Orechiette and Citrus Mint Salad with Asparagus Melts

It's been too long. Way too long. And I really have no excuse other than the fact that I jump from one interest to the next on a whim. Not a great trait but it's who I am and my son's the same way. Running and cooking are always going on in my life but the blogging...well...the blogging  definitely fell by the waist side.

I would love to say that this is my excuse:

A 100 mile race I have coming up this weekend (EEK!). But, truth be told, I just get bored with blogging sometimes. And, if I don't feel like doing something, a lot of times I won't do it. I guess I'm sounding pretty spoiled. Since blogging is a choice and I don't get paid to do it, I have to be in the mood or I simply won't do it.

I'm still cooking away though, and cooking extra-healthy since Marty and I got back from Costa Rica. I ate lighter carbs than usual in Costa Rica-lots of fruit, veggies, and fish. Oh, and the best guacamole at lunch and dinner time. Since then, I've been really trying to focus on lower carbs or eating the good carbs. Now that Umstead is almost here (EEK! again), I'm definitely incorporating more carbs back into the mix. Also, lots of eggs. I just hard boiled a dozen of them and my son takes a few with him to lunch everyday as well. I figure if Ami Roach eats eggs everyday, then I need to do the same.

So, here's a light vegetarian dish that I made last night. Pretty simple but tasty. And if you're wondering, I did have plenty of protein sources earlier in the day. Protein is a very important component as an extreme endurance freak. 

Orechiette and Citrus Mint Salad

juice of one lemon
a pound of orechiette or any short pasta
15-20 kalamata olives, chopped
one container of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
a small handful of citrus mint or feel free to use mint or even basil. Just as long as it's fresh, chopped
a small handful of chives, chopped
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
a dash of red wine vinegar (a tbs)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
one small container of reduced fat feta cheese (about a cup or so)

Boil the water for the pasta. Follow the directions on the package and cook al dente. Drain and spread out on tin foil on a cookie sheet to cool.

Add all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and chill for at least an hour.

Asparagus Melts


Sliced whole wheat bread (I used whole wheat Tuscan Pane from Trader Joe's)
asparagus, chopped in half and ends trimmed
thinly sliced red onion (sweet onion is okay)
mayo
dijon mustard
havarti cheese (I used dill havarti)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat Broiler

Steam asparagus for 3 minutes in a steamer. Remove immediately and place in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking and keep the asparagus bright green.

On tin foil on a cookie sheet (or two, depending on how many you are making) Toast the bread on each side in the broiler. Remove the pan and thinly spread mayo and mustard. Then, add the asparagus, thinly sliced onion, and cheese. Place back in the oven for a few minutes. The cheese should be melted and the bread should be toasted.

I used very little cheese but use more if you'd like. And, feel free to use other types of cheese such as cheddar, swiss, gruyere...

Enjoy!