Food!

Wahoo, day off from training! I slept late, and now I'm making protein pancakes for breakfast because I had a dream about maple syrup. :) Which leads me to today's topic: food! I love to cook. I find it really relaxing, and I- like my mother- love to cook delicious healthy things for other people. Since I'm training at home this summer, I try to cook meals for my family whenever I can.

Here are some things I've been making, all of which are ridiculously easy:

Red quinoa and beans
1c red quinoa
1 can each of black and kidney beans
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1c spinach
black pepper
spices-- I used some Mrs. Dash's salt-free blends

Cook the quinoa first. Sautee the red pepper, onions, and spinach. Add the beans. Add the quinoa and spices. I like to eat the finished product with goat cheese, because feta makes everything beta.

Protein Pancakes, version 1
3 egg whites
1/2c cottage cheese or greek yogurt
1/2c oatmeal
1/2t vanilla

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Then fry 'em up on the griddle! The cottage cheese or yogurt flavor is a little strong for me (read: they don't taste like real pancakes) so I created version 2.

Protein Pancakes, version 2
1/4c pancake mix (I used Arrowhead Mills brand, 'cause it was in the cabinet)
1/3c soymilk
1 scoop of Wegman's vanilla whey protein powder
1t olive oil
add walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, etc.

First mix the soymilk and protein powder together, then add to the other ingredients. Add more soymilk if necessary. Then cook! These turned out a little dry but all the better to douse in maple syrup.

Crock-Pot Applesauce Chicken
4 chicken breast halves
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups applesuace
1T apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4t cinnamon
1/2t black pepper
1/4t crushed red pepper flakes

Put the chicken in the crockpot and add the onion. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours. My family loved this recipe and it was even better left over. We ate it over quinoa, but I also ate it over a spinach salad with (you guessed it) feta on top. YUM. This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook of all time.

Tonight I'm grilling salmon with pesto and making broccoli tossed with lemon juice, toasted almonds, and garlic.