Protein Lassi

June 24, 2011 By Laura

Is everyone else getting all of this rain?!

I got all dressed to run this morning and realized it was POURING. #fail

It did eventually let up and I headed out… only to realize that my Achilles is not totally healed. Oops. So I’m writing this with my trusty bag of frozen peas. 🙂

Stats:

Distance – 4.5 miles
Time – 38:01 mins
Pace – 8:45 mins

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Post-run I enjoyed a savory Protein Lassi that was an appropriate pre-cursor to dinner.

A lassi is simply a yogurt-based Indian drink. They can be savory, salted, or sweet.

They have green smoothies in India too!

Lassi’s are the perfect compliment or end to an Indian meal since the yogurt (and fruit if using) calm your palate after all the spicy, strong flavors.

It seems that everyone has been making them lately! My Protein Lassi isn’t as sweet as the commonly-seen mango, but I loved the savory flavors and the lightness of it (recipe at the end).

Why was my lassi a good pre-cursor to dinner? I went to see Avenue Q (HILARIOUS!) last night, but prior to the play we hit up a local Indian restaurant called Planet Bombay (451 Moreland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307; 404-688-0005).

Funniest. Play. Ever.

If you haven’t seen this play (and aren’t easily offended), I highly recommend it! Do not take your grandparents.

Back to the Planet Bombay…

My friend got the meat combo plate:

It cane with spring rolls, rice, naan, Chicken Saag, Chicken Tikka Massala, and some sort of beef dish (maybe Bhuna?).

The spring rolls and rice were boring, but the Saag and Tikka were really good! The naan was on with right track with a bit of char, but it didn’t quite get to the point of awesome with the texture.

I chose a Tofu Tandoori:

The tofu itself was delicious. It was done in a marinade of yogurt, lemon juice, and “special” tandoori sauce and was served on a sizzling hot plate with onions (side note: I love burnt onions… these made me happy). The texture of the tofu was amazingly fluffy and the spice-level was just right for me.

It came with a side of rice, cucumber-yogurt dip, and roasted eggplant and zucchini in a tomato sauce. They were just ok.

What was really, really good was the side of spinach rice (the green and white mound behind the tofu pictured above). It was a Basmati rice cooked with a lot of spinach, onions, and butter. Delish.

At the end of the meal they brought out a bowl of fennel seeds that appeared to have Nerds sprinkled in it:

We couldn’t figure out what to do with it! Does anyone know?!

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Savory Protein Lassi

1/4 C Greek-style yogurt
1 C ice water
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 C spinach
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp rosemary

Put it all in the blender and mix until smooth!

Note: I would have added cardamon too if I’d had it on-hand.

***

Avenue Q is my new favorite play. Those Bad Idea Bears had me rolling with laughter!

Have you seen Avenue Q? Did you love it?

Are you a fan in Indian food? (Clearly, I cannot get enough.)

Spinach Squash Soup and WIAW

June 15, 2011 By Laura

Thanks for all the well-wishes about my Achilles!

I’m taking it easy. *le sigh*

It still hurts, but the pain isn’t as sharp anymore. Well, it wasn’t so bad until I tried for a new max set of push-ups (are you doing yours?!). And then I did this tricep workout (minus the sprints). I suppose those activities use the Achilles for stability purposes… lame.

Back to resting… and entertaining myself by making soup! I could hardly wait for WIAW to share it. 🙂

Happy #21 to WIAW!

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Breakfast

I had to do a repeat! It’s rare, but the oh-so-good Zucchini Oatmeal lured me in 2x in as many days. 🙂

I was a little sad when the bowl ended

Lunch

Did you know one sweet potato packs more fiber than a serving of oatmeal?!

Brussels, sweet potato with my homemade spiced almond butter, and coconut curry tempeh.

I <3 pretty food

Aren’t those brussels pretty like flowers?! #bigdork

There was also going to be a pile of kale chips… but I burned the you-know-what out of them. Whoops.

Snacks

Avocado Protein Shake with chocolate protein powder (don’t knock it til you try it!)

That’s my chocolate cookie sinking in the middle

The last bit of the orange blob deliciousness – i.e. Butternut Rosemary Hummus:

Still just as good – eaten with spelt pretzels, cherry tomatoes, and celery

Dinner

Have you ever heard of a Delicata Squash? I had not until a recent trip to the farmer’s market.

Further research revealed that it is an heirloom squash. It is, indeed, delicate. Small-ish and probably less and 1/2 a pound in weight. I’d compare it to a butternut squash, as it is on the sweeter side of the squash family.

Like other winter squash, it contains a ton of Vitamin A, carotenoids, and can act as an anti-inflammatory.

I read that you can eat the skin (it’s much more thin that that of a butternut), but I opted to peel mine since it was being used for a soup.

Did you think I’d repeat the entire day? *Gasp*

I made a Spinach Squash Soup! It was filled with all sorts of vitamins, a little heat, and some fantastic flavors like…

Roasted garlic. The other day I posted about roasted garlic and the secret to always having it on-hand (I roast several heads at once and freeze it). Today was a perfect example of that idea paying off. Regular garlic would certainly work here (though I’d cut back to 2-3 cloves), but the depth roasted garlic adds was a perfect accent in this soup.

Served with more socca. I’m an addict.

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Spinach Squash Soup

(Inspired by this recipe from 101 Cookbooks)

1 T habanero-infused extra virgin olive oil (I use Sweetwater Growers’ version)
4 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 Delicata squash (~1.5 C), cut into 1 in cubes
1 medium zucchini (~ 1C), roughly chopped
1 C chicken or vegetable stock
2.5 C fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
Juice of 1/3 lemon
S+P, to taste

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute 1-2 mins, just until soft. Add in both squash, stock, and water. Stir to combine, also adding salt, cumin, and coriander. Bring to a simmer and cook ~15 mins until squash are soft.

Stir in the spinach, allowing it to just begin to wilt. Stir in the fresh lemon juice. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth. Taste, adjusting seasonings as desired. Ladle into bowls, top as desired (I used tomatoes, pepper, and nutritional yeast), and serve.

Note: If you don’t have habanero olive oil, don’t skip the heat – this soup would definitely be too bland without it. Add a couple of diced jalapenos (or pepper of your choosing) when you toss in the onion and garlic.

Makes 2.5 cups. (I wish I’d doubled it to make 5!)

***

What are you eating for WIAW?

Are you a good “patient” when it comes to resting after an injury?

Balsamic Asparagus Pizza

June 14, 2011 By Laura

Have you guys been watching Extreme Makover Weight Loss Edition on ABC?

I’m shamelessly addicted. Watching these people lose massive amounts of weight in a year… I can’t imagine how hard it must be – at 400 lbs – to get started and get it done.

Last night’s contestant, Dana, lost 203 lbs in a year with a torn ACL. Interestingly, he was already trying to lose by taking water aerobics. Chris Powell (the trainer) told him that weight-less exercise wasn’t going to cut it and started him on a program that used his body weight to work out.

Timely encouragement/reminder that there others dealing with things much bigger than I am. Why? Because I ~~think~~ have jacked up (technical term) my Achilles tendon.

It hurts. Sharp pain walking down stairs. ~~*wine*~~ *whine*

I’m not sure what happened. I felt fine running Saturday’s ACS 5K race, and then as I was walking down the stairs to my car a few hours later I noticed it was sore… and it has gotten progressively worse since. Playing ball Sunday probably didn’t help.

In hopes of catching it at the beginning I visited the chiropractor on my way home from work tonight. It didn’t help. I was instructed to take it easy, ice it, and massage the area. My calf even aches. Bollocks.

Maybe if I take the week off of running (and walking down stair cases) it will be better by the weekend?!

Tonight’s workout was an easy 45 mins of shoulders and P90X Ab Ripper X. I hate being limited.

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Good thing dinner was not limited. It was quite tasty!

Yesterday I was craving pizza something fierce. The opportunity to sate that craving didn’t present itself, so tonight was declared Monday Socca-Pizza Night!

It was late when I got home to eat… pics are going to leave something (i.e. light) to be desired.

My Pizza:

Socca base (I used herbs de provence this time)
Morels
Cherry tomatoes
Onions
Nutritional Yeast
Balsamic asparagus

The real stand-out here was that balsamic asparagus. It is the easiest thing you’ll ever make; however, the balsamic reduction coating it will give it a decadent taste. I ate the extra pieces standing up over the stove.

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Balsamic Asparagus

1/2 bunch asparagus, hard bottom snapped off
1 tsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 C yellow onion, diced
Juice from 1 lemon wedge
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Add in asparagus, onion, and balsamic vinegar, tossing to combine. Allow to sauté for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.

When the asparagus just beings to soften, remove from heat and top with lemon juice and pepper.

Serves 2.

***

Have you ever injured your Achilles?

Have you been forced to slow down for an injury?

Any advice is much appreciated!!

Can’t Pinch My Soup

March 11, 2011 By Laura

This time last year I was putting the finishing touches on the plans for my trip to Ireland.

Cliffs of Moher

That’s right. I went to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day!

It was crazy… but the bigger party happened a couple nights later when what I think is like the Super Bowl of Rugby was held in Ireland. Ireland vs. Scotland. Yes, there were more kilts than you can imagine!

If you ever have the occasion to go to Ireland, I highly recommend it. We stayed in Dublin most of the trip, but had I to do it again I would rent a car and explore the countryside more.

My Irish Top 5 Attractions:

Tour the Guinness Museum – The history/backstory is fascinating and the beer really does taste better on-site.
Eat at the The Winding Stair – Make a reservation!! It was easily one of the best meals I’ve eaten. Order this bottle: Gigondas, Domaine La Bouïssier, a 2004 Grenache/Mouvedre/Syrah blend from Rhone, France.
Get out of the city and check out the Cliffs of Moher – The view is breathtaking (note: the “do not go beyond this point” signs are optional).
Wander around St. Stephen’s Green – Excellent people-watching and many, many photo ops.
See St. Valentine – Well, see his shrine/remains at the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church. This church is teeny, but there was something so peaceful about it. And locals actually go here!

In honor of the upcoming green holiday, I decided to ensure that my soup bowl doesn’t get pinched.

And I have been craving the tasty yet hard-to-chew asparagus.

I discovered that I can eat crackers when they’re crumbled up and soggy in soup. Ah, the small things.

FYI – Trader Joe’s Sea Salt and Black Pepper Lentil Chips are awesome!

And the soup! This was a delicious, VEGAN, souper-green cream-less asparagus and spinach blend.

Souper Green Asparagus-Spinach Soup

1 bunch asparagus (~1 lb), chopped
1 T salted Earth Balance (or butter)
1 T coconut butter
1 T EVOO
1 medium shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 C high-quality vegetable broth
1 C water
3 oz spinach (1/2 a bag)
handful cilantro
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp nutmeg
S + P, to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add salt, return to boil, and add asparagus tips. Cook until just tender. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Transfer asparagus tips to ice bath, letting cool for ~1 min. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic for the last min, being careful not to burn.

Add remaining chopped asparagus stalks (i.e. NOT the iced tips), and cook 2-3 mins longer. Stir in broth and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until asparagus is tender, ~10 mins.

Remove from heat. Add spinach, cilantro, nutritional yeast (or cheese), lemon juice, and zest, stirring to combine.

Puree soup using immersion blender (or regular blender in batches). Return to heat and cook until heated through, adding seasonings.

Ladle into bowls, add toppings, and serve immediately.

Potential tasty topping selections: grated Parmesan and lentil chips (pictured), crispy prosciutto, cilantro, sweet potato chips, blue cheese… etc.

***

Why is St. Patrick’s Day not on the weekend? My green beer likes to sleep in.

Are you doing anything fun for St. Patrick’s Day?

Do you celebrate on the day or or wait until the weekend?

Leggo My Egg… ffin

March 8, 2011 By Laura

This past weekend I had a derby promo photo shoot.

I missed the original date due to my Jay Leno-esque swelling.

Fact: I do not like having my picture taken for anything outside of a quick snapshot. It makes me self-conscious.

There were cool. My team’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

Thank you, Tim Moxley, for doing an incredible job and making me laugh a little ~~through the terror~~. 🙂

Let’s talk about what I didn’t burn…

Eggs. Muffins. The staples of breakfast. It’s only natural that they become one.

Machessmo did a great job re-creating the Egg McMuffin. But I need something even more simple with my tardy record.

This literally took 5 mins to throw together. They can be prepared in advance in the oven as instructed below… or the lazy way. Zap it in the micro for 15 secs and I have a hot, grab-and-go breakfast for the week (well, this and a Greek yogurt).

You can add different spices and veggies to shake it up:

Feta cheese and onion
Bacon (fake or real) and cheddar
Soysauge and brie
Capers and cream cheese
Herbs (NOT those herbs)

The sky is the limit! Take that, sugar-filled/fake-looking egg fast food options.

Eggfin

3 eggs
3 egg whites (1/2 cup if you buy them in a carton)
1 C spinach, rough chopped
1/4 C cilantro, chopped
1/4 C red pepper, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 oz herbed goat cheese
1 T unsweetened almond milk
S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 4 ramekins with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Distribute evenly among the 4 ramekins (or 4 spaces in a large muffin tin).

Place in oven and cook for 20 mins. Finish on broil for 1-2 mins to solidify tops (if necessary).

Chickens, eggs, all the same to the cat...

Be sure to guard your eggfin

***

Tonight I’m having friends over for a vegetarian dinner. I cannot wait to share these creations tomorrow!

What is your favorite hot, non-oatmeal week-day breakfast?

Indian Week

March 1, 2011 By Laura

PSA: Sleep Cycle is the best app ever.

Wild ass claim…

From their website, Sleep Cycle is a “bio-alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you are in the lightest sleep phase.” Since using it, I have woken up on time (or early!) and not pressed snooze the first time.

By far, the most useful app I’ve downloaded to-date. I’d give it an Oscar. For the second morning in a row… I had time to go to the gym!!!

And make a tasty breakfast:

Roasted grapefruit with fresh nutmeg, cinnamon, and coriander. Side of Greek yogurt + chia seeds. Coffee.

If you’ve never tried a roasted grapefruit, I highly recommend it. It is an easy and grapefruit is in season right now.

For a “how-to,” check out this post.

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This week has inadvertently become Indian cuisine week… (more after the jump) …

Mojo and Sunshine

February 25, 2011 By Laura

You know you live in the city when…

…you notice brand-new, yet-to-be-bolted-down park benches and the first thought you have is:

I can’t believe no one has stolen those yet!

🙂

The new benches were noticed along my lunchtime run. The run I was NOT motivated to go on, despite the lovely weather.

The only advice I have to pushing through a run is to break it down, 1 mile at a time.

Set a short goal (mine was 2 miles)
At that mark, re-assess (I decided to do a 5K)
Still not feeling it? Walk for a minute, or run some stairs to break it up.
Determine the end goal (I did enough for an even 4 miles)

Today’s run:

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:50
Pace: 8:88/mi

I’m really proud of my time given the fact that it was SO windy out there!

You should always reward yourself after a run like that.

I recommend doing so with this:

How does Angela @ Oh She Glows come up with this stuff?!

Try her Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole. You won’t be sorry.

I followed her directions exactly, except I halved the banana called for, nixed the maple syrup (I used vanilla almond milk, which I find to be sweeter) and made them in 4 ramekins.

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Good news!

At my follow up appointment, the oral surgeon said I can eat items that I can mush with my tongue. My tofu is getting its mojo back!

If you’re like me, you open a can of chipoltes in adobo sauce, use 2 or 3, and then forget you still have half the can in the fridge. Use the other half for this mojo marinade! It was fantastic. I used half of the marinade on chicken (for the non-tofu lovers), and remainder in tofu. I’m told the chicken was good and I know the tofu was.

The marinade does have a kick, but it isn’t bad after marinating/cooking.

In need of a side, I got creative with the sunchokes and sweet potato. I have never cooked a sunchoke before, but had eaten puréed or sauteed sunchokes at several places (Holeman & Finch does a stand-up sunchoke sauté).

Sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes) are the root of a sunflower. Raw, they look a like ginger root and can be found at your local farmer’s/speciality market. Sunchokes have an earthy, almost nutty taste and a potato-like texture upon cooking.

They are good for the intestines, and a source of Vitamin C, potassium, and Iron. And they taste good!

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Mojo-Marinated Tofu

(slightly adjusted from Tyler Florence)

1 block extra firm tofu
1 blood orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
3 T EVOO
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce
3 T cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut in half horizontally, placed between towels, and press for 10 mins. (I placed a large iron skillet on top of mine.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Pour over pressed tofu in a bowl or baggie, tossing to coat. Refrigerate for an hour hour, allowing flavors to combine.

Preheat a ridged grill pan on medium heat. Lightly oil the grill pan. Drain excess marinade from tofu and grill the over medium heat, cooking for ~4 mins on each side.

***

Sweet Potato Sunchoke Purée

1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 large piece of sunchoke, peeled (about 4 in)
1/2 large or 1 small yellow onion
1/4 C plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
S + P, to taste

Dice the the potato, sunchoke, and onion. Cut into 2 in cubes and place in a medium pot and cover with water.

Add 1/4 tsp salt, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins, until tender.

Drain the vegetables and return to the pan. Stir in yogurt, milk, nutmeg.

Using an immersion blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

***

What new food have you tried lately? Are you more likely to try it at a restaurant or devise your own concoction at home?

3 on the Tree

February 22, 2011 By Laura

This iPhone is addicting. And useful.

I used it at the dentist today for my follow up:

Healing nicely... unfortch, this isn't the angle you can see the good stuff.

Since I was so well-behaved at the dentist and ate all my dinner at the Whole Foods hot bar (thank you, Whole Paycheck, for soft lentils), I deserved a yogurt on the way home.

First stop: Menchie’s. A new shop near Roswell and Piedmont in Buckhead.

I sampled and promptly left. It tasted like a Splenda-sweetened version of Yogli Mogli. With an odd texture. Nothankyou.

A mile-ish down the road, I spotted another new shop to sample… and opportunity to use my iPhone camera.

Best. Yogurt. Ever.

I don’t know why there isn’t a line out the door at 3 on the Tree.

They don’t have a webpage or a Facebook, but if you are in Atlanta check it out. Just past the corner of Roswell Rd. and Midvale Dr. I think this is the old Wolf Camera. It’s not much to look at, but mmmmm…

Flavors tonight included:

Chocolate – I think it was dark chocolate. Whatever it was, it was delish.
Vanilla – This was labeled sugar-free, but I’m pretty sure they lied. It was so creamy and flavorful! I’d choose it over ice cream!
Pomegranate – I didn’t try.
Tart – This is the plain flavor. Also left un-tried. Why bother with plain?!
Spiced Banana – Out-of-this-world fantastic. YUM. The only thing that would have made it better is a peanut butter topping.
Blueberry Smoothie – Also quite good.

The first 4 were NON-FAT. I swear to you, I could not tell. It was 10x better than Pinkberry or Yogli Mogli.

The last 2 were low-fat and created by a well-known local chef Julia LeRoy (formerly of Bookhouse Pub fame).

Like every other yogurt shop, it was self-serve with an assortment of toppings. I will say that their toppings look better/more fresh than those at other shops. These actually look like big, chopped up pieces of Twix, Snickers, Reese’s, Heath, etc. They have the sprinkles, fresh fruit, and gummies as well. Syrups included the usual dark chocolate, caramel, strawberry… AND local honey.

My selection?

So good I almost forgot a pic!

Chocolate-Vanilla swirl, topped with Spiced Banana (did I mention how amazing this was?!) and a couple of (mashed) strawberries.

Verdict: Skip the other shops and brave the traffic in Buckhead.

Or, wait until late spring (the lady at the counter indicated a May target) for their second location to open on LaVista Rd. in the Fellini’s (same ownership).

I wouldn’t wait if I were you. Traffic on La Vista sucks too.

***

Are you buying in to the yogurt craze? What is your favorite so far?