Tasty Tuesday: Polenta and Salad

I'm a fan of "the balanced meal" - aka, protein, fats, and carbs. A recent winner? Polenta and salad.

Polenta:
Trader Joe's brand yellow polenta
2-slices bacon

Salad:
Spinach
Heirloom tomatoes
Walnuts
Avocado
Crumbled goat cheese

To cook the polenta, cut into circles and fry. In another pan fry up the bacon. After both are ready (which will be in roughly the same amount of time) plate the polenta and crumble the bacon on top.

For the salad add ingredients to taste - I'm an avocado fan so I typically do 1/2 avocado to split between Matt and I. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

Delicious!

Why it's good for you? Coming in at roughly 30-30-40, this is a good fat/protein/carb breakdown.

Why it's good for baby? The polenta and spinach have a healthy dose of fiber which is needed (especially when pregnant). The avocado provides good fats for forming baby and the tomatoes give a good dose of liposine.

Why it's good for runner? This is a filling dinner, but not stuffing. The polenta will give energy for a morning run while the bacon will help you not get hungry 10-minutes after eating.

Tasty Tuesday: Thai chicken soup

I love homemade soup - it's great when you're feeling sick, when you need an energy boost, or when you want to make something that lasts a few days. Thai soup is one of my favorites because you can make it as spicy or mild as you like (and I like spicy).


Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, boneless with skin
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 pepper (I like jabanero)
• 1 carrot
• 1 turnip root
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 1/2 can low cal coconut milk
• Other vegetables to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 cup rice noodles
  
• 1 tsp green curry sauce
  

To cook (total time - 45-min):

• 10-min Cover chicken breast with water and add salt and pepper and bring to a boil - then lower heat and leave lid on
• 5-min In a separate pan, saute onion, brown sugar, and ginger in olive oil
• @ 20-min Add carrots, root, and other vegatables to chicken - keep heat low
• @ 25-min Add green curry sauce
  
• @ 30-min Add onion/ginger mixture to chicken
• @ 35-min Pull chicken out and take the skin off, cut up and put back in pan
• @ 35-min Add water chestnuts and coconut milk
• @ 35-min Add fish sauce
• @ 35-min Add rice noodles
  
• Simmer for 5-minutes
• Serve with lemon slices

Tasty Tuesday: the perfect BLT

Our adventures in cooking continue as we avoid restaurants. I think a BLT is a perfect meal for breakfast (add eggs), lunch (add chips), or dinner (add salad). The sandwich:

• Bacon
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Avocado (key)
• Mustard
• Mayo

Stack all!

The sides:

• Blue chips
• Organic lettuce
• Paul Newman dressing

Dessert:

• Mini peanut butter cup

A perfect meal!

Tasy Tuesday: meatballs and squash

Top Chef has totally inspired Matt and I to cook up a storm - sometimes we make great things, sometimes we wind up going out. On Tuesdays I'll be sharing some of the recipes that worked.

Meatballs, salad, and squash

Meatballs:
1 lb grass fed beef from Pt. Reyes
1/2c yellow onion
1/4c chopped basil
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

Mix everything and roll into 4 balls
Cook on medium heat on burner for 5min on each side until brown

Squash:
1 spaghetti or other squash
1c spaghetti sauce

Cut squash in half and bake on 350 for 60-minutes
Heat sauce on stove until bubbling but not boiling
Top squash with sauce

Salad:
2c arugula
2 tbsp goat cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash arugula. Add goat cheese and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Why it's good for you?
This isn't the zone diet precisely, but it does combine protein, a small amount of fat, and carbs for a perfect mix. Squash has a lot of beta carotene which is great for the eyes and beef is packed with iron.

Why it's good for baby?
Right now, baby's bones are growing and so are their organs. Well balanced meals are imperative to help proper growth. I'm hoping that eating squash will help baby's eyes so they don't have to wear glasses like mom.

Why it's good for runner?
As a runner we're burning calories all the time and need a good balance including fat, protein, and carbs. The iron from beef (which can also be gotten from many veg options) provides energy (to go further) and substance (to keep muscle but burn fat).