Semi-Freddo (Home-made Cookies and Cream)

Lately, I've gotten into this bad habit of making some kind of sweet, bad for you, dessert on Mondays. Because, that's the day Raquel gets her allergy shots and comes home miserable and grouchy. And, while I was wandering around the internet, I found this awesome recipe for Cookies and Cream, courtesy of Tyler Florence. This turned out to be perfect in so many ways, because I needed to get rid of our leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from the week before and I LOVE Cookies and Cream. It used to be my favorite ice cream before I discovered Green Tea. I'm not sure if Raquel was a huge fan, because nowadays she prefers frozen yogurt. But, personally I thought it was fantastic.

Here were my healthy modifications:

-skip the caramel. The ice cream already had so much flavor, it didn't really need more toppings. Instead, we drizzled a little organic honey over it.

-Instead of molasses, I also mixed in a little honey into the ice cream.

-I ended up substituting the healthier oatmeal cookies that I made before, instead of store-bought gingersnaps. You can control the sugar content more this way.

Eating Right

Yesterday, Mayumi sent me a link to a NY Times article about the current debate between meat and climate. Essentially, they were talking about the farming industry and how livestock is bad for the environment, releasing more greenhouse gases than cars. I didn't think I get so riled up after reading it, but evidently I did. And Mayumi has requested for me to post my response.

Disclaimer: I never meant to offend anyone with my response. So please don't take me seriously.

"bah.. I think there is a definite line between environmentally-friendly people (who actively try to do things in their lives to be green) and radical, "the sky is falling, run for your lives", hippie extremists.

I think it's all about balance and healthy living. I agree that if a huge amount of the population consumes a ridiculous amount of one resource: gas, meat, water, etc., faster than the earth and nature can replenish it; then yes, I think we're definitely hurting the environment. And that's a sign that we're unbalanced and need to take a step back in the opposite direction: ride your bike every once in a while; eat more grains/veggies than meat a couple nights a week; conserve your water. Humans shouldn't act like spoiled children, thinking that their parents' money (in this case, earth's natural resources) are inexhaustible. And embarrassingly, I think the one nation that has this attitude the most is the US. Anyway, I think if we put more effort into figuring out sustainable methods/technology for our resources, then we wouldn't have to go to an extreme and just completely deny ourselves any particular resource.

Because, in the long run, getting everyone to deny themselves one resource isn't the answer either. A huge part of the population is employed by that industry, and there would probably be an enormous consequence to taking it down. It's not about hitting the industry source to improve the environment. I think there should be more education to the general masses about health-conscious eating. That way we're not only improving the environment, we're improving the health of the general public. Maybe more popular restaurants should take it a step further and prepare more health-conscious meals that require less meat product. The solutions are numerous if the big-wigs were just willing to do some research. In the end, I think that adjusting the average American diet would be more effective than unleashing an unholy amount of angry would-be vegetarians who are trying to save the world, when they'd rather just have a burger.

sorry, that was a long rant. but, I just wanted to give my take on the article. =)

Besides...if I don't eat the cow/chicken/pig/fish, then the cow/chicken/pig/fish is going to try to eat me. it's all about survival, dude. ;)"

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lately I have been having this hard core craving for Spaghetti and Meatballs, so I just had to make it. This recipe has definitely become one of my faves! Never underestimate making your own tomato sauce, because you can control the flavor and the fat. And it doesn't really take that long either. Completely worth it! Serve it with a light, fresh salad to balance out the meal. Here are my modifications:

-Use the leanest meat you can find. I had 93/7 beef, and 90/10 pork. It's also great that the recipe calls for baking the meatballs, instead of finishing it off in the sauce. Baking it will pull out the fat into the baking dish, and you can scoop out the meat with a slotted spoon.
-Use half the amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano in the meatballs.
-Add mushrooms to the sauce.
-Use skim milk.
-Use whole wheat bread instead of the white bread.
-Use low-fat, low-sodium mozzarella
-Use whole wheat pasta, if you don't mind the flavor.

Buon Appetit!

Grilled Chicken, Grilled Vegetables, and Saffron Rice

The sun finally came out after weeks of raining here! So naturally, I had to break out the grill to celebrate. I think the beauty of this meal is in it's simplicity. All I had to do was rub some olive oil, hawaiian salt, pepper, and tequila lime rub (courtesy of Kinder's) on the chicken breasts. Then, grill it for about 13 minutes on high. It comes out wonderfully juicy. As for the vegetables, just cut up some red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then, grill it for about 5-6 minutes on high. The saffron rice is simply arborio rice cooked in a pinch of saffron and low sodium chicken broth. It's a completely flavorful, healthy, and balanced meal.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alright, there is nothing like chocolate to cheer up Raquel when she's had a bad day and is stuck on cranky. But, just because I'm making her chocolate chip cookies doesn't mean it has to be super bad for you. I lucked out on finding this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and I didn't even need to make any modifications! Love it.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Oy Vey....I can see that I've neglected my blog for a while. Sorry folks. Well, I'm finally catching up right now with a heap of foodie posts that I didn't get a chance to write about this last month. You'll notice that the next couple will be very focused on carbs. Well, that's basically because I've decided to double my weekly running mileage in preparation for the fall marathons. And don't forget, carbs=energy.

This particular recipe isn't entirely healthy for you, but I had to do something with my leftover turkey bacon. Essentially, I modified Tyler Florence's Spaghetti Carbonara. And it was a total hit with me and Raquel. Although, you never can go wrong with bacon. Here are my modifications:

-Use turkey bacon, and make sure to drain out the fat. When he says to toss the pasta in the bacon fat, use a bit of olive oil instead.
-Add an onion, asparagus, and mushrooms. It adds color and a bunch of vitamins/nutrients that lightens up the meal.
-Use half the amount of cheese. if it's not salty/cheesy enough, you can always add a little bit to your own plate.
-Note: I can't actually do this last modification in my dishes, because Raquel hates whole wheat pasta. But, if you can get away with it, I'd highly recommend it.

Try it out folks. Essentially, this dish is bacon and eggs, except on pasta!

Readjusting My Focus

Yesterday, Raquel asked me how I used to stay so focused on my running when we first started dating, and why it seems like my focus has shifted since then. After giving her the initial quizzical "duh" stare, I told her the truth. It may seem like my focus has shifted since we started dating, but that's because I was better at masking my real priorities back then. Besides, what better way to impress a girl than being in shape and showing some dedication to fitness? After you get the girl, you tend to be less worried about impressing her. Unfortunately. And in all honesty, my weekly running mileage decreased by about a half after we met.

Naturally, that begged the question of how I stayed so focused before we met. Of course, I did touch on my early motivation that I share with most of my friends, but this time Raquel was the one asking. And I believe in full disclosure when it comes to my girlfriend. So she helped me realize something while I was being honest with her. My best running performance was fueled by anger and bitterness from a previous breakup. It's true. I'm sad to say that the peak of my running career occurred between my previous relationship and Raquel. It explains everything about my running style during that time: balled-fisted, teeth-gritting, angry music pavement pounding (that was probably grammatically wrong, but you get the point).

In essence, I think I was literally running away from my own fears: fear that I handled the relationship badly, fear of my own sexuality, and fear that my career was going nowhere after years of schooling. Hey, some people have therapy, and I guess I had running, which allotted me miles of sweating and quiet reflection. At least it was free and not to mention the beneficial side effect of getting in shape. After 856 miles (according to my Nike+ account), I'd like to think that I've sorted out those issues and more. I'm not saying that running is going to be a magical remedy for everyone, but it does work for some.

So where am I going from here? Well, I now know that running will always be there to help me sort through my problems. But, I don't want it to be associated with negative emotions. And maybe it's time to use it as an expression of how happy I am that I've found someone who's perfect for me. I'm not going to run away from my fears anymore. Instead, I'm going to run towards a dazzingly bright future, that I never thought was possible or deserved. It's just a matter of seeing where my feet take me.