Monday, January 18, 2010

Summer in Palmy

The weather here in Palmerston North has been totally amazing this week! So warm and sunny and it just makes me want to go to the beach! (Can't convince Travis to go - bummer.)

Last night we had dinner with some friends from church, which was really nice. There were a few others there that we had not met yet, so it was nice to get to know them. One of the girls will be in my nursing program so it was really cool to meet her. Dinner was fabulous (I love how people here cook so healthy...mostly roast meals...we had peas, carrots, roast pumpkin and roast potatoes, an orzo salad - fabulous - and they also served lamb....It was so great having so many vegetable choices because no one even noticed that I didn't eat the lamb!) Lovely dinner and felt great that we were able to still eat a healthy meal!
This is me in my sun dress that Travis bought me to wear in NZ! =) Not the best picture, but you get the idea...

Tonight is our second 7K race in the Super Seven Series so we are both looking forward to that - although we are likely to have heat stroke if the weather holds as it is now! (Our Alaskan natures are just not used to all this warm weather! ha)

The past few weeks I have been focusing on increasing my running distances and really getting in some good yoga sessions every day. I haven't been back at the gym as often as I was before Christmas so I am working on that - just hard to fit in everything, and I would rather make sure I get my yoga and run in...it's a compromise and in an ideal world we would have time for it all, but you know...

I thought I would share a super easy recipe real quick since it has become one of my new favorites! I have been drinking green smoothies every morning with my breakfast and continuing to eat really healthy, so I'm very happy with how that's coming together. I am down to 64kg this week so very happy with that as well. (Still a little ways to go, but I'm content on taking it slow.)

Chickpeas and Roast Vegetable Couscous

Ingredients:
  • Combination of diced vegetables of choice: I chose root vege like kumera, carrots, parsnips (my first time EVER eating or cooking these - and I LOVE them!) potato (if using a white potato you will want to boil them a little first...mine did not cook fully) onion, red pepper, and cauliflower
  • Chestnuts, Almonds, or Cashews - I just tossed a handful in with the roast vege
  • Olive Oil
  • Dried Sweet Basil and Oregano
  • Chickpeas
  • 1/2 Cup couscous
  • 125ml Vegetable Stock
  • 1 tsp paprika
Directions:
I adapted this recipe from some other ideas, so it's really basic. Just coat all vege and nuts in olive oil and dried herbs, salt/pepper. Turn into a casserole dish and roast in oven on 200c stirring occasionally to cook evenly. I cooked mine for about an hour, but just watch and remove when all vege is roasted thoroughly. Cover 1/2 cup couscous with hot vegetable stock and mix in the 1 tsp paprika. Let sit covered for about 5 min. until couscous absorbs the liquid. Mix the chickpeas and couscous with the roasted vege and serve!! It is fabulous and makes a ton!

I served this on the side of a pesto pasta (fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, cashews, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese pureed into a pesto) and for Travis I served chicken as well. Makes a lovely dinner! (Next time I will steam some asparagus or broccoli because I felt like it could have used some more greens on the side.)

"What is good for the body, is good for the whole man" ~ Fred Rohe Zen Running

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so digging this race series you guys are doing! So cool!

Teniah Ashlyn said...

Yeah, it's really fun, and I think it's fantastic that they are doing it - So cool seeing all the kids out participating....I think I might have to join the Manawatu Striders once the races end so I can keep running with the group - seems like fun!

Gelareh said...

Your meal looks really good.

Anonymous said...

Sounds good. Anything with roasted veggies is a winner to me. Good luck with your race!