Seriously, the garden seemed to just come to life overnight. This year, we planted so much stuff (compared to last year’s million tomatoes and pumpkins). We have: sugar snap peas, snow peas, onions, two types of beans from my parents’ garden last year, carrots, radishes, daikon radishes, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, Anaheim chiles, jalapeno peppers, Serrano chiles, lettuce, mustard greens, bok choi, cucumbers, and zucchini. Amazingly enough. everything is coming in! Now I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that we can keep them alive!

Now, on to my latest favorite baking projects! I have one delicious recipe for Mike and me and one delicious recipe for our dogs! Our house can’t get enough of these treats and we are going through so much peanut butter!

First, the human treats: homemade protein bars! It’s perfect for me to munch on post-run and Mike likes to eat them after… well, he just likes to eat them, no special occasion required

Want to know what I cooked up for the pups? Check back Friday for the post!

Oh yeah, I also ran my first half marathon on Sunday at the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon.

If you had told me two years ago I would some day be able to run 13.1 miles, I would have laughed at you. But, I can now proudly say that I have trained my butt off and endured the most difficult race I’ve been in yet. I saw Mike and our friend, Jon, at mile 11 or so and they asked me  how I was doing. My answer was a thumbs down and a mumbled “this sucks” before I continued to trudge on.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the distance that did me in. It was the unexpected heat and humidity. It was 69°F at the start and HUMID. It was 85°F when I finished about 2 hours and 18 minutes later. I was bummed – I had trained for running it in 2:05 and I had successfully ran 12.5 miles at that pace during my training. I guess it was better that I run smart (and slow). The race itself was a bit scary – there were runners literally falling over around me. I ran past runners passed out in front yards with medical staff attending to them. I constantly heard ambulances. They ended up closing the course (marathon and half marathon) about 20 minutes after I had finished.

I am so thankful for the wonderful volunteers that did their best to keep everyone hydrated and I’m so grateful for the homeowners that graciously put out sprinklers for us to run through. I’m glad that I have already signed up for the Fox Cities Marathon at the end of September. Had I not already shelled out the money to do that, I probably would have never signed up for it after this one. That said, I tried to muster up enough energy to go out for my first marathon training run yesterday (a short 3 miles) but I just couldn’t do it. Every single inch of my body ached. Every inch still aches.

I guess for now I will just lay here on the couch and ice myself and look at pictures from the race on Sunday Look below for some not-so-attractive shots of yours truly.

Me, Ashley, and Nick before the race. Please note our bib numbers

Let’s play Where’s Waldo… (hint: pink tank and purple shorts)

I don’t think I will ever look good while running. I think this was around mile 11.5 or 12?

Race to the finish!

Mike, Jon (great spectators)
Me, Ashley, Nick (tired runners)

Note: I am the only one not cool enough for sunglasses.

I think I’ll give this race another attempt next year. It is close to home, it was well-organized, there was great crowd support, and I l-o-v-e the football-shaped medals. Too bad they couldn’t control the weather!

Tagged: running ]]> http://doughseedough.net/2012/05/22/weekend-recap/feed/ 1 Jenni IMG_7169 IMG_7182 IMG_7189 IMG_7195 IMG_7210 http://doughseedough.net/2012/04/16/beef-stew-in-red-wine-sauce/ http://doughseedough.net/2012/04/16/beef-stew-in-red-wine-sauce/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:41:29 +0000 Jenni http://doughseedough.net/?p=1157 ]]> Mike has been an absolute lifesaver on Mondays and Wednesdays. Why? Because he cooks, folks. He cooks and it’s dang tasty. These two days are go go go for me. I’m in rotation from 8 – 4:30, go for a run, and then go to Pilates Reformer. I don’t get home until close to 8 on Mondays and Wednesdays and it’s so nice to come home to a delicious meal.

I don’t always know when I’ll need him to make a meal, so I try to menu plan easier dishes. This particular stew came from Food & Wine’s 2008 annual cookbook. I’m trying to get a good mix of internet and cookbook recipes into our meals just to mix it up a bit. After all, I do have a lot of cookbooks and I should probably use them instead of letting them collect dust on my bookshelf.

This particular dish was phenomenal. I loved the tanginess of the red wine in it. I honestly could have eaten the entire pot.. don’t judge me – running makes me hungry! I’ll probably try making it in the slow cooker next to make it even easier.

Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce
slightly adapted from Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2008

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds lean beef chuck roast, visible fat trimmed, roast cut into 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1 bottle dry red wine
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig
1 5-ounce piece of pancetta
2 1/4 cups water
20 pearl onions, peeled
15 cremini mushrooms, wiped clean
15 baby carrots
Dash of sugar
Chopped fresh leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large cast-iron pot over moderate heat, belt butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the pieces of beef in a single layer in the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook beef over high heat for about 8 minutes, turning to brown pieces on all sides.
2. Stir in onions and garlic. Reduce heat to moderate and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, stirring well so it doesn’t form lumps, then stir in the red wine. Add bay leaves, thyme sprig, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover the pot.
3. Transfer the pot to the oven and braise for about 1 1/2 hours until the meat is soft and tender and liquid is reduced to a thick sauce.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the pancetta with 2 cups of the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer over moderate heat for about 30 minutes and then drain. Cut pancetta into 1/2 inch slices, then cut the slices into 1-inch wide strips.
5. Combine the pearl onions, mushrooms, baby carrots and pancetta strips in a skillet with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 cup of water and a good dash of sugar, salt, and ground pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, over moderate heat for 15 minutes, until most of the water has cooked off. Uncover and cook over high heat, sauteing the vegetables until well browned all over, about 4 minutes.
6. Stir some of the vegetables and pancetta into the stew and sprinkle the rest on top. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Afterwards, we were not only tired, but kind of hungry. We were also too lazy to cook. So, we grabbed our favorite quick and easy meal – a Bloody Maria. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a Bloody Maria, it’s a Bloody Mary made with a far superior alcohol – tequila. This recipe is courtesy of my wonderful husband. He apologizes for the not-so-precise measurement. Bloody Maria mixing is more of an art than a science!

On Sunday, I went for a nice, easy 10 mile run. Mike not only drove me 10 miles away and dropped me off so I wouldn’t have to run in circles around our house, but he also fixed me up the best post-run recovery drink, too. You guessed it, a Bloody Maria. Yum! If you’re someone who doesn’t like tequila, make this with vodka for a good ol’ Bloody Mary. If you go this route, I’d like to suggest my personal vodka of choice – Referent Horseradish Vodka. Absolutely delish!

Mike’s Spicy Bloody Maria
serves 1

2 shots tequila (we used Jose Cuervo)
dash of celery salt
2 – 3 shakes A1 Steak Sauce (~ 1 teaspoon)
2 – 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce (~1 teaspoon)
splash of pickle juice (~1 fluid ounce)
Tabasco, to taste (4 – 5 shakes for me!)
6 fluid ounces tomato juice
6 fluid ounces spicy Bloody Mary mix

For the garnish:
Stick of celery
Pickle spear
String cheese
Pickled mushrooms
Summer sausage slice

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until combined.
2. Pour into a pint glass and garnish with celery, pickle, cheese, mushrooms, and sausage.
3. Drink, eat, and repeat.

I got the base cake recipe from Eggless Cooking. It’s made with beets and chickpeas. I was really skeptical at first, but I decided to give it a try. Turns out you can’t even taste the chickpeas or beets! I used canned chickpeas and beets to cut down on prep-time and it turned out pretty well.

These cupcakes were soooo decadent. It’s not really cake-like. More fudge-like perhaps? They’re dense, rich, and definitely chocolatey!

(Sorry for the bad photo - I took this minutes before running out  
the door to get my butt to the potluck!)

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
yields 12 cupcakes 

For the cupcakes:
2 cups chickpeas, canned or freshly cooked
3/4 cup beets, cooked
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips*

1. Remove the thin outer skin from the chickpeas. Enlist help if you can – this will take a while! Use a food processor or blender to puree until smooth with a tablespoon or so of water.
2. Puree beets into a smooth paste, using the cooking water.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
4. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted.
5. Combine chickpeas, beets, and sugar in the food processor or blender until completely smooth – no lumps allowed! Puree in coconut oil, baking powder, coffee granules, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well combined.
6. Blend in the melted chocolate chips into the chickpea and beet mixture and let the food process or blender run for a couple minutes to allow chocolate to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
7. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.
8. Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan.
9. Remove cupcakes from cupcake pan when cool and frost with chocolate frosting (recipe below)!

*I used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips and they were pretty darn tasty!
** I ended up using some of  coconut milk left in the can to thin out the frosting and give it another boost of flavor. I ended up using about 5 cups of powdered sugar in addition to about 1/4 cup of the coconut “water” that was left in the can.

I pouted about this for a couple weeks before deciding that I should just make something else with the jam. I decided to re-make an old recipe with a few changes.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla and gradually mix in flour until dough comes together.
3. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Make a small indentation in each ball with your finger and fill with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute and move to wire rack to finish cooling.

It finally occurred to me that I should make salt & vinegar potatoes! I’m not sure why this didn’t come to me sooner, but I’m addicted to these. Are you a salt & vinegar chip enthusiast? If so, these are these are the perfect way to jazz up your dinner!

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
White vinegar, to taste*

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss potatoes in a large roasting pan with olive oil and pepper.
2. Roast potatoes, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Sprinkle with vinegar and salt to taste and serve immediately.

Chicken Waldorf Salad
serves 6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 tart apples, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup red or green seedless grapes, halved
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free mayo
2 limes, juiced
4 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste
baby spinach

1. Combine chicken, apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour dressing over chicken and toss to combine.
3. Serve immediately over a bed of baby spinach.

The interns presented 6 dishes total; I had a blast making this Brown Rice California Roll with a fellow intern for our audiences! It’s so simple and so good that I just couldn’t resist sharing the recipe that we came up with!

Sushi is one of my favorite foods in the world. No lie – I could eat it for every meal, every day and not get sick of it. As much as I love going out for sushi, it can get a little pricey. So while it’s nice to dine out once in a while, it makes a lot more sense to just make it at home! I can’t recall how long I’ve been making sushi. I do remember my mom making rolls for parties growing up, and I’m fairly certain I just picked up the skill from observing her. I still think observation is the best way to learn how to roll sushi, but I had Mike document the process and I hope that these pictures will help!

Brown Rice California Roll
makes 4 rolls 

2 cups brown rice
4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
4 sheets nori*
1 kirby cucumber, cut into 1/16 matchsticks
1/2 large carrot, cut into 1/16 matchsticks
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
3 sticks imitation crab meat, shredded
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons fat free mayonnaise, divided
2 tablespoons Sriracha chile sauce
1/4 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

Special Equipment:
Bamboo sushi mat*

1. Cook rice in rice cooker and medium pot with 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce.
2. When rice is cooked, transfer to a flat, non-metal bowl. Sprinkle remaining soy sauce and seasoned rice wine vinegar on top and toss to coat. Cool rice about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Add 2 tablespoon mayo to imitation crab and stir to combine.To roll the sushi:
4. Set bamboo mat on flat surface with slats running crosswise.
5. Arrange nori shiny-side down on mat.
   
   
6. Using damp fingers, press 3/4 cup rice onto nori in 1 layer, leaving a 1 3/4″ border on the side of farthest from you.
   
7. Arrange 1/4 of the carrots in an even strip horizontally across rice, about 1″ from the side closest to you.
   
8. Arrange 1/4 of the cucumber in the manner, just above the carrots.
   
9. Arrange 1/4 of the avocado slices just above the cucumber.
   
10. Evenly distribute 1/4 of the crab on top of the carrot, cucumber, and avocado.
    
11. Beginning with the edge closest to you, lift mat up with thumbs, holding filling in place with your fingers.
    
12. Fold the mat over the filling and gently squeeze firmly along the length of the roll, tugging on the edge of the mat farthest from you to tighten.
    
13. Continue to roll, by lifting up the mat, rolling the sushi forward, and squeezing. Be careful not to roll the mat into the sushi!
    
14. Open mat and roll log forward to seal completely.
    
15. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a cutting board. Slice into 9 pieces with a wet serrated knife.
    
16. To make the dynamite sauce, mix together 1/2 cup mayo, Sriracha, and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
    

*You can find these items at an Asian grocery store. Larger grocery stores may carry these as well.

Want to know my little secret? Make extras. The leftovers are just as tasty

Another secret? I make it into a salad of sorts – chopped up lettuce, some steamed rice, and the filling all drizzled with some of the dipping sauce. It’s a little less messy than eating it burrito-style.

Lettuce Wraps
serves 4

1 pound lean ground pork
1 large or 2 small heads Boston Bibb/butter lettuce
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Sriracha or other Asian chile sauce
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil

For dipping sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha or other Asian chile sauce

1.  Carefully remove leaves from lettuce head. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
2. In a non-stick skillet over high heat, brown ground pork. Stirring often. Drain and set aside.
3. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger vinegar, and Sriracha and stir, cooking for another minute. Stir in water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil and cooked pork. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
5. To serve, spoon a portion of the meat onto a lettuce leaf, wrap up like a burrito and enjoy with the dipping sauce!