Tri-Color Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yes, I do still have a blog and I do still cook all the time. Blogging isn't something that I'm very good at. I enjoy writing but would rather be creating or cooking.

I was watching Rachel Ray on Sunday morning before my 8 mile treadmill run and saw her making a risotto stuffed pepper and zucchini. One of the challenges that I enjoy is using what I have in the fridge and pantry and seeing what I can create that is similar. I would have been perfectly happy making Rachel's recipe, it looked delicious-but I didn't have any arborio rice. hmmm....

I started going through my pantry and came across some Trader Joe's organic tri-color quinoa. I pulled it out along with some petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and a carton of chicken stock. I had green, red, orange, and yellow bell peppers that needed to be used except the red peppers were moldy. Eww....so they were tossed.

Then, I started thinking about how I could prepare most of this ahead of time in order to make it to my 2nd evening run at 5pm with Anita. Oh, how I love coming home from a run and having most of my dinner READY. And my husband loves it too.

So here you go...

6 cloves of garlic, minced
one small sweet onion, minced
a pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil, divided
a pinch of dried basil
1 carton of good quality chicken or veggie stock
1 small can of tomato paste
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
2 cups of quinoa (I used tri-color quinoa but any type will work)
1 cup of panko crumbs
a small handful of shredded parmesan cheese
6 bell peppers (any color) washed and cleaned out inside, cut the top off
olive oil spray
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped (mint and parsley or basil would work)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a medium sized pot on low to medium, saute garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes with 1 tbs of olive oil. Once the onion is translucent in 5-7 minutes, add the dried basil. Then add the chicken stock and petite diced tomatoes and turn the heat up on high. Once it starts to boil, add the quinoa (rinse the quinoa if the package tells you too) and turn down the heat to low. It will take about 10-15 minutes but don't overcook the quinoa. Don't let it get mushy! Add the tomato paste and if it's a little watery still, don't worry about it.

Prepare the bell peppers by spraying a casserole dish (or 2 depending on the size) with olive oil spray. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and dig out everything inside. Place them ready to go in the casserole dish.

Then, prepare the crumb mixture in a small bowl by adding crumbs, cheese, and 1 tbs olive oil (or a little more). Feel free to use whole wheat crumbs.

When the quinoa is ready to go, spoon the mixture into each pepper. Once all six peppers are filled, add the crumb mixture on top.

Place in the oven lightly covered with tin foil for about 10-15 minutes. Then, for the remaining 5-10 minutes, take the tin foil off. The idea is to have the peppers gently cooked (soft) and the crumb mixture gently browned. Be careful not to burn the crumb mixture. I almost did, so watch the oven carefully.

Serve with lots of fresh parsley on top and it would be lovely with a side salad.

Quinoa has lots of protein in it so don't feel like you are missing it!

These stuffed peppers are great leftover too so make sure you make six of them! Your friends at work will be jealous of your lunch.

About carton chicken/veggie stocks: Don't buy Trader Joe's brand. It's pretty much the ONLY thing that I don't like at Trader Joe's. It is too thick and nasty, in my opinion. 

No Average Joe

While recipes are usually what I write about in my blog, I felt the urge to write about running only-no recipes today.

I've been running races since 1995 starting with the 10K. Over a long period of time, my running has evolved into something far beyond what I thought was possible. It's been a long progression with many ups and downs. It's been an adventure. And, even though I'm quite fulfilled in many other areas of my life, ultra running has become my passion.

I have never felt as if I had any talent as a runner. I guess if one were to find something defined as talent in me, it would be lack of injury proneness and having better than average endurance. Otherwise, even though I do pretty well in ultra events as a recreational runner, without the speed, I'm limited.

I'm okay with being limited because as I said earlier, my running has evolved into something far beyond what I thought was possible. I never thought I'd be able to run 100 mile races or 24 hour events and survive. I never knew that I had something in me deep down that wanted to do this-even though I fought it. I still fight it.

Along the way throughout my running, I've had influences-so many of them. I could probably list 10 people since 1995 who have encouraged and supported me such as my dad, Al. I did my first long run with dad- ran half marathon and 10ks with him, and he now comes out and supports/crews many of my ultra events. He's 77 years old and still running half marathons. RUNNING, not walking half marathons. I feel so blessed to have this bond with him. I know it's special.

My first 100 mile race was KEYS 100 in 2010. It took me over 3 years after my first ultra to run a 100 mile race. It was a big deal and I finished the darn thing. I told myself, and everyone else, that I'd never do another one again. 100 mile races are really crazy and one was enough.

Six months after KEYS 100,  while I was running the Peachtree City 50K and on my last 5ish mile loop (I'd run a marathon the day before so I was shuffling very slow), Joe Fejes came running up beside me. He was at the race running the 25K only because he'd finished Pinhoti 100 mile race just the weekend before. We were facebook friends and had mutual friends because we lived close to each other, but we had never actually met. He came up beside me to run with me so that he could ask me about KEYS 100. I told him not to do it. Just kidding....

So, after meeting him and adding him to the Hamilton Mill running club email list, he fit in very well with our club and ended up running with us on a regular basis. While many of his miles run with me were "junk" miles because he is quite a bit faster than me, he still saw value in it.  In fact, he played a huge role in helping Ami Roach get faster. When he first met Ami, she couldn't break 4 hours in the marathon. He encouraged her and pushed her. Ami's marathon PR is 3:21 now. Joe has helped her do this. He helped her because he truly likes helping people improve and excel in running. You can read about her here and here.   I think he enjoys helping others as much as fulfilling his own dreams as a runner.

Hinson Lake 24hr was my first actual 24 hour race and it was Joe's second.  We'd done some 100 mile races but when you finish under 24 hours as a 100 mile runner, a 24 hour race can seem daunting. I stopped at 100 miles in a little over 21 hours and Joe kept going. He kept going and finished in the low 130s. After the race, Vikena Yutz suggested to Joe that he try qualifying for the USATF 24 Hour Team. He had just finished the 24 hour- dehydrated, out of it, chafed, hungry, thirsty, not hungry, tired....but still,  when he listened very carefully to Vikena and her suggestion, he lit up. He wanted it.

Even though I love ultra running-just love it, the 24 hour race seems insane. And though I'm a decent ultra runner, running for 24 hours is just so hard. It hurts and honestly, I still don't know why I love it. How can someone love something so much that brings on so much pain?

Over a period of time as Joe improved his 24 hour event by completing 142 miles and qualifying for the USATF 24 Hour World Championships in Poland, I started to think that I wanted to try this. The idea of competing overseas with 35 other countries was intriguing. I wasn't sure I had a chance but with Joe's training guidance, I decided to start taking training even more seriously.

You can read about my race at North Coast 24 hour (September 2012)here.  I fell short of my goal of over 125 miles but decided that I have a chance at improvement. I may not be fast but I don't take breaks and know how to shuffle. So, in 2013, I'll be giving a 130+ mile in the 24 hour a shot again.

Joe went on to Poland to compete in the 24 hour USA World Championships, as the sixth male to qualify in 2012 completing 147 miles and was the 3rd American male finisher. Since then, he ran 156 miles at Desert Solstice 24 hour to qualify him again to compete in Worlds, and this was two weeks prior to his new world record in the 72 hour at Across the Years. He ran 329.6 miles in 72 hours this past weekend. Averaging 110 miles a day for three days is hard for even most ultra runners to fathom.

Joe Fejes isn't an average Joe at all. He is a coach, a mentor, and now a world record holder in ultra running. The Hamilton Mill Running Club is so glad to know Joe and have him a part of our group. He inspires us all to never stop pushing hard for our dreams and believe in things that seem out of reach, to not settle for something that we think is what we deserve, and to do what we love because this is our one shot at life.

Congratulations Joe. We are all proud of you.

"What Katie Ate" Cookbook Review

I got an email by the publishers of "What Katie Ate", which is for sale starting today, to write a cookbook review for my blog. I received this absolutely gorgeous cookbook in the mail, written by Katie Quinn Davies, a native of Dublin, Ireland who currently resides in Australia, and I just couldn't put the book down. Not only was it incredibly beautiful, between the amazing photographs (Katie is a food stylist and photographer) but I was really drawn to the eclectic fonts and page designs, almost like a scrapbook. I really enjoyed reading Katie's story that lead to her career and now the publishing of her first cookbook. 

Trying to figure out what to make was a challenge. So many recipes looked appealing to me, however since I don't eat pork or beef, I was able to narrow it down a little. 

My decision was to try out two recipes:

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tartlets with Balsamic Syrup

Baby Potatoes with Asparagus and Caper Dressing

The tartlet was going to be served as an appetizer and the potatoes and asparagus was a side dish to go along with grilled rosemary and lemon chicken breasts

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tartlets with Balsamic Syrup

1 large sheet good quality puff pastry

1 large free range egg yolk, mixed with a splash of milk

5 heaped tbs of caramelized onion jam (see recipe below)

6 oz good quality goat cheese, cut into thick rounds

3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked, plus extra sprigs to garnish

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of balsamic vinegar (use the best you can get)

4 tbs of light brown sugar

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 425* F.

Using a 5 inch round pastry cutter or a small bowl as a template, cut four rounds of pastry and place on a large nonstick or lined baking sheet. Score a 1 inch border around the edges of the rounds, being careful not to cut all the way through. Avoiding the border, prick the bases all over with a fork. Brush the borders with egg wash, taking care not to let the egg to run down the sides or the pastry will rise unevenly.

Again avoiding the border, divide the caramelized onion jam among the bases, spreading it out evenly. Place the round of goat cheese on top, then scatter with the thyme leaves and season with pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the puff pastry borders are golden and risen and the bases of the tartlets are cooked.

Meanwhile, place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add the brown sugar and simmer until the mixture becomes syrupy-it should coat the back of the spoon when it's ready. Set aside to cool and thicken.

Serve the tartlets drizzled with the balsamic syrup and scattered with thyme sprigs.

Caramelized Onion Jam 

4 large onions, peeled and finely sliced

2 tbs olive oil

sea salt flakes

3 tbs balsamic vinegar (plus a bit extra if required)

1 1/2 tbs light brown sugar

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Place the onions in a large, deep heavy-bottomed saucepan and drizzle with olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir the onions to coat throughly with the oil, then season with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes or until softened. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes, stirring frequently to scrape any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. 

Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to coat well. Continue to cook over low heat for another 30-45 minutes, again scraping all the sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a splash more vinegar if the jam becomes too sticky-the consistency should be that of a thick, luscious marmalade. Set aside to cool.

What did I think?

I thoroughly enjoyed these little tartlets. Goat cheese and caramelized onions? What's not to like? I think that if I made them for company, I'd definitely have the jam made ahead of time. My husband wasn't super excited about them, although he will eat anything I put in front of him. His response was, "You know I'm not a pastry guy, dear". My son? Well, no my son wouldn't try them. He doesn't like onions, among many other things these days. I bet his friends would have gobbled them up.

Baby Potatoes with Asparagus and Caper Dressing

Terrible iphone photo but I was too busy cooking and am not the best multi-tasker!

I love my lemon squeezer!!!

The caper dressing. Using recycled jars is the best way to mix dressings together

10 small-medium sized baby potatoes

1 tsp fine salt

1 large bunch thin asparagus (about 10 spears), woody ends removed, spears cut into 3/4 inch pieces

handful of watercress leaves, washed and torn

Caper Dressing

6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed and finely chopped

handful dill fronds, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Half-fill a large saucepan with cold water and add the potatoes and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked through. Drain and leave to cool completely before cutting into halves or quarters (depending on their size-you want bite-sized pieces).

Meanwhile, half-fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, bring to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then drain and plunge immediately into a bowl of ice water.

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes and asparagus in a large bowl, then coat with half the dressing. Turn out on a large, flat, serving platter. Dress with the torn watercress leaves, drizzle the remaining dressing, and serve.

Serve 4 as a side

What did I think?

I loved this side dish. It was simple and very tasty. To cut down on pots, I rinsed out the potato saucepan to be used again with the asparagus. Also, I forgot to buy fresh dill! I had to use dried, unfortunately. Fresh dill would have been better. My husband liked the dish a lot and my son Grant did as well-of course he picked out the capers.

Grant and I split the grilled chicken breast which is why it's cut in half

I also made a quick low fat dark chocolate raspberry loaf for dessert.

Final Review

It was my pleasure to review this beautiful book and I will treasure the copy that the publishers gave me. I think Katie is very talented, not only in her gorgeous photographs but her tasty recipes.

PROS 

1) Beautiful book that could be used as a coffee table book.

2) Eclectic design of different fonts, photographs, and images.

3)Very detailed instructions in her recipes. Newer cooks will appreciate this.

4) Interesting and informative section on "Tricks and Tips".

CONS

1) Small font-hard to read. I like the "typewriter" font style but that along with the smaller size, makes it difficult to read. Once I got used to it, it didn't bother me. For the cook who is vision challenged, this may be frustrating.

Running, Eating, Sleeping, Repeat

Running Stuff

It's been awhile since I updated my blog but I'm still cooking most evenings. Sometimes I could just kick myself for not pulling out my fancy camera to take shots of some delicious dishes that I've concocted. Usually I just take quick shots and post them on Instagram but I guess it's better than nothing.

A lot of you know that I've been training. Oh yes...really training. Now, most people think that when the mileage goes up high, in my case to 90 mile weeks, it takes up all my time. This is not true at all. If I have to do something early in the day, like work, but I still need a 10-12 mile run, I simply wake up even earlier.

Along with intense training means that I need to take care of myself. No drinking alcohol, eating very healthy, and being disciplined enough to go to bed at the same time my son goes to bed (or earlier) which is at about 9:30p.m. High mileage training is all about always having a mindset that is committed to my goal.  Otherwise, what's the point.

Oh, and by the way, if you haven't read my race report, written by the awesome Ashley Walsh who was my crew at North Coast 24 hour, please take a few minutes to read it. Ashley is one amazing runner and writer: Click- ASHLEY, to get to her report.

North Coast 24hr Pre-Race dinner- Mac-n-Cheese with truffle mushrooms, Yum!

Anyway, we had a wonderful trip and even though I missed my goal of 125+ (really wanted 127 or so) miles in order to have a chance to get on the USA 24 hour team to go to the Netherlands next Spring to compete, I still got 122.5 and have one more chance. Yep, back to training. I'm using Freedom Park 24 Hour on New Years Eve as my last shot. I will train the same but bump it up a little more. And, I have my awesome husband, Marty coming with me to Freedom Park so I'm excited about that. What a great way to celebrate the New Year!  Nope, he won't really be crewing me. I don't mind him at the race during the day but in the evening hours, it's best that he gets some sleep in the hotel. I will do better with him not around. If you read Ashley's race report, you will understand why. Or if you are an ultra runner, you will understand why. Sometimes it's best not to have the loved ones around in those later miles. 

So, right now, I'm just trying to get back into training after a few low weeks following North Coast. Recovery to me is very important and I take it seriously-especially the older I get. I have to really listen to my body which can be hard at times. The only other ultra race that I have is the Nashville 50 miler on November 3rd which will be like a training run for Freedom Park 24hr, except I'm going to race it and shoot for a Nashville PR. This will be my fourth year and with my best time being last year with a 7:51, I think I can do a little better. I'm looking forward to that race because I just love Nashville so much.

Non-running Stuff

As far as my real estate career goes, I've switched gears a little. I was working as a buyer's agent for a very successful agent on a team and decided to go out on my own. I'm hoping to get a listing on my neighbors house this Friday! Yay!

In the next day or two, I will be doing my first cookbook review on this blog for http://whatkatieate.blogspot.com and am excited about that. Her cookbook is gorgeous and the recipes look delicious. I will have a difficult time choosing one of the recipes to make first! Once I do, I will add pics and the review with the recipe. Can't wait.

I love this photo at North Coast because my expression describes exactly how I felt- DRIVEN

Kale and Spinach Ravioli Casserole

On a regular basis, I whip up this fast casserole and can usually do it with minimal brain power and not a ton to wash afterwards which is always a plus-especially when I end up having to do the dishes. Costco has this awesome ravioli for sale. I've been buying it regularly and we just love it. (Um, me and my husband-not my picky 11 year old son) It can also be frozen which is an added plus but it usually stays fresh in the fridge for a month.

I use both packages in this recipe (leftovers!) and other than the great taste, I like that the ravioli is bite size. Of course, other ravioli will work in this recipe but lately, this is my fav.

1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of dried red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 large onion, sliced
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced (don't skimp on the garlic!)
1 red bell pepper , sliced
2 tbs of flour
1/2 cup of dry white wine
3 cups of low fat or fat free milk (eye ball-more on this later)
a handful of spinach leaves
a handful of fresh basil leaves (don't chop-keep it whole)
salt and pepper to taste (do make sure it's salted properly)
1 pinch of dried basil (for on top)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
one tomato, sliced and cut in half

For this recipe, you will need a large nonstick skillet and a large lasagna pan (shown in photo)

Preheat oven to 425

In a large skillet on low to medium heat, saute onions, garlic, and red peppers in olive oil and red pepper flakes. Make sure you don't burn the garlic. Turn down the heat if you need to. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until the red pepper and onion are soft. Add in the flour. Whisk it in to break it up. The mixture will get kind of gooey. Add the wine and whisk again. Then add the milk and keep whisking. Make sure the flour is broken up and combined. Also, be sure to add some salt and pepper. At this point, it should start to thicken but don't let it get too thick. Add in the spinach leaves and basil leaves.

In lasagna pan, add all the spinach and kale ravioli. Then, pour the entire mixture on top of the ravioli. Make sure that the ravioli is under the cream sauce. If not, add a little more milk. It won't hurt it. Then, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and place the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried basil.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. The cream sauce will begin to bubble up and the cheese will slightly brown.

Let cool (if you have patience) for five minutes. It will help to continue to thicken up the sauce, especially if you added more milk.

Serve with crusty bread and a salad or just by itself. I hope you like it and remember, you can be as creative as you want with this one.

Kay's Crab Cakes, Healthy Version

I've really missed food blogging. And I still really want to publish a cookbook, although I will need to change the title since Scott Jurek stole my title. Ha! Not really. His book is called "Eat & Run" and mine was to be called Eat to Run but I will find a different title.

Starting a real estate business has not been easy. In fact, it's been really hard. At almost 43 years old, I've been an "expert" in different areas of my life including my former career and now I'm a total newbie who doesn't know squat. Hopefully, my "ultra running toughness" will help me stay tough and hang in there....

So, here we go. I've been eating my mom's crab cakes for years, "Kay's Crab Cakes". I changed them ever so slightly just to make them a little less fattening. Do I prefer my mom's version? Yes. But, I try to avoid frying food.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 whole egg
3 tbs of KRAFT olive oil mayonnaise
3 tbs of Dijon mustard
Worcestershire to taste
the juice of  one lemon
16 ounce container of fresh lump crab meat (I get mine from Costco)
1 cup of panko crumbs
1/2 cup of minced onion (I used red onion but Vidalia would be nice too)
1 red bell pepper (I used red and green homegrown bell pepper)
salt and pepper to taste

(Mom adds parsley which I left out so that Grant wouldn't make an issue out of it. She also adds Tabasco sauce but again, I made these kid friendly. She also uses crushed saltine crackers instead of Panko crumbs)

Mix in a large bowl and form patties. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil. Place the patties on the cookie sheet and spray the patties on top. Make sure that each patty is coated with olive oil spray.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the other side is brown. Then, flip and brown the other side. Simply check them to make sure they are fully cooked through and browned. Total time should be between 25-30 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. I like Trader Joe's cocktail sauce.

I served the cakes with jalapeno polenta (quick cooking polenta, finely chopped jalapeno, and a little butter). The polenta complimented the cakes quite well. The green beans are from my mother in law's garden and were steamed.

**Note: Lump crab meat is expensive. However, if you follow this recipe, you should be able to get 7-9 crab cakes out of it. Depending on the size of your family, leftovers are a definite possibility. If you are single and make these for yourself, they can be taken to work for lunch for 3 days and I can guarantee your co-workers will be drooling.