has nothing to do with meat at all. And it's all because a year ago some doctor threatened me with certain premature death if I did not change my diet.

Among other things, that change involved giving up fat, and beef is a big offender, especially for someone who is "predisposed" to heart problems. By predisposed I guess she was referring to the fact that neither of my parents made it to 70, and I spent a few of my early adult years smoking and drinking like a sailor on leave.

But here is the good news. It's really not that hard to eat healthy. It just takes a little effort to educate yourself, and most importantly, read the labels.

I would not call myself a vegetarian as I still eat fish, chicken and turkey. But I have come closer to that designation and have recently been dabbling in the dark arts of the "vegans." At the restaurant we don't use meat or meat stocks in any but one of our sauces. Our rice and beans are vegetarian. And I've been working on some substitutes for cheese using pureed cashews and silken tofu.

Don't get me wrong. We still have plenty of two and four-legged items on the menu, but in order to make healthy choices you need to have healthy choices available. Part of my problem was spending 12 hours a day surrounded by cheese and skirt steak.

Another key to success is big flavors. Roasted chilis, exotic spices and caramelized vegetables along with olive oil and a splash of good vinegar will convince your mind and your taste buds that you are indulging.

The eggplant caponata that we are doing today incorporates all of these elements, and is great on grilled fish or chicken. It's also good on grilled flatbreads, and I've included our recipe for those as well in case you or your guests are of the vegetarian persuasion. I'm not a real nutritionist, but if you look at the ingredients they are mostly vegetables, so dig in.

By the way, our little hamlet just made the list of "Top 10 Places To View Fireworks," according to RoadTripsForFamilies.com in the company of such places as St. Louis and Crested Butte, Colo. So come on up to Virginia City and we'll throw another eggplant on the barbie.

Roasted Eggplant Caponata

Makes about one-half gallon

It is best to make this Mediterranean style relish a day or two before serving so it has time for the flavors to get comfortable with each other. This recipe makes a lot, but it will keep refrigerated for up to five days. If you have some left over, toss it with some pasta and a little more olive oil for an easy pasta salad. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

4 pounds of eggplant, any variety, sliced lengthwise into 1⁄4-inch slices

6 tablespoons olive oil

11⁄2 cups chopped yellow onion

10 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups diced celery

3 cups of seeded and chopped tomatoes, canned will do

4 tablespoons drained and rinsed capers

6 tablespoons toasted pinenuts

4 tablespoons golden raisins

About 30 chopped Calamata olives (Greek style)

6 tablespoons brown sugar

3⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon red chili flakes

Salt to taste

Lay the eggplant on a sheet pan in a single layer, and roast at 425F until tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, dice and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or brazier over medium heat and saute the onions, garlic and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the remaining ingredients except the salt and chili flakes, and cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add the chili flakes and taste for salt. Cool, then refrigerate for at least five hours but preferably over night. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Flat Bread

makes 6

Make sure your grill is fairly hot and clean. And don't get nervous if they stretch out of round while getting them onto the grill. They are still going to taste good. If you don't have time to make the flatbreads, buy them or use pita bread. In either case warm them on the grill.

11⁄2 cups of warm water (100 F)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Place the warm water in a stainless steel bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir in the yeast and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Using a spoon (or the dough hook), stir in half of the flour. Let stand for 45 minutes.

If using a mixer, begin mixing the starter with the dough hook. If working by hand, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Stir in the olive oil and then the salt. Begin adding the remaining flour 1⁄2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until the dough is silky and resilient, about 5 minutes. Oil a clean bowl, roll the dough around in it to coat and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic, and let rise until double in size - about 11⁄2 hours depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

Remove the dough to your table and divide it into 6 equal portions. A scale makes this a lot easier and more accurate. Roll each portion into a tight, round ball, cover with a damp towel. Let rise until double again, about 30 minutes. Working with one at a time, roll them out to about a healthy 1⁄4-inch thick disk, dust with flour and stack between sheets of wax or parchment paper.

Place each disk on a hot, clean grill. As soon as the edges start to set, rotate 90 degrees to give them cross marks - about 2 or 3 minutes total. Flip over and give them another minute or so. They are done when fairly rigid and puffy.

Top the flatbreads with caponata and enjoy. These freeze really well if wrapped individually in plastic. Just wait until cool before wrapping.

• Brian Shaw and his wife Ardie own Cafe Del Rio in Virginia City.