As you can tell from my title up there … today’s post is all about firsts!
Mr. Grumpy and I began our half-marathon training today after work. We were scheduled to run three miles at an 11:48/mile pace. Well – guess what this gal did? I beat my training plan’s goal – and ran 10:27-minute miles! Isn’t that amazing? Now, let me tell you. It was not all fun and games. For example, Cleveland was under a tornado warning – little to Mr. Grumpy and I’s knowledge. So, about halfway through our run, it started raining… pretty hard. Then Mr. Grumpy was amazed that all of a sudden, my hair was curly (as I had straightened it for work). It seems like this would not be surprising after having cohabitated with one another for more than two years… but I digress. You have to choose your battles.
It was ALSO Mr. Grumpy’s choice for our route today … and for the first run of our training season I thought maybe … JUST MAYBE he would go easy on the hills and on me. I was obviously very, very wrong. Literally, we ran three miles up hill – both ways.
Here were my Asics stats!
But I couldn’t complain when we ended up right in front of the market, because after our very first and faster-than-usual-for-me run of our training, we were getting a little hangry. We also needed to take cover from the tornado (that never ended up coming to our side of town). So we picked up the perfect ingredients for an after-run dinner. Every time I go to the market, I tell myself I’m going to try Bok Choy. First – it’s a super food. So, when we’re running as much as we will be, we’re going to need to be as super as we can. Also – I love bitter-tasting greens. Cabbage? I’m in. So – after having heard it was a little bitter, I was definitely interested.
I have been reading a lot online that for good women’s health, you should cut out “bad carbs” like pastas and breads. Like – HELLO? We get it already. We need to stop eating nothing but lasagna and pizza. And garlic bread. I think buffalo chicken is probably still ok though… Anyway. I have also been reading that it is important to eat things like greens, brown rice and add more beans into your diet. Well – the great news is that those items are all really tasty when you mix them together. So – that’s exactly what I did for dinner.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 lb lean turkey kielbasa sausage (it comes in a package, next to the other kielbasa. Make sure you buy the turkey one, though or you can really throw the whole meal out the window for what we’re trying to accomplish here)
- 1 cup short grain, brown rice (we use Lundberg – it is literally my favorite brand on the planet.)
- 1 3/4 cup organic vegetable stock
- 1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
- 1 cup bok choy (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Seasoned salt and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)
First, get your rice a cookin’ because it takes a while. In a medium saucepan, combine rice and vegetable stock over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and turn to low. Let that simmer for 40 minutes.
Next, chop up your veggies and slice the kielbasa into diagonal, thin slices (about a half-inch thick)! You can also add a green pepper to this if you are feeling like you need more green in the bowl. We just didn’t want to overdo it the first time. In a large sauté pan, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and the thick parts (not the leafy greens) of the bok choy into the pan. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened. Season the vegetables during this time with the salt, pepper, ground coriander and red pepper flakes while they’re sautéing. Next, push the veggies over to the side of the pan, and add the rest of the olive oil. Add the turkey kielbasa and sauté for 5 minutes, until warm. Add the leafy part of the bok choy and the kidney beans. Saute for an extra 3 minutes over medium heat, then cover your pan and turn it down to low. You should at this point (but I’m not a math genius) have about 8 minutes left on your rice clock (assuming it takes you as long as it did me to cut up your veggies. I was very distracted by Mr. Grumpy who was eating chocolate bunnies the entire time I was cooking dinner).
Once the rice is cooked, add it into your sauté pan, and stir. Serve immediately! Although I think this will make some really great leftovers! If you want this meal to be vegetarian – you know what not to include (right?). We are trying to eat lean meats and avoid red met as much as we can, so that’s why we chose the turkey kielbasa!
Enjoy, friends! Did anyone run in the rainstorm tonight? Is anyone training for a half-marathon too? How do you kick up your pace while training?
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