Brats: How to enjoy while cooling the Summer Heat

Today was one of the first really nice warm and sunny days in Minnesota so far this year, and with it comes the summer time foods like Brats, Hamburgers and the like. These foods, along with other summer time favorites like slushies, potato salad, and other cold dishes and beverages can, and eventually will over time, wreak havoc for your digestive system if not corrected.

Now like most true blooded Mid-Westerners, I was really craving a brat today! Thankfully, in with our Spring CSA order from our friendly local farmer at Sprø Gård Organic Farm we had special ordered some of the ‘mostly-organic’ brats. We say ‘mostly-organic’ because we know that the meat was raised with organic practices… though the meat processor had misread the order for the brats and had added MSG into the mix. Either way… I wanted a brat, yet with the sudden onslaught of heat that we’re enjoying today and then top that with laying outside sunbathing to soak up some free Vitamin D, I realized I needed to cool my system some. I then remembered that we also got Cilantro in with the order this week!

So, here is a healthier option for eating some good ol’ MN Farm Raised-organically Brats:

These brats come frozen, and are not cooked. So, what I do to thaw them is throw them into a larger pan that can fit all of them, add about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and about 1 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar and cover (you could also boil them in your favorite beer as well). Turn to medium heat, and check every now and then that they aren’t bubbling over, and the liquid isn’t gone. Once the brats are no longer frozen, you can just remove from the heat, and either grill them, or pan fry them. Pretty simple.

Once grilled or pan fried… they’re pretty much ready to eat. Just put into a bun (if you can), add your cheese, catsup, yellow mustard and a bunch of fresh Cilantro. Personally, I have to say I was a little leery about how it would taste when I thought this all up… but I have to say… “OMG! It was good!” (and hence why I decide to tell everyone about it).

Key points:

• Cilantro, according to Ayurveda, helps with all pitta (heat excess) disorders, meaning that it can help release some of that extra heat I gained today. Cilantro is also great for helping with digestion, and is also used in issues of skin problems, hot inflammations, allergies and hay fever, sore throat, as well as other things that are pretty common during this time of year. Cilantro juice is also great on the skin.
• Yellow Mustard has turmeric in it (that’s what makes it yellow). Turmeric also is great for digestion, and also helps in the digestion of proteins (like the proteins in the cheese, bun and brat).
• Catsup, is actually fairly heating to the system because of the tomatoes, so if you want to skip that… do