My Cooking Mojo is Back!

After a long hiatus, I think my cooking mojo has returned! Here are some of the highlights of recent culinary endeavors:

Figgy Pizza

"This-is-me... carbo-loading"

This was the meal I ate the night before my long run on the Boston Marathon course. A little whole wheat pasta, Spanish EVOO, and sauteed red peppers, mustard greens, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and a few slivers of parmesan cheese. Like heaven. The next morning (Saturday), I headed out on Rt. 135 from Ashland to Coolidge Corner with nothing more than a Camelback, some Espresso Love-flavored Gu, and inspiring tunes. Around mile 7, both quads began to tighten up and I had a tough time getting through the next 13 miles. So bad that I had a tough time sitting down and getting up off a chair that night. The foam roller came in extremely handy in the following 48 hours. I think I'm ready to run the whole course now! Twenty-six point two, here I come!

Last night I gleaned some inspiration from my new coworkers and made stuffed peppers with a twist. I used the Village Harvest Quinoa that can be found in the frozen food section and is a great item to use with this dish to amp up the fiber and protein content. I received this product as a sample to try, and it is definitely one I would seek out at the store for convenience sake.

Quinoa-Bean-Tofu Stuffed Peppers

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 can kidney beans

1/2 pkg tofu, drained

2 cups Village Harvest quinoa

1 can stewed tomatoes

6-7 green or red peppers, tops cut off and deseeded

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

fresh parmesan cheese

Directions: Saute onions and garlic in EVOO. When onions are translucent, add tofu and beans and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa and tomatoes. In another stock pot, fill 2 inches high with reserved tomato juice from stewed tomatoes and water. Add peppers and begin to fill peppers with quinoa filling. Put lid on stock pot and steam on medium for 20 minutes, or until peppers are soft and begin to break down. Top each pepper with toasted walnuts and slices of parmesan cheese. Serve with a side of flaxseed tortilla chips and fresh guac, made with lime juice. At least that's what I did and it was delicious!

Regaining my cooking rhythm also occurred because I attended a book signing on Monday by Molly Wizenberg, food blogger at Orangette and author of My Homemade Life. Molly reinvigorated me to get back to the kitchen and work with food. She talked about the joys of the process of cooking and eating with others, and her book is a cozy memoir of her own lovely relationship with food. She inspired me to download some French jazz and get back to cooking. Janel and I agreed our favorite quotes by her were, "food does not exist in a vacuum" and "the context in which we eat food affects our relationship with it." My suggestion is to run out and buy her New York Times Bestseller now, or ask me and I'll lend it to you!

Boston Marathon Running Update:

Like I said, I've completed my fundraising efforts and my last long run. It's taper time now. I also received my official Melanoma Foundation running T. It was like Christmas when I opened that package! I also got a FEATURE mention on a local blog called Carrots N' Cake. Tina, the blogger, is featuring profiles of Boston Marathoners. Check out the post here!

Question of the Day: What's your favorite, most inspiring book?