The Runner's Kitchen

 Some runs (like last weekend’s 14-miler) are awesome and others….not so much. Last night I headed out the door for a post-work run and felt crappy for most of the 4.5 miles.  Maybe it was my frustrating day at work, maybe I was just tired.  I guess I can’t really be sure,  but at least the bad runs help you appreciate the good ones even more. I got 8+ hours of sleep last night, so here’s hoping today is a better day!

When I returned from my run, I crafted a giant salad. There’s nothing like fresh veggies and whole foods to chase away the winter blahs.

I chopped up some organic hearts of romaine, added leftover roasted beets, great northern beans, dried cherries, chopped walnuts, a big scoop of cottage cheese, and lots of hot sauce. Sounds weird, I know. But it was delicious! I love the combo of cottage cheese and hot sauce – the creamy and fiery flavors compliment each other perfectly.

And then I put on my baking apron! I’ve been itching to try the black bean brownie recipe created by Christine (NoMeatAthlete’s resident baker), but I used what I had on hand and made some modifications.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (use a good quality brand such as Ghiradelli)
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 Tbs chocolate chips
• 1/2 can white beans (or any kind that you have on hand), rinsed and filled with new water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 8″ x 8″ baking pan
• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients
• Puree the beans and the water they are canned in
• Add pureed beans, vanilla, and additional water to dry mixture
• Mix thoroughly and then pour into baking pan
• Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating pan half-way through cooking time
• Keep an eye on the brownies – you don’t want the edges to overcook!
• Allow brownies to cool completely and then cut into 9 squares

These brownies are incredibly moist and the serving size is BIG! I hate it when a “serving” of something is puny. These big, fudgy, moist brownies will satisfy your chocolate craving while providing a good dose of fiber and protein.

I know that using pureed beans instead of butter, eggs, or oil is a little unconventional, but I promise these are yummy. When Alma found out that the brownies were made with beans she was skeptical, but after taste-testing she was very impressed. Try this recipe, you’ll like it!

Nutritional stats per serving (based on 9 servings): 215 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 5.5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber.

Do you ever bake with “unconventional” ingredients?

Before you go – check out my latest True/Slant article: Lose weight, gain speed?

October – I love it. Ever since I can remember, October has been my favorite month: pumpkins, apple pie, fall foliage, haunted hay rides, cross-country season, Halloween costumes (and candy!), what’s not to love?

After Wednesday night’s fancy-pants dinner (so worth it), I buckled down and was economical from morning ’till night. I was up at 8am on Thursday  making pinto beans and brown rice on the stove. Yep, I know that’s weird, but I had plans to run after work so I wanted to do most of the prep work in advance.

I started off the morning with some green tea and then decided that I wanted coffee. I missed my morning ritual! I used 1/2 serving of coffee grounds and once I added my usual splash of 1%, it tasted more like coffee-flavored milk than anything else. But I actually kind of liked it. I think I’m going to start having 1/2 cups from now on and see how that goes…

Breakfast was another bowl ‘o overnight oats at my desk. Delicious, but it left me freezing cold! I think it’s time to switch to hot oatmeal.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 6 oz plain, low-fat Stonyfield Farm yogurt
• splash of 1% milk
• 1.5 bananas
• dried cherries
• Tbs PB2
• peanut butter chips (candy!)
• sprinkle of cinnamon

I also packed a very wholesome lunch (using more of my free sample of Nature’s Pride bread).

I filled two slices of 12-grain bread with Sabra’s supremely spicy hummus (love.this.brand), mozzarella cheese, and spinach.

And a local MacIntosh apple with a wedge of laughing cow cheese on the side. Mmm, I always forget how much I love the combo of sweet apples + savory cheese.

Afternoon snack was a couple adora calcium supplements (have to remind myself that these are vitamins NOT candy…) and salt & pepper pistachios.

pistachios x2

After dashing home from work, I threw on my running clothes and headed out the door. My goal: pick-up my race number and packet for Saturday’s 1/2 marathon. Ahhh! Can’t believe I am doing this. T-minus 24 hours.

Since I prepped most of dinner in the morning (yay rice & beans!), I was able to eat as soon as I cooled down from my evening 4-mile run.

Brown rice + pinto beans + sauteed spinach & onion + soy sauce = din-din

And for dessert, I had some hazlenut gelato topped off with a few stroopwafels (caramel wafer cookies). It may be October, but I will eat ice cream year round. And that’s a promise.

30 Day No-Meat Challenge Update: Well, yesterday marked the end of the 30 day no-meat challenge. I’m happy to say that not eating meat for a month was not very difficult. There were a few times that meat seemed appetizing (burgers grilling over an open flame smell pretty darn good), but I didn’t really crave it too much. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about eating meat from now on. I’m hesitant to use the label “vegetarian” because I really love all sorts of foods and I feel like that puts strict limits on my choices. Instead,  I might follow Christine’s example and occasionally eat meat when I dine out (but not purchase it or prepare it myself). But for the next short while at least I will remain meat-free, stay tuned for updates!

By the way, yesterday (October 1st) was World Vegetarian Day and I believe October is Vegetarian Awareness month. How timely!

Question: What is your favorite vegetarian dish? I need recipe ideas!

I always have the following items in my pantry. I can’t live without them!

1) Apples – perfect with peanut butter, dipped in yogurt, chopped up in oatmeal.

2) Dried and frozen fruit – good additions to yogurt, smoothies, and baked goods.

3) Yogurt – calcium and protein!

4) Dried beans – cheap and full of fiber

5) Eggs - another inexpensive source of protein, essential for baking

6) Oatmeal – in bowl or  in a cookie, I love oats!

7) Coffee and milk – Necessary upon waking.
Olive oil and vinegar – the perfect salad dressing and great for grilled veggies.

9) Whole grain bread/bagels – the variety and brand changes, but keeping it in the freezer keeps it fresh. Right now I’m lovin’ Rudi’s Organic bagels.

10) Peanut Butter – The perfect food.

And finally – COOKIES! These may not be necessary, but they sure do make me happy

Last night, Alma and I got together for a Boston trip planning session and a yummy dinner. Alma had a great family recipe for beans & rice (the Mediterranean version). We paired our delicious food with some red wine – it was a very fun Monday evening!

To begin, Alma chopped the garlic, shallots, and onion.

Next, we sauteed the garlic, shallots, and onion in olive oil, until brown.

To the mixture, we added a large can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of black beans (un-drained), 1 1/2 cups of brown rice (un-cooked), 1 1/2 cups of water, 2 bay leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes (and maybe some other spices that I am forgetting….). Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 45-50 minutes. I used this time to google all of the Dunkin’ Donuts within a 100 mile radius of the Marathon start…

Alma’s (not so) secret family recipe:

While the rice & beans were cooking, we made some chicken. We coated the chicken breasts with garlic powder, ground pepper, and salt.

Next, we sauteed the chicken in olive oil until brown and slightly crispy.

Getting ready to eat and drink a little wine

Yum! This dinner was full of fiber, protein, healthy carbs, and deliciousness. Boston Marathon, here we come!

EDIT: Alma just sent me the official recipe-

Ingredients

olive oil
1 head garlic
1 Spanish onion
2 shallots
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans black beans (15.5 oz each)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 bay leaves
crushed red pepper (about a teaspoon)
oregano (about a teaspoon)
basil (a bit)
1.5 cups long grain brown rice

Instructions

heat olive oil
sauté onion and shallots
after a minute or so, add the garlic
sauté until the garlic starts to brown, adding more (or A LOT more) oil as necessary
add crushed tomatoes and black beans, vinegar, bay leaves, crushed red pepper, oregano and basil and stir well
add 1.5 cups long grain brown rice and (approximately) 1.5 cups water and stir well
bring to a boil
reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 50 minutes
let sit 5 minutes or so
Enjoy!

And last, but not least, I leave you with a very classy photo: icing my foot under my desk at work. The injuries, aches, and pains just keep crawling out of the woodwork.

Running makes me hungry and good food can cost a lot of money (there’s a reason why Whole Foods is nicknamed “Whole Paycheck”). In the spirit of eating cheaply, yet healthfully here is a list of my favorite budget meals:

• whole wheat mac and cheese with steamed veggies
• peanut butter and banana on whole grain toast
• baked potato with salsa and cheese
• brown rice, beans, and spinach
• oatmeal, chopped apple, and peanut butter
• frittata with cheese and leftover veggies
• pasta with olives, sundried tomatoes, and tuna