Zucchini "Pasta," and other ramblings

Sorry for the couple day break! It's been a long weekend, working as an Orientation Assistant (helping incoming freshmen out) at my college!

Anways! I have heard about the recipe for a long time, and I thought I'd try it myself. I sort of played it by ear. It's a great and VERY QUICK recipe that works really well for days you don't feel like thinking too much about cooking. It's also an awesome way to incorporate veggies into your diet without really noticing it!

ZUCCHINI "PASTA"

One zucchini makes approximately one serving.

Soo basically what happens here is.. you make pasta. Out of zucchini. Yep.

What you need:

Salt (to add to boiling water.. I used sea salt)

1 medium to large zucchini 

Whatever toppings you would normally put on spaghetti! (e.g. mozzarella, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, etc.)

What you do:

1. Slice zucchini into skinny "noodles." Usually this can be done more efficiently (mine were thick, so I had to cook them for longer). I had misplaced my peeler for this meal, but I would suggest using a peeler if you have one (just don't make the "noodles" too thin!).

2. Bring about half a pot of lightly salted water to a boil (uncovered).

3. Add "noodles" to pot, and turn down heat to medium/medium-high. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, uncovered (the length of time will change depending on how thick or thin you sliced your zucchini). The key is to make sure that your zucchini is wilty/droopy and acts "pasta"-like when you hold it on your fork. 

4. Take out the zucchini and strain the water out. 

5. Put in a bowl, add toppings, and enjoy! (I used mozzarella and way too much Italian seasoning.. thanks to the lid falling off of the bottle. Blech.) 

ON TO THE NEXT...

I ran 10 miles this morning. At a 9 minute pace. In the sun - not my usual 6 AM dark, dark, dark run. I had two buddies (a trainer and a friend) to help push me out there. I love days where I challenge myself and push myself to the limit. If I can keep up a 9 min pace for my final half marathon, I will be as pleased as cheese (just made that up... wah).

By the way, I highly recommend the Nike+ GPS app for iPhones. It's amazing. I've never had any problems with it. Ever.

Love you guys!

Training & T.Z.T.

I have never been so ecstatic about exercise. It's truly wonderful. I've been getting 5 hours or less of sleep, which is AWFUL by the way - bad habit to drag yourself into. But, because I've been eating healthy and taking care of my body by providing it with all the nutrients it needs (and exercise), I am able to stay energetic throughout the day. This morning, I ran 4 miles (easy run to recover from yesterday), but, when asked to join someone at the gym this afternoon, I just had to go again. I mean, I wasn't doing anything else... right?

It's awesome. I hope I remain as excited about my well-being once school starts back up on Monday!

On another note, I burned so many calories tonight that I decided to play with some ingredients I had around the house tonight and make a hearty yet healthy (not to mention extremely yummy) meal.

I proclaim this new recipe "T.Z.T." - standing for "Turkey Zucchini Tacos." Randomest taco ingredients ever, I know. Get over it. They're delicious.

TURKEY ZUCCHINI TACOS

Makes about 3-4 tacos (I usually just eat 2)

What you need:
6oz lean ground turkey (room temp)
1 chopped fresh zucchini
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Mozzarella cheese, to your liking
3-4 LaTortilla Low-Carb, High-Fiber 50 cal whole wheat tortillas

What you do:
1. Heat medium sized skillet/pan on stove with olive oil. Once hot (I put mine a little above medium level), add chopped garlic clove. Use a spatula to brown.
2. Once the garlic has browned, add the ground turkey to the pan. Add 2 tbsp water and spices.
3. Separate turkey with spatula, and cook on medium/medium-high heat (constantly turning/stirring) until the turkey is almost completely cooked.
4. Add chopped zucchini, sprinkle on a bit more curry powder if you want (sprinkle on a bit more water too), and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir around the zucchini until covered with spices.

5. After ingredients are thoroughly mixed in the pan, turn the heat down to simmer and let sit for a bit. I usually let the mix simmer until I am finished putting away my dirty dishes and ingredients/warming up the tortillas and preparing the mozzarella.
6. Once this is all done, you're ready to scoop the T.Z.T. mixture onto your tortillas! Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese.

Sounds like a weird combo but I swear it's to die for!

Enjoy! :D

STRANGE-YET-DELICIOUS: TALES OF A SECRET LOVE AFFAIR

A month ago, if someone were to suggest I eat anything involving Cottage Cheese, I probably would have gagged. My memories of Cottage Cheese from high school are terrifying, nightmare-ish, and shocking - to say the least (the thought of chunky dairy and melon mixed together just didn't do it for me, thanks to my friend Mary).

But now, for some reason, Cottage Cheese and I are having a little secret love affair, and I can't keep myself away from him. He's everywhere - almost, maybe, stalking me?

So, it's not a surprise that Cottage Cheese graced my first ever recipe, and is now making a booming appearance in the second. Here he is, starring in my...

STRANGE-YET-DELICIOUS APPLE CINNAMON BOWL
Recipe inspired by ANNE'S RECIPE

What you need:
1/4 C Non-fat or 2% Milk-fat Cottage Cheese (little to no sodium)
1/4 C Non-fat plain Greek yogurt (Chobani is my fave!)
1/4 C Unsweetened applesauce
A couple pinches of cinnamon
OPTIONAL: Stevia, to taste (if you have an insane sweet tooth like I do)

What you do:
It's pretty simple. You just mix it all together and scarf it down. In fact, I'm eating a bowl right now - well, I was, but it was so delicious that it pretty much disappeared within the first two minutes of me sitting down to blog.

And, how many calories per bowl, you ask? A mere 110. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN. With only 1g of fat. Perfect protein-filled, post-run/workout snack if you ask me.

Berry Cheesecake Breakfast Parfait!

Before I get down to business, I would just like to say that I feel super accomplished this morning. 5:45 AM 7 mile run, 5 miles at a 9:00min mile tempo (which is pace for under a 2 hour half marathon! Woo!). Let's just hope I can keep at that pace for 13.1 miles. I fueled with oatmeal and half a banana (mixed into the oatmeal) about an hour before my run (4:45 AM), and then post-run I drank coconut water to recharge my electrolytes (coconut is a great, healthy, and low-cal alternative to Gatorade, etc).

On sale for $3.99 at the local organic grocery store! What a steal! :)

I got back, did some ab exercises and a minute plank, showered, and then whipped up my latest creation:

BERRY CHEESECAKE BREAKFAST PARFAIT

You should try it. So good. And it's actually under 200 calories (165 without toppings, but with 1/4 C frozen fruit mixed in), with 18g of protein, 22g of carbs, and 1g of fat (great option for a post-workout snack)!

What you need:

1/2 C Chobani plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 C 2% (or non-fat) Cottage cheese, reduced sodium (small curd is preferable)

1 TBSP All-natural raspberry jam

Honey or stevia, if desired

*EXTRAS/mix-ins/toppings

Frozen blueberries, raspberries, or other berry

Granola 

Banana 

What you do:

Mix all of the original ingredients together (yogurt, cottage cheese, and raspberry jam). I also mixed in about 1/4 C of frozen blueberries and raspberries (they made it a pretty color!). If you want a fluffier texture, use a whisk. For a more cheesecake-y taste, add about 1/8 C to 1/4 C more cottage cheese. 

When the yogurt mixture is complete, scoop into a pretty bowl, add toppings, and, of course, snap some pictures. No breakfast is complete without pictures. 

Also, if you're not a big cottage cheese fan, NO FEAR! I'm not really either, but I know it is a good source of protein, so I add it. I can barely taste it though.

Nutrition Facts

(Columns from left to right: Total Calories, Carbs, Fat, Protein)

Enjoy!