cold quinoa and grilled vegetable chopped salad

staying away from gluten and wheat hasn't been that hard... and beth has been helping a lot making some killer food. i have been sticking with a lot of the sweet potatoes (I prefer the "oranger ones) and quinoa. most people don't know difference between yams and sweet potatos... this article clears things up. either way... or whatever you call them they are awesome and a great source of CHO.


ok... so the recipe. this week beth made me a killer dinner. we had grilled yellow tail, a pickled cucumber and red onion salad, and cold quinoa and grilled vegetable chopped salad. great food. no wheat or gluten.

here's the recipe for the cold quinoa and grilled vegetable chopped salad from beth:

4 servings quinoa (cook according to box)
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small red onion
3 zucchini
olive oile
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

put veggies on grill and grill a few (4?) minutes on each side. if you don't have a grill, you can roast them at 400 degrees for probably about 25 minutes.
mix veggies and quinoa. drizzle several tablespoons good balsamic vinegar (if you have balsamic syrup this works really well, its like a thick balsamic), and a little bit of olive oil. add lots of salt and pepper. put in refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours. YUM!

Jaakko's Oat Power Cookies.

Here's a guest post from out Favorite Finnish triathlete, Jaakko Hiekkarana. He races and trains in some pretty harsh conditions but has more dedication and desire than most. I am trying to get him out to California for a training camp... and to introduce him to some of the ladies!

Here's the recipe straight from Jaakko in Finland (check out original post on his blog):

G'day!

Ok here's a quick recipe for making your own powercookies. These are great for snacks, training nutrition or in-hurry breakfast with some fruit to go with.

ingredients for 15 cookies:

- 7-8dl oats
- 2 tbls sugar-free cocoa powder
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1 egg
- 2dl water

Mix all of the above in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 225C. Shape the mass in to cookies on a sheet. Put it in to the oven for 7-8 minutes and Voilà! Delicious, energious, healthy, easy and cheap. You can add sugar if you want more sweetness but that'd somewhat lessen the health-factor.

Mexican Chicken and Veggie Stoup

That's right I said "stoup"... lame. I'm a kook. As much as I think Rachel Ray is annoying I don't think there anything else to call this. It heartier than a soup, but not as this as stew. So there you have it.... Stoup(id)

Beth and I recently bought a crock pot and this was my second attempt at using it. My first attempt came out OK. It was a Chicken and Veggie soup. A slow cooker/crock pot is perfect for us with how busy we are. Just throw all the ingredients in the pot before we leave the house in the morning, set it low... and BAM... dinner is ready and waiting after a long day of work and training. No cooking.

Like I said, my first concoction came out just OK. I made a couple of bad vegetable choice (broccoli & Brussels sprouts) that did not hold up well in the slow cooking process. The rest of the veggies (carrots, sweet potato, celery, onion) and the chicken came out well, but the bad veggies kind of killed it.

So this time I was a little smarter and decided to mexi-fy (sweet word... I'm sure it's in the dictionary) it. So here's the recipe.

1 sweet potato, rough chopped
6 celery stalks, rough chopped
1 Huge sweet onion, rough chopped
2 parsnips. rough chopped
4 large carrots, rough chopped
4 small red potatoes, quartered
3 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, slliced
2 basil leaves
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can smoked, diced green chilies
6 cups of chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste.

I chopped all the veggies and chicken up the night before so the morning was easy. All of this was thrown into the crock pot in the morning after getting off the bike and heading out the door to work. I set it on low for 7 hours and once the cooking time expires it switches to "keep warm" mode for up to 4 more hours. Perfect.

Beth and I both ran with the lululemon run and when we got home dinner was already ready already. sweet.

I topped it with organic, baked yellow corn tortilla chips, avocado, hot sauce, and some sour cream.

It was good and hit the spot.... but still not great. There was something missing. I could have seasoned it a little better. Maybe some cumin or chili powder, ot added some stewed tomatoes... not sure. Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Next week I'll give the crock pot another go. This time I am thinking beef stew.... or come kind of seafood stew.... or carnitas. We'll see.

summer strawberry salad with agave balsamic vinaigrette

THE SALAD
mixed greens
sliced strawberries
hearts of palm- chopped
goat cheese- crumbled
slivered almonds- toasted
red onion- thinly sliced
cracked pepper

THE DRESSING
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
2 tablespoons (or more) extra virgin olive oil


agave is a perfect mix with mustard and balsamic and really cuts some of the acidity to make it smooth. we love to use agave in salad dressings, on peanut butter toast, in coffee....wherever...if you read this site, you will see that agave nectar is a great alternative to table sugar and is actually sweeter, so you should use about 25% less than a recipe with sugar would call for. it is also lower on the glycemic index, so it shouldn't spike your blood sugar too much. AND it's all natural!

this salad was a quick concoction we made for dinner with james' family in virginia...the crowd was pleased! goes great with a lean grilled steak and grilled whole grain rolls...

yum...beth likes it

cold soup for hot people

when i head back east to see the folks, i also intevitably revert to acting like a child. sometimes, i like to prove that i really am all growns up, (despite the fact that i am still in school and just 2 years shy of 30) so i cook up a good dinner. but i must admit, its not always just an act of kindness- sometimes i like to take the reins since my momma tends to have a paula deen type of heavy hand in the butter.

it is freaking hot in pennsylvania, so what better on a hot day, than a cold soup! and gazpacho is like crack for antioxidant lovers. its full of tomatoes, which in-and-of-themselves have a lot of lycopene. When tomatoes are made into juice or sauce the lycopene-o-meter goes way way up! Lycopene is a potent antioxidant that loves free radicals. So for endurance athletes, who probably have more of those floating around looking for some cells to damage, when lycopene is in the body, it hooks up with the free radicals and sweeps them off their feet ("hey baby, wanna bind?") before they kill and damage cells. i kind of see it like a sugar daddy (antioxidant) who distracts a little floosy/gold digger/home wrecker (free radical) before she has a chance to be a home wrecker and swoop on your crib (nice happy cell) and steal your man.

nothing really has been proven proven linking antioxidants and superior exercise performance (but there is a lot of soft supportive literature out there), but they do help fight disease and aging...and the jury is out on whether you can overdo your antioxidants (some say that you can have so many that the free radicals can't do their job and destroy crappy useless tissue...who knows...)

i'm certainly no expert, i just know that i love gazpacho! its a cold blended vegetable soup. if it were served in a glass, people would call it a smoothie. like if i poured my smoothie into a bowl it would be "chilled summer berry soup"..anywho...

gazpacho
4 tomatoes (peeled and de-seeded- see*below)
2 cups V-8 (or tomato juice)
2 slices whole grain crusty bread
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar or sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 peeled and seeded cucumbers-chopped
1 red bell pepper-chopped
1 yellow bell pepper-chopped
1 red onion-chopped
1 celery stalk-chopped
3 cloves garlic- minced
1/2 jalapeno- diced
1 handful flat leaf parsley-chopped
1 handful cilantro-chopped
kosher salt

*boil a pot of water. cut an X in the skin of each tomato. submerge tomatoes in boililng water for 20 seconds. remove immediately and dunk in ice water or place under the faucet. peel off skin easily....then core them and squeeze out the seeds as best you can

first, combine the olive oil, vinegar and tomato juice or V8 & crusty bread in one bowl. i used a really seedy grainy bread, but you can use whatever.

in another bowl, chop all the vegetables and mix 'em up. then combine both bowls together and blend until smooth-ish. i use an amazing hand blender (get one-it will change your life), but all you crazy protein shake boys can just use a reuglar old blender if that's what you got. then chill the soup for at least two hours (better overnight- my bowl today was better than yesterday).
you can save some of the chopped veggies or herbs for garnish if you like. avocado and a tortilla chip also makes a nice topper (and that's true for pretty much anything :) )..

i made this last night (along with crab cakes and corn on the cob..HOLY DELICIOUS!!!!)...and it was a big hit with everyone. i changed the recipe from a lot of others that i found in that i used less bread (and made it whole grain) and less olive oil...i also added sweetness from a yellow pepper (most recipes call for green) and good quality oil, it tasted PERFECT. i liked using V8 too...that's what we had on hand...

make it! yum.

we don't eat fish tacos every night....

yes. we probably eat grilled fish tacos or salads w. lean protein most nights of the week...but sometimes we venture out....a little...

the other night i made chili and strawberry spinach salads (random combo, i know)

for chili:

1 pound lean ground beef ( or turkey) today i used 97% lean beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic , crushed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon cocoa (confession- i make this chili all the time at my house. so i have cocoa powder on hand. james did not have any and i am lazy. so i threw two dark chocolate hershey kisses in the pot. not kidding. its the same thing, right? the chocolate is the secret ingredient so i couldn't leave it out.)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce
1 can (32 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) beans, undrained. (kidney, black, whatever. i used black today)

Cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic in 3 quart saucepan until
beef is brown: drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except beans:
break up tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer,
stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

Stir in beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. simmer uncovered, stirring
mixture occasionally, until of desired consistency. ( about 20
minutes.) then top it with whatever you like.

for the salad:
spinach
sliced strawberries
thinly sliced red onion
slivered toasted almonds
sprinkles of crumbled blue cheese

dressing:
i just mixed 50% balsamic vinegar with 50% light blue cheese dressing . i call it balsamic blue cheese dressing. yeah, real creative....

oh, and i sprinkle on fiber one "croutons".....gross, huh? i LOVE fiber one. but i am also crazy. james orders his without the fiber bomb

james loves chili....or does he?

Fish Tacos (From Dad)

Beth and I both have been lagging on posting on Vo2 Maxed. Needless to say life has been busy. Luckily my Dad kills it in the kitchen and has provided us with another entry. Last time it was Pollo Asado Tacos and this time it's Fish Tacos... and no my dad is not of Mexican descent. The Walsh family just loves our Mexican food (and beer)!

Fish Tacos by Jim Walsh. Here is a recipe for fish tacos with all the trimmings.

My fish taco. Carb Smart tortilla. (notice the paper plate... keep it real dad. jw)
Fish tacos differ greatly from location to location. My philosophy of fish tacos is:
1. Always but the freshest fish available. Any "white" fleshed fish will do, as long as it is of a "heavy" consistency. (Cod is usually used, but grouper, tilapia, ahi tuna, mahi mahi, or in this case wahoo are also good choices. Freshness in more important than the variety.)
2. The fish MUST unadulterated and be grilled. (Breaded fish in tacos may as well be made with packaged, frozen fish sticks.)
3. The fish MUST not be seasoned prior to grilling. Just a brush of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to keep it from sticking.
4. After fish is grilled, while still hot, flake and season. (See Recipe)
5. The true test/taste of the fish taco is in the garnish and condiments. Therefore, these must be to your taste.
6. Fresh homemade garnish / condiments are always the best.
7. Flavors must be layered, like the filling. There is a delicate balance between sweet and savory. It is very easy to overpower the flavor of the fish.
8. A fish taco is not a fish taco without a Baja Sauce. (See Recipes) Try all four and pick your favorite. These are ours.
With these guidelines in place, my recipe for the "Best" Fish Tacos follows.

Four pieces of Wahoo, approx. 1 inch thick, ready for the grill.


Grilled and ready to flake.

Ready to serve.

Garnishes
Shredded cabbage, grated cheese (cheddar or "Mexican" blend), and guacamole(definitely). Diced tomatoes, sour cream and diced Spanish onion (if you must).

Fish Filling

Approx. 2 lbs. of fresh fish, Wahoo in this case
2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, very finely chopped.
1/2 tsp. Obie Cue or other brand Fajita Seasoning (Available from www.obiecue.com , best I've found. Also, try their Texas Soul. Great Mexican seasoning)
1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Brush fish with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and grill until desired doneness, (Fish must be grilled to the point that it will flake easily).
Remove fish from the grill and flake while still hot and keep warm. The method I use is to heat a cast iron skillet in the oven to about 250 degrees and place flaked fish in the skillet to keep warm. Once all fish is flaked, very sparingly, season with the Fajita Seasoning and Cilantro. You don't have to use all the spice and cilantro. This should be just a "touch" of seasoning, and has to be applied while the fish is warm. Just a hint if seasoning.

Serve Immediately.


Mango Salsa

1 Cup of fresh Mango, diced small
1/3 cup roasted Red Peppers (The "canned" variety are used here, sweeter than home roasted)
1/3 Cup Red Onion, diced small
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and minced
1 Tbsp. fresh Mint, chopped (If you can't find fresh mint, dried mint leaves can be substituted, 1/4 the amount of fresh)
1 Tbsp. fresh Lime juice

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until needed.


Clockwise from the top: Green Baja Sauce, Pink/Red Baja Sauce, Chipotle Baja sauce, Amargo Baja Sauce.


Green Baja Sauce
This Baja Sauce is like a thin mild / cilantro guacamole. Add more Jalapeño if you want it hot.

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Cilantro leaves
1 large Jalapeño pepper (seeded and deveined)
1 - 1 1/2 Avocados (Depends on ripeness, less ripe, more Avo.)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime juice
Dash Ancho Chili Pepper

Combine cilantro leaves, Jalapeño pepper and avocado in a food processor or blender and pulse until mixed fairly well. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

Pink/Red Baja Sauce
This sauce is very similar to Taco Bell Baja Sauce. (Mild)

1/4 Red bell pepper
1 large Jalapeño pepper (seeded and deveined)
1/4 small Spanish onion
1 cup Mayonnaise (not fat free)
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Fresh ground Black Pepper
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Cumin
Dash of Ancho Chili Pepper
2 Tbsp. water

Combine red bell pepper, Jalapeño pepper, onion, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, ancho chili pepper and water in a food processor or blender and puree. Combine 5-6 Tbsp. of this mixture with the Mayonnaise and vinegar. Refrigerate until needed.

Chipotle Baja Sauce
Great "smokey" flavor (Tangy)

1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lime juice
1 Tbsp. canned Chipotle chilies
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chili Pepper

Note: Dried Chipotle Chilies can be reconstituted in boiling water and used in place of the canned variety. They will take slightly longer to break down in the blender.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed .

Amargo Baja Sauce
This sauce has a slightly sour / bitter taste. By itself, it does not taste very good, but in the taco it provides a contrast to Mango Salsa. It is an acquired taste.

7 oz. Crème Fraiche
1/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Spanish Smoked Sweet Paprika
1 tsp. Spanish Smoked Hot Paprika
1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chili Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined. Pour mixture into a sauce pan and gently warm until steaming. Refrigerate until needed. To serve, reheat until warm. Pour into condiment dispenser and serve warm.

muffins for those who dont want muffin tops

i've been on a muffin rampage. bakin' up a storm over here in san diego. today i made these after my trainer session and run. i ran in the house like a crazy person and started mixing stuff up super fast. You would have thought it was T1 or something the way i was iron-cheffing because i wanted to get outside by the pool (75 and sunny!) to do some studying (gotta love grad school). James' roomate's gf was like, "are you going to use a recipe?". i told her no, because i vaguely know some sort of basic muffiny base (flour+sweetener+egg+applesauce+baking soda) and i just put in fruits, nuts, vegetables and spices that i like to flavor it up. sometimes this means that my concoctions suck, but i usually like them even when other people don't (hey, i like all the ingredients on their own, they must be good mixed up!). MORE FOR ME! and healthy tastes great, right?
today i made what i call:

CARROT CAKE PUMPKIN PIE MUFFINS
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup splenda (or your sweetener of choice- good ole cane, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, HFCS if you want to slowly kill yourself)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 can canned pumpkin (NOT p. pie mix)
1/2 cup egg whites (or you can whole egg it up, make it the omega fortified kind)
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or just more cinnamon and some nutmeg)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

heat oven to 350 degrees. mix dry ingredients. mix in wet ingredients. actually, i just mix it all up at the same time but this is how they typically tell you to do it. spoon into muffin pans (like a 1/3 cup mix in each) and bake away. i think mine took 40 minutes, but it may take less. James' oven is wack (who says wack? sorry). just bake them until an inserted knife is dry-ish.
i made half the recipe as shown above, and in the other half of the mix, i threw in a cup of wheat bran and a 1/3 cup of blueberries and a little extra egg white to make some fiber bomb muffins..the blueberries and the egg were to balance the extra dry fiber (just balance out the wet/dry stuff when you bake and it should be good to go)

i think they came out pretty good. kind of like chewy pumpkin pie carrot cake which is what i was going for (see recipe name). they don't get too cake-y, they are more sponge-y and that's because if you look at the recipe, for every muffin, at least 3/4 of it is straight up fruits and veggies and nuts. just a little flour and egg glue to hold it all together.

last week. i made pretty much the same muffins but instead of pumpkin, carrot & raisin, i substituted 1 1/2 cups (or 3 whole) bananas...banana walnut goodness.

last night for dinner james made grilled swordfish steaks with avacado corn salsa fresca. and kitchen sink 2-pound salads as usual (last night they had sprouts, spinach, tomatoes, pickles, artichoke hearts, broccoli, carrots, red onion (which rachel ray thinks should be renamed purple onion and she tells you in EVERY show), red and yellow bell peppers, sugar snap peas, mushrooms and i think that's it). with some awesome miso dressing that we love. oh, and i put fiber one "croutons" on my salad. yes, i am a weirdo with fiber. can't get enough. maybe i am writing this so that james will post a picture from dinner and review all the wine he drank this week. wine is like rocket fuel for james. oh, and post about our favorite new breakfast-y find from trader joes too! please! i'll be nice and make you muffins...oh, wait...

Keeping it in the Family: Pollo Asado Tacos

Ok... so I had my Dad throw together a post for us. He killed it!

Make these... they are good.

Healthy Pollo Asado Tacos

Your food blog says "a different kind of fast food". This is NOT fast food. Homemade marinade and homemade salsa. Check it out. Turned out pretty good.

Simple: one carb smart tortilla (warm), pollo asada, cabbage, salsa fresca, cheese, EAT. (Note: Paper plate, for James)


You might have noticed that I have borrowed from the fish taco arena by garnishing with cabbage. It is crisper and cleaner tasting in this application. Also, if you use canned salsa, you might want to chop some onions, tomatoes, and lettuce for additional garnish.

Pollo Asada

5-6 chicken breasts
Pollo Asada Marinade (See Recipe)

Split/Filet each chicken breast to approx. 1/2 thickness, resulting in 10 - 12 pieces. I find that doing this allows the marinade to soak in and flavor the chicken better. Place the chicken filets into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag with the marinade. Close the bag and mix the chicken and marinade by turning over several times and agitating the mixture.Do this for several minutes. Open the bag and carefully squeeze out as much air as possible.Reclose and place in refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours, turning periodically.

Remove chicken from marinade and grill to desired degree of doneness.

Chop chicken filets prior to serving.

Off the grill.


Chopped and ready to serve.


Green goo marinade. (Note: Mario bowl, for Beth) Recipe follows:


Carne / Pollo Asada Marinade

4 garlic cloves
1 roasted, peeled, cleaned jalapeño pepper
1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 cup first, cold pressed, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
(Note: The zest contains most of the citrus flavor, so I hate to waste it. It only enhances that citrus zing.)

Roast jalapeño pepper on grill or stove top burner. Peel off all skin, cut off ends, halve, and clean out seeds and veins. Dice.

Press garlic and diced jalapeño pepper into a non-reactive bowl using a garlic press. Add cilantro, salt and pepper. Using a spoon, press / crush ingredients against side of bowl, to form a "paste".

Add lime juice and zest, orange juice and zest, and lemon juice and zest. Mix with spoon to combine. Add vinegar and olive oil, stir.

Pour into a large, 1 gallon. Ziploc bag.

Chicken in marinade. Place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.


Dad's Salsa. Recipe follows:

Dad's Salsa Fresca

1 1/2 - 2 cups, seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 - 3/4 cup diced red onion
1 Tbsp. roasted, jalapeño pepper
1 Tbsp. roasted, pabalano pepper
3/4 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 large, or 2 small limes, juiced
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes into quarters and remove seeds. Dice tomatoes. (I like to use a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of vine ripened and roma tomatoes. The vine ripened for sweetness, the roma for body). Dice red onion. Roast peel and clean jalapeno and pablano peppers, dice. Mince garlic. Juice lime and zest. Chop cilantro.

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl. Adjust seasoning and peppers (heat) to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

POKEZ, pumpkin, & pancakes

in "other athletes that love food news"....
it looks like GZ over in boulder, co is getting down with some wok action...he's fast on the road AND in the kitchen! (maybe i'd be fast if i had kids to work as my little sous chef minions too! :) ...hmmm....james is little, he can pass as a kid, i need to put him to work.... actually not true since he probably cooks as much as me or we team cook which is most nights. anyway, back to the plan...

POKEZ

we usually go to el caribe tacos n juice at least once a weekend for fish tacos and salads...that place definitely deserves its own post in the next week or so....james would definitely classify it as epic.

but left all to my lonesome with j out of town, and far from el caribe, being downtown in my hood (james lives up in north county).....i had to pull out an old favorite for a good post 50-miler mexican meal since i finally wanted to eat after being sick...
POKEZ! POKEZ (pronounced poh-keeez and there is an accent over the E which i can't figure how to make with blogger) is kick ass mexican food made the right way in a little place downtown that looks like a dump...
i think some veg-o person owns it because there is no lard in the beans and everything on the menu can be ordered vegetarian, vegan, whole wheat, tofu, spinach, whatever.....
I went with a mahi mahi grilled fish taco and beans...here is about a third of what they gave me (had to save some for later..meaning like 30 mintues later)...



and waiting around while they cook up my food is not so bad. pokez is hipster heaven and there is plenty of ink and piercings to admire on the wait staff. i probably looked pretty cool in my sweet cycling getup. i especially like the skateboard/jukebox wall...


PUMPKIN
when james is not around, i also have a tendency to make odd dessert-ish foods in single servings. james is not so into dessert- he doesn't even like pie or cake. well, i am obsessed with pumpkin pie and love the easy things you can do with canned pumpkin. i also am down with the health benefits of pumpkin:
"Pumpkins are packed with beta carotene, an antioxidant with properties that can help improve immune function and reduce the risk for chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. A cup of cooked pumpkin has only 50 calories and nearly three grams of fiber, making it the perfect healthful addition to your meal"(from http://www.healthcastle.com)

so, i like to make mini pumpkin "pies" in little rammikens (love that word)
i use:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg white
sweetener (your pick-splenda, brown sugar, i like SF maple)
sprinkles of cinnamon
sprinkles of pumpkin pie spice (you can buy this and its a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, etc)
sprinkle of rolled oats
i mix this all up (save the oats) in the rammiken with my mini whisk, sprinkle on the oats and then microwave for 2 minutes...that's it. delicious, desserty and essentially you're eating vitamin packed vegatables + protein (egg white) for dessert....
looks kind of gross, huh? but is swear it is TFG (totally f-ing good).
i also like to put the same spices and 1/3 cup of the pumpkin into my usual oatmeal....pumpkin pie for breakfast, what's better?

PANKCAKES
xterra athlete emkruse sent this killer pancake recipe where you can get your oats and dairy at the same time...

Oat Pancakes:
Old-fashioned oats - 1 part
Low-fat cottage cheese - 1 part
Egg whites - 1 part
Sweetener - optional

He says, "Pop all of this in a strong blender and mix it up until it's smooth. Then you just cook it up like a pancake.You can get the ingredients in more or less the same size package at the store so it's real easy to measure. FYI, I like to add 8 packets of Splenda to a blender full just to sweeten it up a bit. This is a great new breakfast option in our house, thanks to our friends Jason and Sherrie. You can add blueberries or better, you can even make banana pancakes and pretend like it's the weekend."

so, emkruse, we're on it....on valentine's day, while james was on the trainer, i cooked us up a delicious brekkie thanks to you! i made egg-white omelettes and blueberry pancakes. i followed emkruse's recipe but subsituted fage total 0% greek yogurt (13 grams of protein in 6oz!) for the cottage cheese because that's what we had on hand.
these got a big thumbs up from both me and james and the blueberries were a nice addition...and damn it we ate it so fast we forgot to take a picture!


that's about it...James just bought a bunch of food-related books from amazon, so expect some future book reviews (or clif notes if you're lazy) and i did make him some (like 100) awesome granola bars for valentine's day...there were four flavors: "ride" (xtra delicious and carby), "recover" (extra protein, more carbs), "fiber bomb" (serious fiber here), and "everything balls"....but the pictures are on his camera. maybe i'll post the recipe but make him post the review....

later! keep eating....