Tag: healthy

Will Run for Carbs

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I’ve been running more lately. Training for a 10k to be exact.

And I can’t tell you the last time I made pasta. Or craved pasta.

But tonight, as I wandered the aisles of the grocery store, all I could think about was spaghetti. The saucy goodness of noodles topped with Parmesan cheese.

I had the idea to make the sauce of scratch, and it was one of my finer moments.

So I give you Spaghetti with blush mushroom ragu.

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What you need:

  • One 28 oz. can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • Fresh mushrooms, half the container
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • Fresh oregano
  • Dried basil and parsley
  • Half and half
  • Butter
  • Spaghetti noodles
  • Parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan, heat up the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Add in the oregano, parsley and basil to taste. Simmer while you cook your mushrooms and garlic in a saute pan with a little olive oil.

Puree your sauce with an immersion blender. Then add the mushrooms and garlic. Let it simmer while you cook the noodles.

Right before you’re ready to plate it up, add a dab of butter and a splash of half and half or heavy cream. This will give it a nice blush color. And it will cut through some of the acidity in the tomatoes. Trust me…you want to do this.

I combined the noodles with the sauce because I like it mixed together. And then I topped it with lots of cheese.

Hands down, one of the best post-run meals. And it was super easy. Only downfall is having more than one dish to wash. But I think I’ll live.

The Art of Balance

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“Balance, that’s the secret. Moderate extremism. The best of both worlds.” – Edward Abbey

The idea of moderate extremism is very appealing, even though it’s difficult to find. The middle of the extremes. What does that even mean?

I’ve come up with my own explanation, and it’s called “what I ate for supper.”

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What we have here is a frozen pizza and a fresh, green salad. The two extremes.

Green, crisp vegetables meets processed, ready-in-minutes pizza. And I love them both equally. Some days I crave a salad. Other days I crave pizza. And today I wanted them both. So I did just that.

I didn’t eat the whole pizza like I’ve been known to do. And I did make sure half my plate was vegetables. So that, to me, is the best attempt I could make with creating moderate extremism.

(Not pictured was the cup of coffee and six Oreos I had before this delightful meal.)

This is just a reminder that we are still human. And pizza, even the frozen variety, is still delicious. And vegetables don’t have to take over your whole plate every day for the rest of your life, unless you choose it.

Balance is an art. It’s an effort we must work for daily. In life, love and food. So don’t feel bad if you ate a few too many tacos, or if you didn’t get a run in one day. It all balances out in the end, if you make the effort.

The Runner’s Breakfast

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It’s Saturday. And I ran this morning.

In an effort to curb my hunger pang, I made an omelette. And you know how much I love an omelette. But as all hunger driven, rushed breakfast fixin’ times in my life, my creation did not turn out very pretty.

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But was it incredibly delicious? YES!

When I was thinking about breakfast this morning as I sipped my hazelnut coffee, I decided I wanted an omelette with ham. I never choose ham. It’s just not my favorite. But sometimes when I crave eggs, I want to throw some ham in there.

What you need:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 thin slices of Black Forest ham
  • 1/4 bell pepper, color of your choice
  • 1/2 shallot
  • Kerrygold butter
  • White cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Salsa
  • Avocado
  • Salt and pepper

Saute the bell pepper and shallot in melted Kerrygold butter until softened. Dice up the ham, and throw it in there. Let it cook together for a few minutes so the flavors combine. Salt lightly, pepper liberally. Scramble up your eggs with a little half and half. Pour over the ham and veggie mixture. Cook until eggs are the consistency you like. Add cheese, and let it get melty.

Plate it up, and top it with your favorite salsa and half an avocado. Or whatever toppings you like.

The salty ham is so delightful with the eggs. And I can tell you my breakfast was gone in a matter of bites. When I run longer distances, I feel famished. And this morning was no different. So the protein of the eggs and ham hit the spot.

There’s a good chance I will make another one for lunch today. It’s just that good.

Oven BBQ Chicken

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I love to make BBQ chicken out on the grill. There’s nothing better than those chargrilled BBQ bits of chicken. 

But I’m not allowed to have a grill on my porch. Dang, apartment building rules. 

So I improvised to fulfill my need to BBQ grilled chicken.   

What you need:

  • Chicken cutlets
  • BBQ sauce 
  • Salt and pepper 
  • Vegetable side items 

Heat up the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the chicken cutlets in BBQ sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.

After 20 minutes are up, switch the oven to broil. Pour more BBQ sauce on the chicken and broil in five minute intervals, adding new coats of BBQ sauce as you go, until the edges get crispy. 

While the chicken bakes, fix up the side items. I chose sautéed okra and a baked sweet potato. 

Okra is my favorite summer vegetable, and you can never go wrong with a sweet potato in my book.  

So easy and quick and absolutely delicious. You won’t even miss the whole grill thing. 

The Dinner of Denial

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I’ve been home from the beach for a week. And all last week I didn’t cook one night. Not one. 

Denial. 

So tonight to break my bad habit of piecing together weird combinations for supper, I made something simple and delicious. 

And it’s beach inspired. 

  
You don’t need much to make this. And I love that. The less effort the better. And it doesn’t lack in flavor. 

Old Bay Sautéed Shrimp and Roasted Asparagus

  • Shrimp
  • Kerrygold butter
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • Asparagus 
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Prep the asparagus but chopping off the woody stem. Lightly coat in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. (I’d usually use fresh minced garlic, but I’m out right now.) Cook for 12-15 minutes, depending on size. 

While the oven’s heating, peel the shrimp and coat with salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. 

Heat a pan and melt a nice amount of butter. Toss in the shrimp. Add more Old Bay seasoning, if you like. I love it so I added more. Cook until pink. 

Plate it up and enjoy.