10K Race Recap

I've been meaning to write this post for a while but I was waiting for the race photos to be released. They were, but the organization committee is charging like 30 bucks a photo, so I am using my own post-race photo instead. 


As you guys might remember, I signed up to run my first 10K a while back and spoke about my training plan and getting off track with it, here. I did try to run as much as possible during the month leading up to the race, but I ended up missing a handful of training days because of other unforeseen circumstances. 


This is why I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a 10K is totally doable for me! The 6.2 miles pretty much flew by. It didn't hurt that the race was in gorgeous Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and the scenery (or should I say greenery), was so lovely to look at while running. I am also definitely a fan of tapering, or running less the week of the race to give your body a rest and to guarantee you will be fully charged on race day. I didn't run the two days prior to the race, which meant by race day I was raring to go.

Me with my medal. 

Of course, everything wasn't perfect. I would have preferred a later start time, like maybe 9am. The race started at 7.30, which meant that I was out the door by 6am, while it was still dark out, so that wasn't too exciting. Next time I sign up for a race, I might make an effort to find out the start time beforehand. I was so nervous I thought I might oversleep and miss the race I barely got any sleep the night before anyway. 


The race itself went really well. I wasn't even aware that I was racing until the 4th mile or so. I had made a great playlist which powered me through tough bits and I tried to keep pace with a girl I had met before the race started, who happened to run at my speed. When she'd pull ahead, I'd try to keep up with her. It's good to have someone you are secretly sort of racing against because it motivates you. 


Except for the last mile, during which I got a gnarly stomach cramp, everything went well. In fact, I enjoyed myself so much, and was so proud of myself after, that I think I might sign up for a 15K or something in the future. I like racing a lot. There's just something fun about joining thousands of people to run. I saw lots of father-son, mother-daughter duos running as well as a  man who seemed to be physically disabled walking the race. It was inspiring. 


I ended up running the race in an hour and 5 minutes, which put my pace per mile at 10.30 minutes. I usually run an 11-minute mile. I'm slow and steady so the fact that I ran 10.30 per mile is pretty exciting. 


If you're thinking about running a race, I highly recommend it! It's fun and a great way to challenge yourself. Plus, if you start with a 5K (3 miles), it is totally doable if you allow 1 month to train. If you're in good shape physically, you might not even need training time! 

Rich marinara sauce

There are some things that I just can't see myself doing in the kitchen. One of them is making my own pasta. I would like to, but I'm not sure if I have the patience. Having said that, I do believe fresh pasta is so much more delicious than dry. Last night my boyfriend picked up some fresh spinach and cheese ravioli from Whole Foods. I had been planning on making a stir-fry that night, but figured I could turn the veg into a side dish. 

I think one of the best ways to spice up a packaged meal is by adding something homemade to it, whether it be a sauce or a side dish. I made a fresh pasta sauce and sautéed vegetables to go with the pasta and the entire meal ended up being quite delicious. 

I have been meaning to try this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for a long time now. Now, this recipe is by no means healthy. I'm a bit embarrassed to even post it on here, to be honest. But I had to! After all Deb went on and on about how many top chefs have fawned over this recipe, despite the fact that it only has 3 ingredients. I couldn't imagine a pasta sauce without garlic and red pepper flakes being particularly enticing, but I went ahead and tried it anyway. Obviously the key to total tomato sauce bliss here is the butter. The 5 tablespoons of butter to be exact. What can I say, sometimes you need some butter, and since I'm almost done with my application to grad school, I thought I deserved it. 

This recipe wasn't healthy, but it's natural, at least, which is something I'd like to discuss on here another time. I like to make healthy meals most of the time, but I think the bigger issue facing our society today, when it comes to food, is the fact that most dishes are unnatural. Our bodies don't recognize stuff like high fructose corn syrup, and thus they happen to be much worse for us than something like butter. 

Anyway, that's a discussion for another time. The sauce was amazing with the fresh pasta and I added a side of broccoli, mushrooms and leftover kale sautéed in garlic and olive oil. Something about the tomatoes simmering in the onions for close to an hour really allows the flavors to develop. 

With a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano, it was a pretty decadent meal. 

Spelt Pancakes + Gluten

GLUTEN FREE. The term is everywhere these days. What does it mean? Why do we care about gluten? Well, I'm not a nutritionist (yet) but as far as I understand, the wheat we consume today has more gluten in it than it used to, mostly because of how it is processed. Gluten is the protein in wheat, and while only a small percentage of people have an inability to digest it (those with celiac disease), many are gluten sensitive. 


If you have a sensitivity to gluten, after consuming (a lot of) wheat products, like pizza, cereal, bread or baked goods, you will feel a combination of symptoms which may include bloating, fatigue and even headaches. Although I don't think I am gluten sensitive, I think we are consuming way too much gluten and wheat today and that it wouldn't hurt to try to incorporate all the other delicious grains out there into our diets. 


Quinoa, teff and millet are just some of the grains that don't contain gluten that you may want to experiment cooking with. I am a huge fan of quinoa and love its nutty flavor and how light it is. It doesn't have a strong flavor though so I tend to cook it in veggie broth with maybe a small addition of olive oil or even butter, salt and pepper. You might not know that quinoa actually also has protein in it, so it's perfect for vegans and vegetarians too. 

I like mine with lots of berries!

Spelt is another grain that according to WHFoods.org offers a number of benefits including:
* A wider range of nutrients compared to wheat
* Provides crucial nutrients such as Manganese, Fiber, Niacin, Magnesium and Protein. 
* It even says the combination of nutrients may be beneficial for "persons with migraine headache, atherosclerosis, or diabetes". 


I regularly use garbanzo-fava flour (lots of protein!), spelt flour and oat bran flour in my baked goods. You can't tell the difference between these flours and normal wheat flour and it's nice to mix things up. A few mornings ago we made spelt pancakes at home. My boyfriend is a big fan of pancakes but is a Type 1 diabetic, which means he needs to be careful with his sugar and carbs. Enter: spelt flour. The flour is low in sugar and does not cause blood sugar to spike like white flour. 


Spelt Pancakes
Makes about 8 4-inch pancakes
2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Calories per pancake: about 150. 

Directions: 

* Mix dry ingredients and in a separate bowl mix wet. Combine the two, but do not over mix.     * The real key to amazing pancakes is cooking them on low and letting them be. I have major issues with this, so I'm usually the one who makes the batter and my boyfriend is the pancake-maker. See, I get impatient and so they burn and don't cook in the center. 

* Put a little knob of butter or a small amount of oil in the pan, unless you are using a non-stick pan, in which case it's unnecessary. Allow the oil to heat thoroughly and place 1/3 cup of batter in the center of the pan. Turn the heat to extra-low and allow to bake until bubbles form on the top. Flip and repeat. 

The boyfriend's version. 

Note: I also like to turn on the oven to 200 at the beginning of my baking and place the finished pancakes in the oven, to keep them warm, but this does tend to dry them out a bit. When it comes down to it, pancakes are best served immediately!


Serve with maple syrup and berries or smeared with peanut butter as I like them. 


Book recommendation: If you are into gluten and wheat and this whole issue, I would recommend 'Wheat Belly' by William Davis, M.D. It discusses this issue further and is quite compelling. 

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

A few weeks ago it was cold here in New York City and I wanted to make a soup using sweet potatoes. As much as I love sweet potatoes and butternut squash and all of the fall squashes, I hate that their sweetness is often highlighted in dishes. I prefer to use hot or spicy seasonings to balance the natural sweetness. 


I had also picked up a head of kale, my first. I wanted to find a way to ease into the whole kale thing, as kale is great for you, but has a very distinct flavor that takes a bit of getting used to. It's not like spinach, which has a mild flavor and can be used easily with lots of different flavors. 


As I was flipping through my cookbooks, I stumbled upon a recipe by Kim Barnouin, co-author of the 'Skinny Bitch' series. What was so great about those books was that they got the attention of many people who wouldn't normally read a book about veganism with a catchy, bitchy title. Kim went on to write her own cookbook titled 'Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook'. Though I've had it for over 6 months, this is the first recipe I've attempted, mostly because as much as I love cookbooks, I often end up using recipes I've found online instead. No rhyme or reason to this habit, it's just the way it is. 

I ended up using sweet potatoes instead of the potatoes she calls for because I much prefer sweet potatoes to regular ones, which aren't the nutritional powerhouse that their orange counterpart is. I also didn't want to use beans, so I left them out. So this recipe is more inspired by Kim's recipe, and not a literal recreation. And even though this photo isn't the greatest, trust me when I say this soup was delicious. Warm from the curry I added and very filling as well. 

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 cups water
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups chopped kale
salt and pepper to taste


Directions are the same as always with a soup. Saute the onions and carrots in the oil until soft. Add the spices, potatoes, miso and tomato paste. Saute a few minutes, then add the water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Add the kale during the last 20 minutes. 

Green Smoothie

I contemplated calling this post, 'Not Gross Green Smoothie' because I know there are loads of you out there who would never imagine ingesting a smoothie of this color. I actually have only recently come around to green smoothies. After reading about them in many health books such as 'Kim's Beauty Detox' and Kris Carr's 'Crazy, Sexy Cancer', I tried one of my own, about 6 months ago. Actually, it was green juice, not a smoothie. My sister and I diligently started our mornings off with them for a few weeks and then stopped. I honestly never enjoyed the taste, though my sister did. We would juice romaine lettuce, cucumbers, celery, parsley and a green apple. It was intense, and though it did make me feel fresh and glowy, the taste was a turn-off for me. 

I didn't touch green juices or smoothies for a while after that experience. I figured, I eat a lot of greens anyway, why bother? Until I came across this recipe from Angela from Oh She Glows. This is my favorite cooking blog of late; Angela features really delicious vegan recipes and updates her blog every day, which is always a plus. She's also managed to make a lot of seemingly devious treats healthy, like her Vegan Brownies: Two Ways, which look incredible.


Her standard green smoothie includes almond milk, a tbsp of nut butter (I use peanut butter), chia seeds or flax seeds (I use chia), spinach (she uses fresh; I use frozen) and a frozen banana. And wouldn't you know it, it actually tastes so good. Like 'you don't even feel like you're doing something good for your body' good. Like you might actually enjoy this and look forward to it. 


So far I have also subbed in coconut milk for the almond milk and a handful of berries instead of the banana. But the frozen banana is key as it adds a creaminess and blends everything together wonderfully. 


Angela has so many other great smoothie recipes I can't wait to try, like this Pumpkin-Gingerbread Smoothie (I love anything with pumpkin). 


And for those of you who can't imagine being satisfied on just a smoothie, these are actually quite filling. You could also have this first thing, and then follow with your regular breakfast, or a lighter version, an hour later. 


One of my favorite things about starting my morning with this smoothie is that I know I have started the day right, by doing something good for my body. I also know that within an hour of waking, I have already had 2 servings of fruit/veg. 


Give it a try! You might surprise yourself. 


Note: Keep in mind a high-powered blender is key here. I have the gorgeous Vita-Mix 5200, which is amazing and manages to remove all lumps, which is vital since a mouth of frozen spinach might put you off smoothies for good. 

Spicy Tomato Soup

My boyfriend is in town visiting and got sick a few days after arriving. Either I got him sick, as I had been sick all week last week, or he caught a bug on the plane. He had the flu and it was raining all day so I knew I wanted to make a delicious healing soup. 

Tomato soup is one of my favorite's. I think everyone loves tomato soup. I don't like it cream based and I like it very spicy. My sister used to make us the best tomato soup ever when we were younger and it was always very spicy! I asked her yesterday what her trick was and apparently she would put both a spicy green pepper in as well as red pepper powder. 

I looked around for an appealing recipe online and decided on this one by Giada. I did make a significant number of changes to the recipe though. I knew I didn't want beans in the soup, because that would make it more like a minestrone. I also wanted to incorporate some whole wheat orzo I had purchased at Whole Foods earlier in the week. 

Spicy Tomato Soup

Adapted from Giada's recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
6 cups no-chickn' broth*
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 cup whole wheat orzo
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*The original recipe called for 2 cups broth. Honestly, even with the addition of 4 more cups, the soup was still very hearty. I don't know how 2 cups would have worked! 

The directions for making a soup are all pretty much the same. Saute the onions in the oil, add the carrots and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant; be careful not to burn. Add the marinara sauce, orzo, spices and no-chickn' broth and bring to a boil. Then turn low and simmer for 30 mins- 1 hr.

This soup was delicious! We added some shredded mozzarella and enjoyed with a slice of Ezekiel whole wheat bread (which, by the way, has zero sugar!). It was just what the doctor ordered and made us both feel much better. Don't hesitate to make this on a rainy day or any day really. 

Easy Basic Salad Dressing

This has been one of those weeks full of cooking, but none of it particularly good. 


I made black bean burgers last night, and they weren't that great. We ate them, but definitely not worth sharing the recipe. 


Then I also made pumpkin bread yesterday using this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Deb is usually super reliable, but this just didn't come out right. I used a new sugar-free sweetener, and as usual, used half as much as I normally do with Splenda, but this time it was not sweet enough. I made three mini-loaves and added a little sugar-free maple syrup to one of them at the last minute, and that one turned out the best. Either way, I need to play with the recipe more before posting. 


Here I will share my favorite salad dressing recipe. It is so, so simple I don't even know if it needs its own post; however, my friends have asked what I put in my dressing before so I thought I'd go ahead and share it anyway. Also, it makes a lot of sense to make a big batch of this and keep it in a jar in the fridge, ready for whenever the mood strikes. 

Easy Basic Salad Dressing
Makes 3/4 cup
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil, preferably cold-pressed, extra virgin
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 tsp mustard, preferably dijon
salt and pepper to taste


Directions: Add equal parts lemon juice and olive oil, or if like me, you like your dressing more tart than oily, add more lemon juice than oil. Add mustard and whisk. The mustard emulsifies the oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. 


There is nothing to this dressing. It's super easy to make, takes only a few minutes, but it's so yummy. I love my dressing with minced garlic but the key is to make sure the garlic is very, very finely minced, lest one of your dinner guest's bite down on a chunk of raw garlic! 
Also, the mustard gives just the right amount of punch to the dressing. I love to serve this over an arugula salad, whose peppery notes work well with this dressing. 


Make a bunch in advance and keep in the fridge for up to a week.