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Yes, I happen to be singing that to the tune of Gangsta’s Paradise as I write about my Monday dinner, a garlicky, cheesy pasta bake. Monday’s run was pretty spectacular in the sense that it was awful in parts, amazing in parts, I pushed it, and felt kind of wobbly and tired in a good way afterward. I would give this run a solid 12 points: 9 for distance/time and 3 full points for hills because I sought out every hilly area I could, then repeated. The only major problem with the run was my stupid inability to fuel at the right time. My diet for the day: GM at 7:15, 1/2 Greek yogurt, 3 scoops Trader Joe’s almond butter at around 10:00, a huge bowl of quinoa, chickpeas, peppers, and tomato soup at 1:30, a bag of cherries at 2:30, and then about 20 almonds at 4:00. By the time I left the office at 4:50 (snuck out 10 minutes early, don’t tell!) I was STARVING! I ran through it because really, what else could I do? I had moments of feeling really hungry which reminded me that I need to have a Gu or something on me, but the rest of the time I thought about dinner.

As soon as I got home, drank about 12 ounces of Stonyfield organic 1% milk, stretched, and showered, I got started on post run bliss, a pasta bake.

Easy peasy, delicious, warm, and comforting. It started with 6 cloves of garlic and some crushed red pepper, along with a can of Pastene pureed tomatoes.

I gathered a couple of bags of random Trader Joe’s organic pasta that were nearing their ends. Yep, my Tostitos lime chips also snuck on to the counter and into the photo. They are one of my major weaknesses, especially after a run. Add Goya habanero sauce, and I am a happy girl.

And for protein, calcium, and fat, some Breakstone’s cottage cheese and Sargento shredded mozzarella.

While the pasta was boiling, I whizzed the garlic and red pepper with the tomatoes in the Cuisinart and lined the bottom of a baking dish with a ladle full of the sauce.

Once the pasta was perfectly al dente, I drained it and transferred it into the baking dish. I poured in the rest of the sauce, scooped in half of the container of cottage cheese, stirred it around so that all of the pasta was coated, and then topped it with mozz. I put the whole lot into the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes, and then for about 3 minutes I turned the oven to broil. The result, a bubbly melty, browned, fragrant, garlicky dream.

I ate it while watching My Antonio, the WORST SHOW EVER. But I thoroughly enjoyed the mindlessness. Thoroughly.

This dish could easily be made with tofu and veggie cheese and would be just as comforting. The secret is in a hearty pasta and a flavorful sauce. Nom.

What is your favorite post-workout meal??

In addition to corn and tomatoes, basil is one of my favorite summer ingredients. Tossed in a salad, paired with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella for a caprese salad, on a sandwich for some extra flavor, or even by itself, basil adds a beautiful, bright, and fragrant pop to summer eating, and especially outside eating.  We are so lucky to have access to many great farms, so basil is in abundance in our house all summer long.

Pesto is one of my favorite ways to highlight a variety of different flavors and textures. I make it a variety of ways, and this weekend, I decided to make a simple walnut pesto.

1 large bunch of basil

4-6 cloves of garlic

pinch sea salt

pinch fresh ground black pepper

6 tsp olive oil

handful of walnuts

Basically I just throw everything into the Cuisinart and process until it is a consistency that looks good. Depending on my use for the pesto, I sometimes like to leave it chunky. Other pesto recipes that I make swap walnuts for pine nuts and add fresh parmesan cheese for a nuttier taste. I also sometimes add sundried tomatoes. Everyone makes pesto differently, and I really love mine. A friend went to Liguria last year and brought me a jar as it is a Ligurian speciality. . . and I have to say I like mine better. Is that crazy?! 😉

How do I use pesto?

• Tossed with hot whole wheat pasta and green beans and maybe shrimp for some protein
• Blended with more olive oil and good aged balsamic vinegar for an easy salad dressing
• Spread on focaccia or other good bakery bread, topped with tomatoes and mozzarella for a delicious no cook sandwich
• Whipped into an omelet
• Mixed with mayonnaise as a dip for roasted potatoes
• As a spread for a hummus and veggie wrap, or mixed into homemade or store bought hummus to jazz it up
• As a topping for fish or meat, just spread a layer on top of salmon or steak half way through cooking, and let the flavors run down onto the protein
• Mixed with cream cheese on a multi grain bagel
• On a panini pressed brie and tomato sandwich.  . . mmmmm
• Eat it right out of the food processor! 🙂

Do you like pesto? How do you use it, and do you have any recipe twists?

I had a great run today, and tomorrow’s post will be all about running. I hope you are all doing great and having a good week so far! 🙂

Business first: A few people have asked how they can submit guest posts. Please send them to traveleatlove2009@hotmail.com . I am excited to read and post them, and if you ever need a guest post in return, please just let me know!

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday. Mine has gone well so far, and by the time this posts, I will be having dinner with old friends. My run was kind of awful, but I dug deep and did the hill workout I planned. I run along the waterfront and do a hill workout on the side streets of Southie, where Tina will be moving soon. It is a VERY hilly area in some parts, and it is a lot of fun to run up one street, down another, and on and on, giving the legs and heart a killer workout. After that I had half of a Green Monster and lots of water. I wasn’t feelin food, so I brought one of my Pro bars to the shelter with me in case I got nibbly while dog walking. Overall I spent 2 hours walking 6 dogs varying in size from about 15 to 100 lbs. It was so much fun! I also discovered a grocery store near the shelter in Jamaica Plain that I NEED to go back to. The area has a very large population of people who come from a variety of Latin American and Caribbean countries, and the grocery store was so cool! So many different tropical fruits and veggies, cheeses, tortillas, hot sauces, flan, etc. It was so neat! I just love stepping into a neighborhood and feeling like I have traveled to a whole new place.

We had lunch at Myers + Chang to try out their new-ish dim sum menu. Obviously it was delicious, because everything there is. I don’t have any photos because I am trying to stay away from cell phone pics, but we had the Asian pickles, the Thai ginger chicken salad, peanut dan dan noodles, and corn and prawn fritters with sriracha aioli. I feel like I ate a little too much, but it was just so good. The pickled veggies were so fresh and crunchy and tangy. We always just feel really good about everything we eat at Myers + Chang, and the staff is so nice. Joanne Chang herself came in while we were there (celebrity sighting!) ; she really is involved in her businesses which I think makes them as good as they are.

I had a lovely shower with Good Health Natural Products’ shea butter body wash. It was delightfully smooth and smelled great. The smell reminded me of my nana in a good way. She always had the best natural soap around when we were growing up.

Anyway, I wanted to post a recipe favorite of mine to help you use up those zucchini or summer squashes. I hope you enjoy it!

Stuffed zucchini

1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out

3/4 cup goat’s cheese (or tofu would work too!)

a few spoonfuls of breadcrumbs or crushed multi grain Wheat Thins, which I used this last time

garlic! (I used 3 cloves, but its up to you)

1/4 cup walnuts

1 tsp olive oil

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the cut part of the zucchini with olive oil, and put in the oven to get soft, about 20 minutes. While the zucchini is cooking, chop and lightly sauté garlic in olive oil. Take cooked garlic and goat cheese, put in a food processer or blender, and puree until smooth and creamy.  Transfer to a bowl, and fold in the breadcrumbs.

Once the zucchini is soft enough for you, remove from the oven and plate. Scoop goat cheese into the zucchini halves, and pat down with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle walnuts on top, and enjoy!

(with Dr. Praeger’s broccoli bites, not recommended)

The rest of Saturday will be some cleaning and updating my iPod with new Spanish podcasts for my walk to and from work. I am looking forward to a lazy Sunday. . . perhaps some brunch and open markets. We shall see! G’nite! 😉