Hot n' cold

Guess what? Saturday I completed my last long run (10 miler!) before the half marathon on Saturday. I didn't train too much for this one (running wise) but I did do a lot more strength training and yoga. Last month I ran a half in 1:45 and my legs never felt better. No tight IT bands, no sore hip flexors - Nada. Thank yooooou, yoga.

After yesterday's killah BodyPump class (I upped my weights. Wait, is 'upped' even a word?), I threw together a rather tasty meal, if I don't say so myself. Don't be fooled, this one required little cook time and no skill whatsoever. But twas delicioso, I assure you. Lately I've been really digging foods that incorporate both hot and cold combos. Think salad plus roasted sweet potato, quinoa with diced veggies, spiralized zucchini with tofu and steamed veggies. You get the picture.

Grilled tofu over a bed of hot & cold veggies

....And dressed in Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (Trader Joe's brand)

The players

Firm tofu, pressed & diced (see below for cooking instructions)

Steamed then broiled bok choy & cauliflower (sprayed w/ olive oil before roasting)

diced carrots, tomatoes

dressing (chilled)

After pressing, toss in 1t olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat and mix occasionally (~7 mins).

Toss until browned

Yeeeee-UM.

* * *

Last night's dinner was incredible. What? It's my blog I can brag ;) This one is for you meat eaters. Actually, you can just nix the animal and it would be just as tasty.

Bison benefits over traditional red meat:

- Lower in fat/calories

- Leaner, lower saturated fat

- Higher in iron, protein, and B vitamins

- Greater levels of omega-3's and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

- Usually grass fed (look for this label) and free roaming

-Free roaming reduces susceptibility to illness and need for antibiotics

source

Bison & Quinoa stuffed peppers

Ingredients

peppers, 6, stems and insides removed

quinoa, 1 cup

bison (*optional, for the meat eaters), 1 package

sweet potato, 2 medium, cubed

yellow onion, 1 large, chopped

mushrooms, 1 package, sliced

black beans, 1 can

jalapeno, 1/2 t finely diced

veggie or chicken broth, 4 cups

garlic, 2 cloves, finely diced

chili powder, 1 T

cumin, 1 t

olive oil

sea salt, pepper

1) Lightly dust sweet potato in olive oil, sea salt and pepper and bake in oven for ~30 mins at 425F (on baking sheet), flipping cubes at least once during coking. Remove when browned. During step 1, prepare steps 2-5.

2) Over medium heat, cook quinoa in 2-3 c broth. Set aside.

3) Over medium heat, add 1 T olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, and onions to frying pan cook until onions brown and mushrooms become soft. Set aside.

4) Boil peppers for ~5 mins until soft. Remove from water.

5) Cook bison over medium heat (until browned) in 1/8 cup broth + 1/4 t jalapeno. Set aside.

6) Combine quinoa, bison, sweet potatoes, onion/mushrooms, beans, chili powder, cumin, half of diced jalapeno (1/4 t), and mix. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

7) Stuff peppers and bake for ~10 mins at 425F (to reheat stuffing)

Served alongside roasted green beans (Side is optional. These protein-packed babies are very filling)...

Bon Appétit!

What are your favorite hot n' cold combos (besides Katy Perry)?

Have you tried bison?