Recipe of the Week: Double Broccoli Quinoa

When I started the Recipe of the Week on my blog, my running friend Maria immediately e-mailed me three of her favorite recipes. While they all looked yummy, I've had time to try one and I must say it was excellent!!

Now I understand that some of you may have never heard of quinoa, let alone cooked it yourself, but please don't be afraid of it! Quinoa is a whole grain that cooks up much like rice or couscous does. One of the reasons I love quinoa is that it also provides protein (14g of protein per 100g serving) and it has a balanced set of amino acids making it a complete protein source....perfect if you are a vegetarian.

We all know broccoli is good for you (that includes you Mr President George HW Bush). Broccoli is high in Vitamins C, K, and A as well as dietary fiber.....Vitamin C is very important this time of year with all the colds going around! It also contains multiple nutrients with anti-cancer properties.

As if this isn't enough good-for-you reasons to eat this dish, it also adds avocado and almonds for healthy fats to promote heart health and lower cholesterol!

Now I know what you are thinking....all this healthy food so does this really taste good? YES!!! I made this recipe pretty much exactly as written. One thing I added was some left over baked and shredded chicken breast to make it a complete meal. I wanted my dish to be hot so I made sure everything I added (broccoli florets, quinoa, and chicken) were still hot when mixed together. Also I didn't have time to make the chili oil so I left that out and I used regular almonds and didn't toast them. Here's the recipe (with my comments in parentheses)......ENJOY! You will practically feel yourself getting healthier while eating it :)

Double Broccoli Quinoa

3 cups cooked quinoa* 


5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

3 medium garlic cloves


2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted 


1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan


2 big pinches salt


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/4 cup olive oil


1/4 cup heavy cream

Optional toppings: slivered basil, fire oil (optional)**, sliced avocado
crumbled feta or goat cheese

Heat the quinoa and set aside. (I kept my quinoa hot)

Now barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside. (I wanted my dish to be hot so I didn't run the broccoli under cold water. I took half for the pesto and put the other half back in the pot to stay warm)

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. (This is where I added the cooked and shredded chicken....you will need to add more of the pesto if you do this to make it moist enough). Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pest a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, a drizzle of the chile oil, and some sliced avocado or any of the other optional toppings.

Serves 4 - 6. (I served this as a main dish so we got 3-4 servings out of it....you'd get more if it's a side dish)

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

**To make the red chile oil: You'll need 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you can, make the chile oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, then store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp again before using.

Pop Quiz

Multiple choice question:

At the track last night, which stunk more?

A: The port-o-potty
B: The skunk that was hiding under the bleachers
C: Sarah's ability to run intervals
D: They all stunk equally as bad

And the answer is........C

Not sure what was going on last night, but I was having an off night! Last week, my combo of 1200m and 800m repeats went really well so last night I was planning to do 8 x 800m repeats. After a 2 mile warm up, I started off on the first 800m and my legs felt like someone had poured lead into them! I did another 800m and still couldn't shake that dead-leg feeling. I know sometimes it feels like you are running really slow but then your times are actually pretty decent....well, not last night!! Both repeats were about 3-6 seconds slower than I was last week. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but that's a big difference over 800m!

I decided rather than sludging through 6 more 800m, I would shorten the length of each repeat.....not the same training effect as running the 800's but better than nothing and I still got some speed in (if you can even call my pace speed!). So here's how it shaped up:

2 mile warm up
2 x 800m with 400m recoveries
3 x 400m with 200m recoveries
6 x 200m with 200m recoveries
cool down to get me to 8.3 miles total

I haven't run 200m repeats since high school track but they were actually kind of fun :)

So yes, I stunk at my original interval plan but managed to turn it into a slightly less stinky run with a few adjustments. I figure I had some left over fatigue in my legs from doing my long run (that included MP miles) on Sunday rather than Saturday so I only had one day recovery. Let's face it....some days you have it, and some you don't!

Now how many of you got the pop quiz correct?

A Sign From The Yogis

I just finished making my nightly cup of tea and tonight I chose an herbal Yogi Tea. On the tag of each tea bag, there is always a little saying....almost like a fortune cookie :) I thought tonight's saying was just perfect and wanted to share it.

"Joy is the essence of success"

Many times I have said to my running friends (and to myself) "if you aren't having fun, then why do it??" So I'm not quite as eloquent as the yogi masters, but you get the idea.

Namaste

Kicking it up while trying to keep the Gatorade down!

As I said, the BAA Half Marathon helped me to gauge where I am in my training. This week marked 5 weeks until the Philly Marathon.....that means 3 more weeks of hard training and a 2 week taper. My motivation to train has been so-so this time around but I am really kicking things up knowing that there is a light at the end of the training tunnel.

This week has been a good one for me as far as training goes. Here's how the week went:

Monday: Rest day....I usually put these later in the week, but I had a lunch meeting and a massage after work (aahhh....hurts so good!)

Tuesday: 10 mile intervals.....thought about cutting the # of repeats short, but really happy I didn't!

3.2 mile warm up

3 x 1200m (5:13, 5:18, 5:16) with 400m recoveries
3 x 800m (3:27, 3:28, 3:28) with 400m recoveries
1.7 mile cool down

Wednesday: 8.3 Goldilocks miles (not too slow...not too fast....just right!)

Thursday: 5.4 miles over lunch with a coworker. I wanted to take it nice and easy but we got talking and averaged 8:39 min/miles on a fairly hilly route. Legs were tired!

Friday: 10.8 miles on the Newton Hills at an easy peasy pace

Saturday: 4.15 naked miles :-0 Yes, I was wearing clothes.....just no watch, ipod, Garmin....technology naked!

Sunday: 18 miles with 7 at around marathon pace (7:57-8:10). I was planning for 10 at MP, but was really windy when I started heading back west from in town and I just didn't have it in me. Plus my fuel belt was digging into my right hip...ouch!

Overall I had 56.7 miles for the week...not too shabby for 5 weeks pre-marathon! While my legs are feeling good, I've been having these pukey feelings during ad after some of my runs. Its not the normal "runner GI distress" but more of a "if I don't stop running soon, I might just throw up this Gatorade all over Heartbreak Hill!" I think its coming from this head cold I've been fighting for a couple weeks.....whenever I run (especially if its cold out) my sinuses have been draining into my stomach creating a not so pleasant feeling :( Luckily the Gatorade has stayed down (with a few close calls!) but the pukey feeling lingers for a while post-run.....blah!

Hopefully the cold will clear up soon, my legs will continue to feel good, and the next two weeks of training go as well as this one did!

Running Snobs....ugggg

My mother-in-law sent me this article today from the NY Times online titled Plodders Have a Place, but Is It in a Marathon? It debates whether so called 'plodders' or slower marathoners should be allowed to race. Are you kidding me with this?!?!

I couldn't believe that people would be so condescending about other runners! I think its ridiculous that other people feel the need to judge and put others down for being slower than them.....who do these people think they are saying that others aren't good enough to race?!?!? Personally, I don't feel like my accomplishments are any less important because someone behind me finishes 3 hours after me......and really, my accomplishments are only important to ME....let's face it, the rest of the world DOES NOT CARE!! Running snobs.....uggg :(

Rant over.....time to move on!

Paula, Kara, and.....ME??

What do marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, American marathon debut record holder Kara Goucher, and I have in common?

No, its not our marathon pace or ripped abs....its our taste in jewelry! Or its that we are all suckers for gimmicks! Notice the simple black cord necklace we are all wearing? Its a Phiten Titanium necklace. Paula started wearing it first and Kara followed after her lead (yes, I am on a first name basis with them) so who am I, a 3:39 marathoner with no World or American records to my name, to argue?

So why are we all wearing this necklace? From the Phiten website:

Phiten products work with your body’s energy system, helping to regulate and balance the flow of energy throughout your body. Proper energy balance helps to alleviate discomfort, speed recovery, and counteract fatigue. Athletes find that they tire less easily and recover faster from intense physical activity. Further benefits of Phiten’s exclusive technology are more relaxed muscles leading to less stress and a greater range of motion that can be of great benefit to an athlete or anyone in any walk of life.

Titanium in a necklace to help me recover faster, feel less fatigue, and heal my injuries?? I know what you are thinking....'sucker!' But.....remember that tendinitis I had in my left knee earlier this summer? The nagging injury that bothered me every time I ran more than 7 miles and that I iced every night? Well, that nagging injury went away within a week of wearing this necklace.....and I was running more miles and longer long runs at the same time. Coincidence? I think not! (OK so maybe it is a coincidence but does it really matter? I've been running pain free since then and its not going to do any damage, so why not?!?Sometimes the placebo effect is all we need!)

Like I said, if its good enough for Paula and Kara, then its good enough for me!

New Recipe of the Week: Chicken Chili

Even though it's only October, the snow was falling in Boston today (yikes)!! Nothing makes me feel warm and cozy on a snowy Sunday than a big bowl of chili! Today I made one of Bryan's favorites that his mom has passed down to me. Rather than the traditional beef with kidney beans version of chili, this one has roasted chicken and lots of peppers. Its healthy and yummy....perfect! Served with some corn bread and tortilla chips and its a perfect meal! Enjoy :)

Chicken Chili (from Maureen)

Serves 6 (it often tastes even better the second or third day!)

2 onions, chopped
Few tablespoons of olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 – 28oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
2-4 split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)

Cook onions in oil for 10-15 minutes. Add garlic, peppers, and all spices (you can add more or less spice depending on your taste). Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and basil. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes (you can add either water or chicken stock if you need more liquid).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Separate meat from bone and skin. Shred or cut meet into chunks.

Add chicken to chili and summer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips.

B.A.A. Half Marathon Race Report

Last Sunday, Bryan and I ran the B.A.A. Half Marathon in Boston. Yes, you read that right.....Bryan ran it too!! He has run one other half marathon in 2006 so I was really excited this summer when he told me he wanted to run another. Coach Sarah put him on a personalized training plan that he followed (almost) to a T. We knew that he would get a PR in this race as his only other half marathon was run in 2:08:xx. The only question was 'how much would he beat that time?'

The weather for the race was perfect....about 40 degrees at start, no wind, and sunny. I was hoping to run around 7:45 pace and Bryan decided to run with me. The course was very pretty...starting in the Fens (by Fenway Park), weaving through the Emerald Necklace (a string of parks and ponds through the city), going through Franklin Park and the zoo, and back to the Fens. The course was largely rolling with ~4 significant hills.....a little more hilly for my liking.

I'll spare you all the mile splits but we ranged from 7:35-8:04 (hill) pace for the race. We ran the entire race together (although with the hills we didn't do much talking!) and finished in 1:42:54 (average pace = 7:51)....a 2:30PR for me and a 26 minute PR for Bryan!!! Although it was a little slower than I wanted, I am happy with how my race went and it showed me what I need to work on in the next couple weeks before Philly. I am so excited for Bryan as he ran an awesome race and has a great PR to show for it!!

Here's a few pictures from the race:

Bryan reminded me to smile for the cameras :)

Working hard....no energy for smiles!

Happy about our PRs!

Looks like Bryan has caught the running bug....he's also signed up to run the Philly Half Marathon. Guess I'll have to get over the fact that his half PR will soon be faster than mine ;)

New Blog Feature: Recipe of the (almost) week!

If you are like me its hard to work all day, come home and run for up to 2 hours, make dinner, and have some time to relax. Dinner is often the thing that suffers and we all know how important nutritious food is for our bodies....especially as runners! Crap in = Crap out :)

So I've decided to start a new feature on my blog....A recipe of the (almost) week! I'll try my hardest to post a new recipe each week. I'll focus on runner friendly foods (think carbs and protein) that are easy to prepare and are as healthy as possible. In return, please send me some of your favorites and I can feature them one week. (either e-mail me or post them in a comment) We can all use some new recipes in our rotation, right??

This first recipe came from the New York Times Online. It was billed as being a good comfort food for people that like baked mac and cheese....If you know one thing about me, you know that I loooove mac and cheese! The best parts of this recipe....it's so easy, can be made a day in advance, and it's healthy....what more can a runner want! I've made it three times and love it! My comments/substitutions are in parentheses. Enjoy!

Baked Orzo With Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups) (I used whole wheat orzo from Whole Foods this time and loved it)

Salt to taste

1 large red pepper, roasted and diced (for ease, I get the jared ones)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I use less)

2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (I've substituted various squashes and they work well)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice (I use no salt added canned tomatoes....again, its easy!)

1 or 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced

2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup, tightly packed) (I've only made it with Parm cheese so far but a coworker has used the goat cheese and likes it too. We both use more cheese than it calls for....calcium and its yummy!)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo. Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet. Add the zucchini and cook — stirring and turning over the slices, or tossing them in the pan — until just cooked through and lightly colored, about five minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo.

3. Return the pan to the heat, add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves six. (yeah right......after a long run Bryan and I could polish this off ourselves...but we don't!)

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours, even a day, before baking.

Maybe I should actually post about my training!

I realize that I haven't actually posted about my Philadelphia Marathon training recently. Things are going well and my body seems to be responding as I would like it to training. I'm self-coaching my plan this time around.....I hope I can trust myself :)

Here's how the last two weeks played out:

9/21-9/27: I took the runs this week pretty easy to let my body heal up after Reach the Beach. My quads had really taken a beating and my hips were tight from sitting in a van for 28 hours!

Monday: 4.15 miles at a super easy pace to shake things out
Tuesday: 10.4 miles fairly easy....legs were definitely feeling this one!
Wednesday: Rest day.....my calves were really tight after Tuesday's run so I took it easy.
Thursday: 7.25 miles easy with 8 x 100m strides....yep still feeling it! Also did yoga this evening which really helped loosen me up!
Friday: 4.15 miles easy
Saturday: 20.25 miles....my first 20 miler of the training. My body took a little longer to get into the groove, but by mile 5 I was feeling good. Ran negative splits and was happy to find some extra speed towards the end.
Sunday: Recovery 4.15 miles....sloooow!

Total: 50.4 miles

9/28-10/4: I decided to keep my total miles about the same as last week but added in some more quality. Legs were feeling pretty good this week!

Monday: 3 mile tempo run at lunch (avg 7:38). I ran with some of the guys I work with and they are pretty quick so this run turned into an impromptu tempo run.
Tuesday: 11.2 miles on the Newton Hills at a comfortable pace (avg 8:53)
Wednesday: 3 miles at lunch...only the fast guys showed up for our work running group this day so I was again running about tempo pace (avg 7:45). I also ran 4.8 super slow and easy miles after work before a yogalates class (combo of yoga and pilates.....didn't love it as much as my vinyasa yoga class, but not a bad substitute)
Thursday: 7.5 miles at a pretty decent clip. My body was tired and I didn't want to run, but I went out with Bryan and ended up with a great run....negative splits with the last couple miles at goal marathon pace (avg 8:19). I LOVE these surprise good run days! Finished up with a 60 minute yoga practice....streeeeech!
Friday: A much needed rest.....after running 8 days in a row, but body happily sat on the couch all evening!
Saturday: 4.5 slow and yucky miles....just felt terrible!
Sunday: 17.6 soupy and hilly miles. Where on earth did this humidity come from in October?!?! Ran 6.4 miles on my own and then grabbed Bryan and we did 11.2 miles together on the Newton Hills. We were both not feeling the run but stuck it out to average 9:03 pace....not bad given the conditions.

Total: 50.0 miles

This week Bryan and I are both running the BAA Half Marathon on Sunday. I'm still undecided on how I want to pace it, but I would like a nice new PR so hopefully that's in the cards! I'll bump the miles up a little more in the next few weeks as I peak for Philly.....legs don't fail me now!!