It has been FAR too long since I’ve posted about food!
I have been so busy with marathon training I’ve been reverting to the basics – cereal and smoothies for breakfast, super easy salads or my beloved PB&J for lunch, and easy dinners – pastas, salmon or tofu and quinoa, roasted veggies, etc.
However, we must talk about one new thing I’ve become addicted to: roasted Brussels sprouts. I’d always seen them on Caitlin’s blog, and they looked awesome, but my one and only childhood experience with Brussels sprouts left a terrible impression on me (steamed, no flavor/seasonings, bland and cabbage-y). However, about a month ago Nate and I went to a tapas bar near us and had a bunch of little plates, including one of roasted Brussels sprouts, and they were amazing! The restaurant had used balsamic vinegar, so I decided to start preparing them similarly at home (tossing them with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper and then roasting them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes) and they are addictive! They are also great just with olive oil, salt and pepper, and other veggies, potatoes, etc. I seriously think I could eat a whole pan myself.
This past week I decided to challenge myself and try a few other new things to mix it up a bit. First, I decided to give pumpkin oats another try. If you remember, I tried pumpkin overnight oats and decided they weren’t for me. This time, I made Quaker instant oats with 1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup water, then added about 1/2 cup pumpkin. Then I’ve been experimenting with toppings – my favorite combination so far has been tons of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, a handful of walnuts, half of a honeycrisp apple (MY FAVORITE APPLES ARE BACK!) and a little maple syrup. So good!
I also roasted my first spaghetti squash this week!
I followed Jenna’s instructions and cut it in half and roasted it for about 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees. Then the fun part – scooping out the seeds and pulling out the “spaghetti”! I tossed it with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and heated up some Trader Joe’s meatless meatballs to go along with it. After deciding it was a bit bland, I added Italian herbs, tomato paste, garlic powder and onion powder, which helped. The squash had an awesome texture, but I do think next time I might go with a red sauce.
Speaking of which – another great Trader Joe’s find this week was whole wheat gnocchi! Can we talk about how I’ve been to Trader Joe’s approximately 4 times in the past two weeks? And I’ve saved probably $200 on groceries? I’m so happy. Anyway, whole wheat gnocchi = perfection, and happiness, and deliciousness. Nate livened up a roasted garlic marinara sauce (from, you guessed it, Trader Joe’s) with sauteed mushrooms, garlic, and onion and the combination was amazing!
With a side of bread because I didn’t have enough carbs already. I’m really going to miss eating like this after the marathon…
Continuing on with this epic food post, other fun treats I’ve made this week: Oh She Glow’s Twice Baked Bar Nuts(which Nate and I devoured in a little over 24 hours)…
and Caitlin’s Grilled Banana Sandwich. Holy cow that is delicious. I put a little pumpkin in my sandwich for some extra fall-y goodness.
Well, now that you’re caught up on what I’ve been eating for the past few weeks, I’m ready to continue mixing it up! On the menu this week – acorn squash! I saw the cutest little squash at the store and couldn’t resist picking it up, even though I’ve never made it before. Any suggestions?
