Recipe Friday? Pesto Chicken with Spaghetti Squash & Snow Peas

Pesto Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Snow Peas

• 1 spagehtti squash, cooked and shredded
• 1 small bag of frozen snowpeas, steamed (I did it in the microwave to save time)
• 4 chicken cutlets, diced and marinated in about 3 T pesto sauce for about 2 hours
• 1 extra heaping spoonful of pesto sauce to mix in with the spaghetti squash
• Some chopped walnuts for crunch
  

Basically I cooked the squash for about 45 minutes to an hour at 400 (make sure you either cut it in half, or poke holes in it...my co-worker stuck one in the oven whole and it exploded in her oven and blew the door open). Then I sauteed the chicken after it had marinated, and cooked the snowpeas.

After the squash was done I mixed in a bit of the pesto sauce with it (was almost too greasy since the sauce was not homemade) and topped it with the snowpeas and chicken. I also added some walnuts on the top for crunch. (I didn't use all of the squash, only enough for me and Matt. There is usually leftovers when we make one of these.) The chicken was definitely the best part!! It was so flavorful, and so easy to make.

Matt said the squash was a little bland but I didn't mind it. Next time though, I would probably mix the squash with some tomato sauce of some sort or either just some diced tomatoes to cut down on the grease factor. Either way though, it was a quick and pretty healthy dinner.

I also thought I would show the differences between the green smoothies that I have become so quickly addicted to.

Spinach vs. Kale Green Smoothies

Spinach

Kale

Both of these smoothies were made with about the same amount of ingredients:

• 3+ cups of greens (whatever I could fit into the blender)
• 4-6 ice cubes
• <1 cup Plain Soy Milk Light
  
• 1 banana (actually I only used a 1/2 in this morning's spinach smoothie because I used a ton of spinach and didn't know if it would all fit)
• 1 spoonful of PB (left that out with this morning's spinach one b/c I have RAN OUT)
• (Sometimes I add ground flax seeds for an extra boost of healthy Omega-3 fats)
  

All in all, I would say that if you're new to drinking these Green Monsters (as Angela would call them) I would start off with a spinach one because the spinach blends much easier into a liquidy drink, and it's hard to even taste it. If you will notice, it get pretty frothy at the top. These tend to take on the flavor of the banana and the milk more so than the spinach.

When you use kale, it is more detectable since it is a more sturdy green in general. I tend to like them both, and only used spinach this morning because I was out of my organic kale that I bought earlier in the week. Kale smoothies are more gritty? I would say. Not in a bad way, but the green doesn't blend as smooth as the spinach does.

Benefits of kale: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Benefits of spinach: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

{Sorry for the weird pics, but I have started making these babies at work. Yes, everyone here thinks I'm crazy. Yes, they give me weird looks. But the blender here is sooo much better than my food processor at home!}

***
Check out my Barney Butter review if you haven't already, and stay tuned for more product & food reviews to come soon!

My first run post-marathon will come tonight and I promise I will get back to running related rambles after that. I think I'm just going to go out on a easy 4.5 miler to get back into the game. I'm also planning a bridge bike ride tomorrow morning and possibly an 8 miler on Sunday. So pumped for the weekend! Going to beach it up!

Golden Beet Chips + Kale Smoothies + Tag You're It!

Good morning folks! The lovely RunningLaur tagged me in this craziness, so here goes!

8 Things to which I am looking forward:

• Running my first marathon next Saturday!
• Hanging out with my family & friends in NC before/after the marathon next weeekend
  
• Going to the beach A LOT this summer
• Getting a sweet ass tan
• More green smoothies! (I just discovered these, love them)
• Wild West Relay in August!
• Meeting more people through this blog :)
• Training for Wild West Relay + other post-marathon races (MCM? Chicago?)
  

8 Things I did yesterday

• Had my first green smoothie which I loved
  
• Skipped my 4 mile run to come home and snack/watch trashy TV (i.e. Real Housewives) while he BF was at school
  
• Went to Whole Foods at lunch and got some sweet deals (avocados for $1.69??)
  
• Found out I am 2 months behind on cell phone bill. Crap.
• Talked to my mom! (Who was going to the Jimmy Buffet concert last night!)
• Made yummy BBQ baked chicken (that I haven't actually tasted yet, but it looked/smelled great!)
• Was really sore from Monday night's run
• Paid bills and got really depressed at my lack of fund$
  

8 Things I wish I could do/I want to do

• Plan my yearly international vacay (prob not going to happen this year)
  
• Spend my days doing something I LOVE vs. kind of like
  
• Work more on making myself happy vs. relying on others to prop me up
  
• Hike more! Go to the mountains more. Visit Colorado or Utah or Washington state.
  
• Run another marathon this year & do it faster than my first
  
• Meet more people in Charleston!
• Visit a good friend in Seattle
• Start cycling!
  

8 Shows I watch (we don't have DVR anymore, so I'm not really a regular of anything other than the first 4)

• LOST
• Amazing Race
• Real Housewives
• The Office
  
• Grey's (sometimes)
• Seinfeld re-runs
• Family Guy (with the boy)
• ER (well, it's not on anymore, but I have been a long time fan! Love Dr. Green)
  

And I tag these eight people (if you've already been tagged/hate doing these/just don't want to, completely okay with me):

• RedHead
• JustRun
• JoyRun
• Julianne
• Amanda
• TFH
• Abbie
• Sweet and Fit

Nothing much new to report today, but thought I would share with you some yummy things I cooked/whipped up yesterday and this morning. I bring to you...Golden Beet Chips!!


I found this recipe one day while I was searching for kale chips, and it looked so good I had to try it! The original calls for baking these in a 325 oven and just keeping an eye on them "for a few minutes" until they're done. I would say these baked for maybe 20 minutes or so, and they weren't getting crunchy enough to I yanked the heat up to 400 for about 5 more minutes and they crisped up! Although, I don't have a mandolin so I think if mine had been potato chip thin 325 would have been okay.

These definitely tasted like beets, so if you don't like beets, don't make them! But I like beets and with enough heat/olive oil/sea salt, I can trick myself into thinking anything is tasty :) That being said, I ate the entire golden beet on my own (like you think the boo would eat beet chips? Yeah right.) and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely make it again! This was my first time actually cooking a raw beet, pretty cool! (I have only eaten the canned pickled kind before.)

Also tried a kale smoothie this morning, and I must say, it tasted healthier than yesterday's spinach smoothie and was so light and refreshing!!


In this one I added 2 big kale stalks (hard stem removed), 1 chopped pink apple (skin and all), 2/3 cup soy milk light, & 4 ice cubes. Very, very good. I like to chew on something for breakfast though, so had a slice of whole wheat double fiber toast with PB to help fill me up.

***
Yes, I skipped my run yesterday. I was so sore, so I just came home and relaxed and stretched. Tonight I will be heading out on a run though, 4-6 depending on how I feel!

Thanks for everyone's comments on my upcoming race, I really don't think I would have been able to keep up this grueling training on my own without the support of all of you out there! Seriously!

Since I don't have too many people in my life who are big fans of running/eating as healthy as I do, it's been such an eye opener to have all of you out there to answer my running questions, inspire me to run further/faster/longer, and to generally propel me forward through this training! So THANK YOU!

Recipe: Gnocchi & Chicken Vegetable Soup

I posted about this a few days ago, and got a request to share the recipe so here goes! This is simple and easy and could easily be adapted to add different veggies and a different starch. I also used most of the meat from a rotisserie chicken that I picked up last minute, but I could have eaten this without the meat as well. (I have to satisfy my carnivore boyfriend!)


Gnocchi & Chicken Vegetable Soup

• 2/3 of the meat from one store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed
  
• 3 carrots, cleaned, skinned and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bag frozen corn
• 1/2 bag frozen okra
• 1/2 bunch kale, washed and chopped (stems removed)
• 4 low-sodium chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6-7 cups water
• 1 package gnocchi (potato dumplings)
• Herbs & spices (I used what I had on hand, dried oregano, basil and a bit of cumin)
• S & P to taste
• Olive Oil
  

Start by heating up some olive oil in a large soup pot, and then add the onion and garlic. Sautee until translucent. Add in the carrots and cook for a bit in the oil and onion mixture. Start adding in the water, a few cups at a time until the pot is about 1/2 full. Add the bouillon,* stir and let cook through until the cubes are dissolved (just a few minutes). I added a few pieces of the skin here to add flavor and then removed it before I added the veggies, but you can skip that if you would like. :)

Then add the rest of your frozen veggies, the bay leaves, and your other spices. Cover the pot and let cook on medium to medium high heat for 10 minutes. Then Add in the chicken and the kale and cover and let cook for 10 more minutes.

You can actually let the soup cook for an hour or more, the longer it simmers the longer all of the spices and other flavors will mingle together. It just depends on how much time you have and/or how hungry the mouths are you're feeding. :)

Add the gnocchi at the end, and when it floats it's done! Usually only takes about 5 minutes. Add S & P to taste (remember that the chicken and the stock are probably already heavily salted). Remove bay leaves before eating.

A note here on gnocchi:
This was my first time cooking with these yummy dumplings, and I just happened to pick up a package from the pasta aisle at Target a few weeks ago. Upon further inspection, I realized they were made with dehydrated potato flakes and some other unappealing things, and I could definitely taste that in the soup! Apparently they are super easy to make, so here are a few links to some recipes. (I think Sweet Potato or Pumpkin would be a serious UPGRADE! I plan on trying that sometime soon.)

Mario Batali's Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Gnocchi!
Pumpkin Gnocchi from Delicious Days
How to Make Homemade Gnocchi from Bitchincamero
Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon and Garlic Greens (Kale!)

Here is a video showing you how to make your own!

Italian Food:How To Make Gnocchi


*You can also use powdered bouillion as well, it's harder to find in low-sodium though and more expensive so I usually stick to the cubes. They also sell veggie bouillion, but still harder to find in low-sodium.

Kale Chips & A (Good) Week in Running

Good morning everyone! I am so glad that today is Friday! I have a ton to do this weekend, and it's supposed to rain ALL weekend so I suppose that is fine by me...although I would prefer that it holds off until about noon tomorrow when I'm done with my long run...

I already posted about my easy 8 miler last night, I finished 8.0 miles in 1:19. I have been so worried about my upcoming marathon recently, but this week has really helped to ease my mind. Although my long run Sunday didn't go as planned, I almost made up for it with my 11+ miler Monday night that went swimmingly. Then Wednesday I had a short track workout (pretty tame, wish I had had time for more sprints), and of course last night's run which went great.

The only running regret I have from this week, is that I couldn't have done more on Wednesday at the track. Next week I would like to run 5-6 miles then do 2x100m, 2x200m, and 2x400m.

I haven't really been doing anything more than 6 miles during the week up until now, so from here on out I will be on schedule by adding one (at least) 8 mile run (easy or tempo), one 5-6 mile + sprints track workout, and one 6 mile hill run.

Last night after my run, I wasn't all that hungry but we had pulled some salmon out to cook so I baked some of that up with some Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and breadcrumbs. Didn't really love it with the breadcrumbs, but that seasoning is always good. The I finally made kale chips! They have been all over blogs lately, and if you google 'roasted kale' you can pretty much find a dozen or more articles on it.

So simple and yummy. It's even Matt approved!!* Here's how you make 'em:

Roasted Kale or "Kale Chips"
-Preheat oven to 375
-Wash and dry as much kale as you want (I used about half a bunch)
-Chop it up into desired pieces and try to remove the hard stems
-Toss with extra virgin olive oil
-Bake on baking sheet for about 5 minutes; take out and turn kale over and bake for another few minutes. (If it's turning too dark, it's burning so just be on the lookout.)
-Take out and drizzle with sea salt.

Finished Product:



Not the best picture, but these do kind of taste like potato chips! I will be making this a lot in the future. Too, too good! (LiLu, I have even seen people putting ketchup on these babies! You especially need to try.)

And if you didn't know, "the beautiful leaves of the kale plant provide an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around." To read more about why kale is one of the world's healthiest foods, click here.

Some other pics from breakfast this morning:



I made a mixture of oats and multi-grain hot cereal with milled flax and soy. I used 1/2 mushed banana, 1 packet Splenda, some light vanilla soy milk, water, 1/2 scoop vanilla soy protein, spoonful of natural chunky PB, some cinnamon and vanilla, and one chopped plum on top. It actually wasn't all that great. I think I had too much hot cereal and not enough oats! But the plum was FANTASTIC. I cannot believe I haven't been eating those until recently.

This week has truly been a fruit-filled week! I mentioned yesterday all the fruits I had eaten that day, and realized after posting that I had forgotten to mention the tangerine! So I really probably ate too much fruit yesterday (if that's even possible).

I have really been putting an effort into eating fresh fruit and veggies in almost every one of my meals lately, and I can definitely tell a positive difference in how I feel, my energy level, and my metabolism (i.e. how often I poo...hehe). I think Matt is even enjoying eating more fruits and veggies lately.

Well must get to work, but I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday and an even better weekend. I probably won't be running today, to give my legs some rest for tomorrow's long run. But since I have my big test coming up on Tuesday, so I will be studying (and running) ALL weekend.

*My wonderful boyfriend Matt has been described by his family as only eating things that are "round and covered in cheese." We have been living together for almost two years now and I am pleased to say that he now likes most vegetables, especially squashes, loves fruit and is generally eating many more things that are not round and not covered in cheese. He has also always said that he hates "all beans, especially green ones," but I have even wooed him with a green bean recipe that now he begs me to cook. Although he still loves his pizza and burgers, he is also pretty open when it comes to trying my health-nut recipes. So if something healthy is "Matt approved" you know is damn good.