An After the Holiday's Meal - Vegan Protein Spaghetti

You know that after the holiday's feeling - the feeling of being bloated from eating too much of what you don't normally eat?  The feeling of will I ever get back to normal again?  The first full week of January should be called "Reset Week."  It's the week of reflecting, getting back to work (both training and actual work), getting back to those healthy foods!  So after my 45 minute strength training session yesterday, I hit Whole Foods.  I mean who doesn't walk out of Whole Foods feeling super-uber healthy, like you just lost 5 lbs and you have this massive glow and giddiness, or it could be from the feeling that you just spent $150 on 3 bags and you have NO CLUE what you just bought cause it looked so good....

I picked up some organic kale that was on sale for $1.99 a bunch.  I am really trying to stay with organic fruits/veggies while being pregnant.  I got some fancy mushrooms from a local place in Jersey and some zucchini.  I have also had massive cravings for veggies while pregnant (I guess very good).  I remembered I had a bag of black bean spaghetti.  This stuff has 20 grams of protein in it and is vegan and gluten-free.

Vegan Protein Spaghetti (print recipe here)

Ingredients

2 zucchini/yellow squash
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 large red onion
1 cup chopped kale
1 tsp Earth Balance (or butter)
1 package of black bean spaghetti (or mung bean pasta)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley.

Sauce
1 Tbsp Earth Balance
3 chopped garlic cloves
1/4 cup mellow white miso
1 Tbsp tahini
1 cup pasta water

Directions

Boil water for pasta and cook pasta for approximately 5-6 minutes (noodles cook quickly - similar to soba noodles).
Heat saute pan to medium heat, melt Earth Balance and saute chopped onions for about 3-5 minutes, add mushrooms, zucchini and kale and cook until soft. 
To make sauce use a separate pan, saute garlic in Earth Balance for about 2 minutes, add miso and tahini.  Slowly add 1/4 cup of pasta water and mix until smooth consistency.  Continue adding pasta water until 1 cup.
Add chopped parsley.
Mix veggies sauce and pasta and serve.

Training Fuel Recipes

Been posting a lot of "food porn" on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter (who doesn't have 18 accounts of social media now?), or at least what I consider food porn.

I have been promising some recipes so during my taper week where I actually have the extra hour and maybe a couple more because there is nothing else on TV....I decided to put together a post with my 8 go-to recipes especially in and around heavy training/race time.  I like to go mostly gluten-free (sometimes I have to throw in a non-GF) during this time.  I can't quite give up dairy and I know it doesn't agree with me so I just down-size and give myself a little cheese when needed...

Vegetable Mung Bean Pasta with Miso Tahini Sauce
(recipe by the Daily Garnish) except I add Mung Bean Pasta...

This dish is creamy (almost dairy-like) and when adding the mung bean pasta it adds another 20 grams of protein and its Gluten Free.  Check out the link for the recipe but I have been making it at least once a week to have left overs, I found it is a great recovery food after a run/bike!

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Parsely Orzo Salad
(print recipe)

Ingredients
1 lb of chicken breasts
2 tspn olive oil
Various Seasonings (I use TJ's 21 seasoning salute)
Sea Salt

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 handful of fresh parsely chopped
2 tbspn romano cheese

1 bag Orzo
1 red onion
1 bell pepper
Lettuce (assorted)


Directions
1.  Let chicken marinate in various seasoning and olive oil in bag or container and grill.
2.  Combine dressing ingredients and put to side
3.  Boil orzo to al dente
4.  Chop/dice red onion, bell pepper.

Done - wasn't that easy!!



Chicken Sausage Butternut Squash Chili
(print recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 package of TJ's jalepeno chicken sausage sliced
• 1 lb of butternut squash chopped small
• 1 tbsn olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can cannelloni beans
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Cilantro
• 1 jalepeno chopped
• 1 avocado chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime squirted at end

Directions
Saute with olive oil, garlic onions and butternut squash for about 10 min. 
Add sausage, spices, tomatoes, beans, chicken broth and bring to boil. 
Let simmer until squash is soft.
Serve with cilantro, chopped jalepenos, lime juice and sliced avocado.

Asian Quinoa 
(print recipe)

Ingredients
10 sugar snap peas
1/2 cucumber diced
2 scallions diced
1 red onion diced
1 bell pepper (any color) diced
1 handful of cilantro chopped
1 avocado diced
1 cup of edamame

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Dressing
Brown rice vinegar
Tamari
Sesame oil
TJ Sesame Ginger Vinagrette

Directions
Rinse quinoa, add to water in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer covered until no liquid.  I like mine crunchy versus soft so I don't let it go the full time.
Add to all veggie ingredients.
For dressing I add equal parts of all but not really measured so a dash of each and then if it needs to be wetter I add more vinegar.
And, lastly, this little gem that I did last night when Yasi came over for our Mooseman planning!!

Mexican Quinoa
(print recipe)

I can't make this NOT upside down...

  The only addition to the old recipe was that I added green salsa and cumin to the dressing  and put it over my dad's lettuce he is growing in the yard!  I also worked in some ground turkey breast to give me a little extra protein.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (I used a red/white mix)
3/4 can black beans
1 bell pepper (any color)
1/2 cucumber
1 jalepeno
1/2 red onion
2 limes
1 tbspn olive oil
cumin
salt/pepper

Directions

Rinse quinoa, and add to water in small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer and cover until quinoa is done.

Make a salad with spinach, chopped veggies (cucumber, pepper, jalepeno, red onion), and juice of 2 limes and olive oil and toss.

Add in quinoa and salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Make a salad with spinach, chopped veggies (cucumber, pepper, jalepeno, red onion), and juice of 2 limes and olive oil and toss.

Add in quinoa and salt and pepper.  Enjoy!  Add in some green salsa if you need more "dressing" for the salad.

Best part of the Mexican Quinoa is you can add eggs and put in sprouted corn tortillas for breakfast!

And lastly, we started a new batch of our Nightstalker Stout...(recipe will be coming...)

Cheers as I get ready to finish up the work day and pack for New Hampshire!!

Willpower

By definition willpower means self-control.  So during Lent, I usually give up something, versus doing something.  I feel that I should be "doing something" all the time...like being nice, not gossiping, giving to the poor.  No worries, I am not turning this into some kind of religious post.

One year it was meat, which ended up being too easy....so I contemplated what indulgences/loves I have...

Triathlons - can't this actually helps my well-being and physical health
Wine/Beer - ah, I can do a detox at any point in time for a couple weeks to a month

 SHOPPING - I did this two years ago and it was the hardest 6 weeks.

The feeling I get when I go shopping is something very similar to an exert of Sophia Kinsella's Confession of a Shopaholic. I probably could write my own book.

“That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag—and all the gorgeous new things inside it become yours. What’s it like? It’s like going hungry for days, then cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast. It’s like waking up and realizing it’s the weekend. It’s like the better moments of sex. Everything else is blocked out of your mind. It’s pure, selfish pleasure.”-  Sophie Kinsella, Confessions of a Shopaholic


So I decided this would be very appropriate again, especially as I was reviewing the latest Nordstroms book that came in the mail, putting sticky notes in my latest Lucky magazine and closed two windows on my computer with full carts at Shopbop and TeamEstrogen.  This was all by 7:30am.

In light of all this, I decided I should post some of my recent tri-purchases (things I ABSOLUTELY needed)....I'm actually serious on that note.

Biking:
Betty Designs Pink Cycling Jersey and Bib Shorts.  My purple one was destroyed in the bike accident.  I wasn't sure about the bib shorts, I never had a pair but I love the color too much to discriminate!

Running:
Brooks Pure Cadence - needed another pair, treads were low...check out the review on these shoes here

Swimming:
This suit is great, I bought this Betty Design suit a month ago and have been loving it, not only the style which is totally me, but the comfort of this suit is spot on.  Ran true to size.

So until April 10th....


And finally, I promised to post my fantastic recipe I whipped up last night!

Miso Tofu and Edamame Black Bean Quinoa

Print recipe here

Tofu and Marinade
2 tbspn mellow white miso
2 tbspn tamari (or soy)
2 tbspn brown rice vinegar
2 tbspn maple syrup or rice syrup
2 tspn garlic hummus
1 block of tofu chopped into small squares

Mix marinade together in small bowl and put tofu in bowl, let sit for 20 min.

Bake tofu on baking sheet for total 30 min at 400 degrees.  At 15 minutes, turn tofu over add more marinade, and put back in oven.

Edamame Black Bean Quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 yellow bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion diced
3 spring onions diced
1 handful of cilantro chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/2 cup edamame
1/2 cup black beans (rinsed)

Rinse quinoa, add to water, and bring to a boil.  Simmer until done (about 20 min).  Add the next 7 ingredients to cooked quinoa. 

I use Trader Joe's Sesame Ginger Vinagrette (it has no fat) or I use tamari, rice vinegar, little olive oil, and sesame seeds.  I also like using Sirachi on top.

Eat together!