Recipes and Running

Yesterday I noticed that we had a copious amount of fresh produce that was going to go bad if we didn’t make something with it soon. And so, I set off to find a few recipes to help use up all of the cucumbers, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and green beans we had. Since I have to leave the house at 7:30 each morning for work, I like to have pre-made salads/meals available to pack up quickly as I head out the door. My favorites are usually tuna salad, broccoli and orzo, and turkey wraps but I decided to try out a few new recipes. I made two different side-dishes/salad type recipes and they are both delicious! They work well as a side-dish for a meal or as the main dish!

We had lots of these!

And these too!

Spicy Cucumber-Tomato Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1 small red onion, finely minced
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.
Yield: Serves six.

Green Bean & Fingerling Potatoes (Sorry forgot to take pictures of this one!)

2 lb. Bite-sized fingerling potatoes
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 med. shallots, minced
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 T fresh sage, minced
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. Green beans, trimmed

Dressing:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 T fresh sage, minced
2/3 cup strong soft cheese, (I used gorgonzola)
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Toss potatoes, onion, garlic, shallots, rosemary, and sage in olive oil and roast uncovered at 350 until potatoes are tender.
2. Begin checking after about 15 minutes; stirring occasionally. Drain excess oil and set aside to cool when finished.
3. Steam or blanch green beans al dente; drain and set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
5. Add potatoes and green beans and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature.


On a completely different note, I have decided that I am going to go for it and attempt to run the 10K rather than the 5K for the LifeBanc Run. This is a pretty lofty goal…thus far, I don’t think I have ever consecutively run that far. I do run at least 3-4 times per week, typically for a ½ hour (I am not sure of the distance…I just developed some courses at the park that take between 30-35 minutes) but I am guessing that a 10K would take me around an 1 hour to complete—nearly double what I am currently used to running! Tomorrow I am going to do a trial run at our Metroparks. They have a great path there that is 3.2 miles, so I am going to run it twice, which will actually put me at 6.4 miles, which is a little more than a 10K. My goal is to finish this run without having to stop and walk! I know that I will need to figure out how to maintain a good pace but I will work on that later; right now my goal is just to finish the course! If anyone out there has any advice/training tips for preparing for a 10K, I would definitely appreciate them!
Tomorrow after my pseudo 10K, I am going over to a friend’s house to make a variety of zucchini and banana breads—definitely a good motivator to help me get through my run! Will be sure to post the recipes/reviews after!