Lentil, Quinoa, Rice,Casserole

I had a great run today! It felt like I was being tested; everything was going wrong, but I didn't stop running. I lost my running sunglasses, so I slipped on a pair of stylish ones before the run. They kept sliding off while running so I tossed them ( oops). I also had no music, my Garmin wouldn't find a satellite and only connected to one 2 km into my run,  my shirt kept riding up, along with my shorts, and so my legs were chaffing. It became quite painful, but I would either have to walk home with the pain which would take longer, or grow a pair and run home. So I ran.

Distance: 9.0 km
Time: 50:35
Calories: 538

I was famished when I came home, so I had two pieces of rye toast with hummus and salsa. This is my favourite easy snack ever!

At two oclock I had to meet my trainer and we had a really tough workout. He attached a rope to my waist which was attached to a 45 pound weight. I had to sprint with it, do crab walks, do rows, bicep curls, plank walks, you name it ! All with the weight! He said that I am his only female client who can do that with so much weight! Booya!

Came home all sweaty, ate a plum, some organic grapes, cleaned up the house, and then showered. My fav friend Katie came over and we worked on the menu for Monday's vegan extravaganza. It's going to be a very busy day of cooking.

Then I made a very easy lentil, quinoa, brown rice and veggie casserole. Unfortunately I don't own a casserole pan, but I used a glass baking dish and it worked fine.

Easy Lentil, Brown Rice, Quinoa Casserole:

Inspire by OhSheGlows Lentil Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3.5 cups veg broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked lentils (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper (or green, I just don't like the taste of green ones)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp herbes de provence
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Put all ingredients into dish and bake covered for 1.5-2 hours at 300! Enjoy!!!!

I used red lentils, but feel free to use green!

Pre-baking

All warm and yummy out of the oven

This recipe is a keeper. Very easy to make, with lots of flavour!

I am extremely tired from all of today's working out, so I'm excited to cuddle with my fur faces and read my book. I'm currently reading Wideacre, by Philippa Gregory; it's a great book--> all of her books are great!

See you tomorrow!

Raw, vegan, cashew pesto!

I used to make this mean roasted red pepper, walnut, basil pesto, but I can't find the recipe anywhere, nor can I remember it. So I found a recipe in "Eat, Drink, Be Vegan", and adapted it to my tastes!

Cashew Basil Pesto:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 cups chopped basil
• 1-2 garlic cloves (depends on taste, I used 1.5)
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (I used Himalayan) 
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

In a food processor, blend all ingredients! Add more liquid if you feel you need it. I served this on top of brown rice elbow noodles,with toasted pine nuts (they look burnt, but they were very good)!

This dish was very easy to make. The part that took the longest was boiling the noodles!

Onto the running front! I planned to do a 12 km run today. I started running and felt like I had all of this acidity bouncing around in my stomach (from the green juice today?) and said, "well, maybe I'll just do a fast 5k". So I picked up the pace, and then felt like I was actually going to throw up. I stopped for a second and then said, "i'll just slow it down a bit and do 10 k". After slowing it down my stomach started to feel a bit better. By the time I hit the 4 km mark, my stomach hurt three times more then it did initially, so I immediately turned around and somehow made it home. I don't remember much of the return half of the run, I just knew that I had to get home. I finished 8 km, and it was probably the worst run I've done yet. My shins didn't hurt very badly during the run, only a bit afterward. So I did a little ice-ice-baby. So my 12 km, to 5 km, to 10 km, to 8 km run didn't go as planned but I'm not going to let it bother me!

Time: 45:30
Distance: 8.01 km
Max HR: 165
Average HR: 156
Calories: 488

I took a few hours to rest up, ate a clementine, red pepper with hummus, and a piece of yesterdays cornbread. I got up and did day 7 of the 30 day shred on level 2. I thought it might get easier everyday I do it, but it really doesn't. I had to stop once or twice!  And because I was feeling a little bit too ambitious, I followed this up with Jillian Michaels Shred It With Weights (Kettle-bell). It was intense.

So now Im just going to bask in the fullness that the pesto gave me, do some dishes, then maybe make some spelt crackers.

:)

Vegan pizza portobellos!

Pure delight!!!
But I can't find the correct spelling of portobellos anywhere!

This recipe was adapted from Ohsheglows recipe and they were so amazingly delicious. I don't even like mushrooms and I ate three of these in no time at all.

They had great tomato, garlic, cheese and basil flavour. It was so delicious, i'm lost for words.

Vegan Pizza Portobello's:
As adapted from "ohsheglows"

Ingredients:

• 6 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 cup tomato/pasta sauce
• 1 cup of chopped red pepper and yellow pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped vidalia onion
• 6 basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for atleast an hour)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp rice bran oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Make the vegan cashew cheese ( puree the raw cashews, sea salt, rice bran oil, 2 leaves of basil, garlic clove, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice) and set aside. Now, preheat the oven to a broiler setting. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet. Wash mushroom caps and place with the concave part facing up (so you can fill it). Make sure to remove stems. Put 2-3 tablespoons of your tomato sauce into each mushroom and follow with the vegan cashew cheese. Put as much cheese as you want! I put a lot and it was soooo good! Next, add your chopped vegies, then top with minced basil and chili flakes. Broil in the oven for 15-20 minutes, just make sure to watch it. My oven broils at a very low temperature so it took a bit longer.
Enjoy!!!

I planned on doing a 12 km run this morning before work--> It didn't happen. I woke up at 7, ate my overnight oats, then went back to bed :(   . I went to work feeling so horrible that I didn't run. But I remembered that quote from Jillian Michaels, and when I got home I did the run. And I killed it!

Distance:  12.01 km
Time: 1:06:19
Calories: 714
Average Pace: 5:31 min/ km
Average HR: 158
Max HR: 171

My last km was done in 5:02 ! Yaii! At the end of the run though, my stomach was really starting to ache. I think it had to do with my stomach bouncing up and down for so long. But I just had to keep running because I was still so far from home. I've really been feeling a lot better during my runs (except for this sore stomach) , my spirit is up, and I am starting to enjoy the run, and the peacefulness and alone time it gives me. I hope it can stay like this :)

Now for some core power yoga!