Checking In

We are nearly a quarter of the way through the year, so I figured I would check-in on my New Years Resolution and give you an update on my goals.

In January I set out to:

1. Run a marathon; and several other races throughout the year.
2. Cook at least 2-3 meals per week; less than one pasta meal per week and less than one meal per week with meat.
3. Join the CSA again; not waste food from the CSA, either by cooking or giving away.
4. Start working towards the goal of becoming a fitness instructor; either by taking a personal training course and/or learning to teach a fitness class.
5. REALLY cut junk food from my diet; limit snacking and desserts.

By now:

1. I am registered for the New Jersey Marathon, May 5th.  So far I have run a Stair Climb on February 23rd and a half marathon on March 16th.  I am also registered for a 5miler, a 5k, a 10k, two obstacle mud runs, and two more half marathons.  I plan at least two other 5k's, another 10k and another half marathon in there somewhere.  =)

2. I'm doing well on my cooking goal, right now we have a lot of leftovers in the fridge I need to go through and see what I can revamp.  But overall I'm satisfied with the amount of new recipes I'm finding on Pinterest and through friends and cookbooks.  Even with my milage creeping up toward marathon day, I've been able to get fresh food on the table.

3. We did register for our local CSA again this year.  It begins early May.  I should say I would like to cook, can, or give away excess food.  I've been finding lots of great tips in my Nutrition Action Newsletter and online how to reserve food longer.

4. I saved this goal for "second-half 2013" because of my running training.  I haven't moved towards this yet except to look up more certifications online, I'm still not sure which way I will go.

5. I have not been so good at eliminating junk and dessert from my diet.  I even find myself eating more of it now than this time last year.  I seem to think my 6mi run is excuse enough, but it's really not.  I have a hard time with self control, once a bag of jelly belly is open or the bar of chocolate broken into, I find the whole thing gone in no time.

Holiday Pretzel Treats

These are so addicting! A co-worker brings them in for parties, so I searched the recipe and made them for my cousin's baby shower.  They were a big hit, and so easy to make!  


Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug chocolates
M&M's candy

1. Preheat the oven to 170degrees F.
2. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.
3. Bake for 4-6minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon.
4. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.
5. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10minutes.

I made a large bag of kisses and a small bag of hugs, it took 4 full cookie sheets.  I put them outside to cool (it was just above freezing out).  I recommend not transferring them from the cookie sheet until they are cooled.  Also, the lowest setting on my oven is 200degrees F, which worked just fine.  I was still even on the longer end of the 4-6minutes for the kisses (hugs were definitely quicker!).  Don't be discouraged if they're too melty when you place the M&M on, once cooled they came off the trays no problem and were just as tasty!  (I used my Martha Stewart Silpat mats instead of parchment paper.)

Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans

A nice variation on spaghetti squash, sent to me by my college roommate.  The recipe comes from the Whole Foods website.

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 t olive or corn oil
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño chili, minced
1/2 c red pepper, chopped
1 c black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/2 c sweet corn, frozen or fresh
1 t chili powder
1/3 c cilantro, minced
1 T lime juice
1/4 c feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast squash in a 375degrees F oven for 50 minutes, cut side down, until tender or cut squash in half and place in a microwave dish with 1/2 inch of water, lightly covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes on high until tender. Set aside to cool. When cool, scoop flesh from squash halves (leaving the shell intact for stuffing, if you wish).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan and sauté red onion, jalapeño chili and red pepper for 2minutes. Add beans, corn and chili powder; sauté 1 minute longer. Add cooked squash, cilantro, lime juice and salt, cook 1minute until heated through.
3. Serve with feta cheese.

Without the addition of the feta cheese, I felt the recipe was a little bland.  You definitely don't need added salt with the cheese, a little pepper is nice though.  The original recipe called for the jalapeño to be seeded, but you get more a kick leaving them in.  You could also add some hot sauce or cayenne chili powder to kick it up a little more.  Overall, a good variation on spaghetti squash.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Seriously heavenly.  I will be making these again and again!  A great Pinterest find from Real Simple Magazine.

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
2 t chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
3 T canola oil
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
2 t dried oregano
1/2 lb cheddar, grated
8 6-inch flour tortillas
2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
2 c frozen corn

1. Preheat oven to 450degrees F.
2. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, chili powder, half the onion, 1 T of the oil, salt and pepper until smooth.
3. Heat 1 T of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion and half the garlic and cook until softened, 2 - 3minutes. Add the black beans, sweet potato, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 4 - 6minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar.
4. Spread 1 cup of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.
5. Roll up the bean mixture in the tortillas (about 1/2 cup each) and place the rolls seam-side down in the dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and 1 cup of cheddar. Bake on the top rack of oven until the cheddar is brown and bubbly, 10 - 15minutes.
6. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining T of oil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and the scallion whites and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1minute. Add the corn and salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 3 - 5minutes more.
7. Sprinkle the enchiladas with the scallion greens and serve with the corn.

Penne Rosa with Shrimp

A fun pasta recipe from Back to Her Roots. The red pepper flakes really give this dish a kick, watch you don't use too much more than a pinch!


12oz whole wheat penne
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
8oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb), chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 c fresh spinach
10oz medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c marinara sauce
1/3 c plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

1. Cook penne according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.
3. Add in mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5minutes, or until mushrooms begin to release their water.
4. Turn heat up to medium-high and add in shrimp. Cook for 1-2minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2minutes.
5. Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Tortellini with Edamame and Smoked Sausage

An adaption of this recipe, I used kielbasa sausage.  It was superb!  

1 lb frozen cheese tortellini
1 c shelled edamame
1 large red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 c Italian dressing

1. Set 6 quarts of salted water to boil in a large pot.
2. Stir-fry red pepper, onion and sausage together until heated through (about 5minutes).
3. Add tortellini to boiling water and cook for 5minutes.
4. Add edamame to water and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain tortellini and edamame well.
5. Toss everything together with the Italian dressing and heat through one final time.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls

Another great Pinterest find, this one is modified from Beantown Baker.

Filling
10 c (1/2-inch) cubed butternut squash (about 4 lbs)
1/4 c shallots, chopped
2 T fresh sage, chopped
Cooking spray
1 T butter, melted
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce
3 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1/2 lb shallots, peeled and halved
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c dry white wine
1 14oz can vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste

Other
16 cooked lasagna noodles
3/4 c crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
To prepare filling (this can be done a day in advance),
2. Combine first butternut squash, shallots and sage on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Drizzle with butter; toss to coat.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
5. Place squash mixture in a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
6. Stir in greek yogurt, milk, salt and pepper.
Prepare the sauce,
7. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp.
8. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; set bacon aside.
9. Add shallots and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned.
10. Under medium-high heat, add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits, then add broth; bring to a boil.
11. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper.
Assemble the meal,
12. Spread 1/4 cup filling over each noodle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on each short end. Beginning with a short end, roll up noodles jelly-roll fashion.
13. Place rolls, seam sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour sauce over noodles; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 400degrees F for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden.
14. Sprinkle with bacon and hazelnuts, serve hot.

I know it looks like a lot of steps, but reading through them ahead of time and multi-tasking will make it seem like much less.  I halved this recipe since my butternut squash wasn't large enough (probably because someone used a butternut squash in a previous recipe when it called for sweet potato instead- oops).  I omitted the sage, since I didn't have any; but I kept it in the recipe since I feel it would have been good with it.  I also removed a step regarding the sauce, because it was time consuming and not necessary for the dish.  And I can't say I stuck with just 3 slices of bacon (okay, I made and used the whole package).  My husband loves me more for it.  ;)

Also, this recipe can be made vegetarian but omitting the bacon.  The original calls for chicken broth too, but I used vegetable since I used much more bacon.