Marathon: of Cooking

I am fortunate enough not to have had any major surgeries.  Right now, someone very near and dear to me is recovering from the granddaddy of surgeries and is suffering from nerve pain.  To me, the only thing worse than nerve pain is a combination of nerve pain and no decent food in the house.  So yesterday, I got out a bunch of pots, pans, knives, and dishes, and got to work.

Dish #1: Summery Italian Casserole
4-5 servings of pasta of choice (I went with whole wheat/omega enriched (good for healing) bowtie pasta)
1 cup favorite pesto sauce
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• cook pasta according to directions on package
• spread 1 tbsp olive oil on the bottom of a casserole dish
• pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, arrange cooking rack in middle of oven
• I didn't do this in the interest of keeping the flavors simple in case stomachs were sensitive kiddos wanted to try the dish, but I recommend mixing the ricotta with a little salt and pepper, lemon juice, and fresh basil
• arrange pasta, cheeses, and ricotta layer by layer in this order: pasta, pesto, ricotta, then parmesan.
• cover the top of the casserole with a good layer of parmesan, then the bread crumbs
• bake for approximately 1/2 an hour

Dish #2: Teriyaki chicken with stir-friend green beans and soba noodle salad
soba noodle salad
5-6 servings soba noodles
2 large red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
optional: 1 tbsp chile paste
2 tbsp soy sauce or bragg's aminos

• cook noodles according to directions on package
• rinse cooked pasta with cold water to chill, then dress with a small amount of sesame oil to prevent sticking
• mix vinegar, chili paste, and soy sauce in a bowl, then whisk in sesame oil to emulsify
• toss dressing into noodles with bell peppers and onions
• serve cold over fresh greens

teriyaki chicken
2lb favorite cut of chicken.  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and made some tofu for myself, which was delicious with the marinade.
Teriyaki sauce of choice
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp sesame oil

• cut chicken breasts in half through the center of each breast to have quicker-cooking paillards, pound if desired.  I did not.
• marinate the chicken/tofu in the oil, garlic, and sauce for a minimum of half an hour
• prep grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.  It's too hot here to cook outside, so I used my cast iron grill pan
• cook chicken for approximately 5-7 minutes on each side, or until white and tender in the center.  tofu should get nice and crispy but not black.  I cannot say enough about how disgusting burnt tofu can be!

stir-fried green beans
1.5 lbs fresh haricots verts
4 chopped green onions
2 tbsp sesame oil
soy sauce or bragg's aminos to taste
optional: 1 tbsp chile paste or fresh chili peppers

• pre-heat sesame oil to medium-high in a large cast iron skillet, preferably 2 or more inches deep to catch splatter
• add green beans about 5 minutes before the onions, then season with bragg's and chili paste
• stir, brown, and keep stirring green beans until fully cooked

We kept leftovers of the chicken, tofu, and soba noodle salad, and got to feast on the casserole, green beans, and some amazing green chile enchiladas and spanish rice made by another friend.  It was hard, but I think I did a decent job of keeping portions of each pretty small.  It's a low-mileage week for me, so I need to watch the starch.

The hubby did every single dish and helped me wipe down the counters before we flew down the road to deliver the food.  He also prepped the fresh green beans, what a guy!  I got to come home to a clean kitchen and get ready for the work week.  I am lucky to share my life with such a thoughtful man.

My Running Log

I now have a separate running log - I revitalized my old blog from training for the Boston Marathon.  http://elizabethboston.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-coach-was-right.html

Time on Feet

I think this food blog is going to become a running blog for a little while.

In a little less than two weeks I will be running the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. Whenever I thought about the race today, I started getting queasy. This race is important, because I know that I will throw my previous PR far behind me. As my husband said, I will "destroy that." That being the half marathon. Nothing says "my wife is the goddess of running" quite the way that statement did.

I have been using two pairs of shoes for my runs, and it's not working. First off, my old Asics Nimbus that has about a million miles on it and has been serving as my mid-week run shoes is perpetually sweaty, and I'm getting tired of putting on damp shoes. They are almost completely smooth on the bottom, so I decided that I needed different shoes. A few weeks ago, I placed an order for a pair of Asics Blur shoes to use for short runs and cross training, and today I decided that I need one more pair.

Before I go into my shoe excitement, let me say that I adore my Nimbus shoes. I have been running in the Nimbus shoe for years now and it has never steered me wrong. I will continue to do my long runs in the Nimbus because it is like a Cadillac. It's premium, cushy, and keeps my feet happy and blister-free. So Nimbus, I love you. But some day one must understand that monogamy belongs in other areas of life than the running shoe locker.

After work, I headed to Rogue to enlist the help of their shoe pros. I left buying a surprisingly affordable, fast-looking pair of Brooks Launch. Yes, I am wearing a shoe called a Launch. Not something with the same name as Harry Potter's broomstick. They weigh practically nothing. It is like being barefoot but with this cute fast-looking accessory south of the ankles that will protect my feet from things like broken glass. While the Launch is hardly anything near a minimalist shoe, it's less than what I have been wearing and I'm excited and a little nervous to try it out on the dreadmill tonight. Tomorrow I have speed work in this unreal heat. Maybe I'll be faster?

I made my way home through the traffic and got nervous about the half marathon again. In the past, I have always worried about my ability to actually just finish the race. This time, it is a race I anticipate meeting, a distance I know so well that I will run with different legs, a different mind. Since marathon training began this time, I have learned to manage pain. I have learned patience. I have learned that there are a great many things I can do that I didn't think I could. Run six days a week? Yes, it absolutely can be done. Run a nine-minute mile for 13.1 miles? I think I can do that. Will I? Maybe. I think if I break two hours I will cry. I wish Bret could come. The thought of experiencing that moment without him seems ridiculous, but maybe I can be a wee bit selfish and keep all of the excitement for myself. Just this once. And call him to tell him I pwned the half marathon.

Running is different for me than it used to be. The miles have become a part of who I am, what I do. I don't really wear my iPod much anymore, because I'm too busy running to listen to music. It matters, really matters, what shoes I wear. This half marathon is extremely important to me. I am confident, I am a runner. And... I'm healed from all this stress I've been under. When I sat trying to think about what this larger shift was happening in me, I realize that I'm no longer in this post-insanity state of partial panic. I am moving forward. One foot in front of another. As one of my new running buddies told me at the end of a particularly difficult long 16-miler, "time on feet."