Training Season! Or lots and lots of pasta....

I seem to have issues.  About four years ago I went from hating all things related to running and being spent after a 1-mile run, to training for marathons.  Seriously, it was like an overnight transition.  I watched my dad, my sister, and my brother run the Twin Cities Marathon one year and it was like a light flipped on in my head: if those fools can do it, I certainly can too.  Now I've started the training season for my fourth Twin Cities Marathon.  I told you...I have issues. 

But as soon as you integrate running into your life, pounds of pasta inevitably follow.  From June through September, I eat a pasta dinner nearly every Friday night in order to carb up for my Saturday long run.  It might even be that you're supposed to carbo load two nights before your long run, but it is safe to say that THIS is always a bad idea:

After three training seasons of subsisting mostly on noodles with olive oil and garlic salt (which is still one of my favorite dinners!), I decided that I need to branch out.  I need to find some easy, healthy pasta recipes to get me through this summer!  If you happen to be training for a summer run, then you might also be interested in some new pasta dishes.  If you just happen to enjoy eating a lot of noodles (who doesn't?), then hopefully you'll find something great to add into your repertoire.  I plan to add some great pasta dishes to this blog over the course of my training season.  So enjoy part one -- a classic dish of pasta al pomodoro. 

Ingredients
4 roma tomatoes, peeled* and seeded, and cut into large pieces
3 cloves garlic
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1/2 angel hair pasta (or any other long noodle you have on hand)
2 tbls freshly chopped basil

Directions

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil under medium low heat.  Add in the garlic and saute for a minute or so.  Add your tomatoes and reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil and throw in a small handful of salt.  Add your noodles and cook according to the directions.  Once the pasta is finished, your tomatoes should have broken down and the olive oil should be a rich color.  Oh, it'll smell amazing. 

Using tongs, take the pasta out of the water and transfer it into the skillet/dutch oven.  Don't drain the pasta!  Putting in wet pasta allows you to keep some of the starchy cooking liquid.  It'll help create a creamy quality to your tomato "sauce".  Probably not authentic, but it's still good! 

Top your pasta with freshly grated pepper and a sprinkling of basil.  Feel free to add some grated cheese if you like.  Even a small squeeze of lemon would be good to add a bit of brightness. 

Enjoy this tasty, classic dish!  Happy trails! 

*Quick Tip: Peeling the tomatoes is completely optional.  With roma tomatoes, I don't like the skins.  If you used other varieties, such as heirlooms, the skins will break down along with the tomato flesh.  To peel a tomato, bring a pot of water to a boil and add in your tomatoes.  Let them boil for 1 minute and remove.  The skins will peel right off with a knife!  Then chop and seed as usual.

Food Trucks - Chef Shack

I am still delighted that food trucks have taken up their mobile residences here in St. Paul.  It's awesome to have some good lunch options and on nice days like today, I even enjoy making a mile-long trek with work friends to find these magical trucks.  Today was "Food Truck Court" on Kellogg and Wabasha in downtown St. Paul.  Once a week the St. Paul food trucks all meet in one location for a "food court" made of up these trucks.  It's a great idea -- more to choose from and the opportunity to learn about more of these great food trucks.  They were all lined up on Kellogg: Gastrotruck, 128 Cafe, Chef Shack, Magic Bus, Fork in the Road, and a handful of other smaller vendors selling brats and even doggie treats!  Andrew Zimmern of that extreme food show made an appearance at the food truck court....apparently he was shooting a commercial for some fruit drink. 

I perused the options at all of the trucks and there were some good ones!  I thought about the portobello sandwich from 128 Cafe that I'd sampled before, but decided it was time to try something new.  The menu at Chef Shack really peaked my interest.....

A quick word about the people working at this food truck before I get to my rave review of the food.  It was hot out, it was busy, and they were still so cheerful and happy to answer my questions about their menu offerings!  They even made some recommendations on different sauces and accompaniments I could add to my lunch.  Glorious!  I just love being around people who love being around food.
 
But the food.....oh the food.....  I read the words "sweet potato tacos" and did a double take.  I had no idea that sweet potatoes could be fashioned into decent tacos.  I asked the delightful people in the truck and learned that the tacos include pureed sweet potato, organic black beans, a cabbage slaw, and a spicy sauce.  Sounded good, so I ordered that and an Arnie Palmer to try and beat the heat.  Within a minute my tacos were up!

OHMYGOSHAREYOUKIDDINGME!!!  I was blown away.  Seriously.  Just thinking about these tacos now makes my heart ache with longing.  Who knew that sweet potatoes combined with black beans made such an amazing veggie taco?!  The sweet potato puree was silky and sweet....the black beans added that hearty element of all good tacos.  The slaw had a perfect crunch and that sauce added a bit of spicy flavor without being over powering.  I used a couple drops of their hot sauce, which was the perfect little boost for these delicious tacos.  Plus the taco shells were crazy good!  Thicker than your store-bought shells...think of a cross between a taco shell and maybe naan bread.  It tasted like it had been held over a flame to get a bit of a char.  YUM. 

I devoured these two tacos in approximately 4 seconds.  Well, that's an exaggeration, but it took extreme willpower to eat slowly enough to savor each bite.  This has opened up a whole new world for me and my love for veggie tacos.  Sweet potato puree......wow. 

OH!  And lest I forget, the Arnie Palmer was a rockin' beverage for this bright summer afternoon.  Well done Chef Shack.  Now please come to the Grand Avenue neighborhood on a daily basis.  Thanks.

p.s. Here is a new interactive map that will show you the location of the food trucks in Mpls and STP and give you links to their websites!  http://www.citypages.com/microsites/food-truck-map/

Quinoa with Chickpeas & Sundried Tomatoes

I know, I know....I've been out of the kitchen for a while.  With the growing heat in Minnesota and my aversion to food after a training run, it's been challenging for me to find motivation to cook!  But tonight the stars aligned and I decided it was time.  Actually, it just so happened that I always have the ingredients for this great dinner dish in my pantry, so I could be both lazy and motivated at the same time!  I got the original recipe for this quinoa dish from my friend Jillian but I lost the recipe somewhere down the road and I've started making it up as I go along.  It's transformed into the recipe here, but I have to credit Jillian and Max for the inspiration!

I'm always looking for great ways to use quinoa.  It's a wonderful and healthy grain with a glorious texture.  In fact, this dish is full of healthy ingredients -- fresh greens, fresh herbs, protein from the chickpeas, and the quinoa.  The sundried tomatoes aren't too shabby, and their addition gives the entire meal a bit of a kick.  But once you top it with cheese, it's like heaven in your mouth.  Most of these ingredients can be swapped out for something else to suit whatever you have on hand.  In short, it's yummy, easy, and good for you!  This recipe will make 2-4 portions as a main dish, and 4-6 as a side dish. 

Ingredients
1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8.5 oz jar sundried tomatoes; take out half of the tomatoes and chop roughly
Several large handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tbls fresh herbs, minced (basil is great)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup feta cheese (you could use goat cheese as well)

Directions
Cook the quinoa according to the package directions in a medium saucepan (it's similar to rice, with a 2-1 ratio of wet to dry).  Substitute the broth for water in the directions.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle 1-2 tbls of olive oil and heat briefly.  Add in the minced garlic and saute for one minute.  Add in the chopped sundried tomatoes and saute for another minute.  I usually add a dash of the olive oil from the jar of tomatoes as well.  Add your can of chickpeas along with some salt and pepper to taste.  Saute the chickpeas for about five minutes. 

Add in half of your spinach and gently toss the spinach around in the pan in order to wilt it.  Once the spinach has reduced in size and wilted, add the rest of the spinach into the pan and lightly wilt that batch.  This gives you two textures of spinach -- some more soft and some with a bit more substance.  Once the second batch of spinach is lightly wilted remove the pan from the heat.

By this time, your quinoa should be ready.  Combine the quinoa and chickpea mixture, and add the basil.  Dish up your servings and top with a sprinkling of feta cheese and some freshly grated black pepper.  Oh joy!

a close-up shot of all the happiness!

Enjoy!