Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Quiche
January 27th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Eggs are wonderful. From baking to breakfast, they are a true workhorse in the kitchen. Quiche is a versatile egg dish and a nice canvas to work with when you want something quick, easy and tasty — which is especially handy on lazy weekend mornings. The addition of creamy goat cheese really brings out the nuttiness of the pesto and the tang of the sun dried tomatoes!
I “cheated” and used a store bought crust because – as with my mini quiche – I’m still not quite comfortable making my own yet.
Ingredients
1 store-bought pie crust, frozen
2 tablespoons pesto
4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
1/4 Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and cut into strips (I preffer Mezzetta)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread pesto evenly in the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle goat cheese and Monterey Jack cheese over pesto.
In a bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over goat cheese in pie crust and arrange sun dried tomatoes on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until done. Cool to near room temperature before serving.
Note: The last step is important. The quiche needs to be completely cool before you try to slice it so it has time to settle a bit. Can you eat it hot out of the oven, yes, but it will be a hot mess (literally and figuratively) to get out of the pan. Plus, letting it cool down a bit allows the flavors a little more time to meld together.
The Three Toughest Letters to Face as a Runner
January 16th, 2012 § 5 Comments
DNF.
WTF. No LOL here.
Best Laid Plans
I had high hopes for my return to the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n Roll marathon. This time around was supposed to be different. This time, I was more prepared than for any other race. This time was supposed to be my time. I planned. I trained. I carbed. I fueled. I did so much more than I’ve done in the past because I know what could happen. Been there. Done that.
So, What Happened?
That’s a great question. The same problem I ran into during my last two marathons, reared it’s ugly head once again. I started off energized and strong. I kept my pace slower at the start so I had enough energy to last the second half. I felt good for the first several miles and I stayed on track with my hydration and fueling. Then, at mile 10 I started to struggle. My body felt ok, but my breathing felt strained. I tried to relax and focus, but with each passing mile, my chest felt tighter and breathing had become really difficult. I saw my husband at mile 13 and I knew I was in trouble, but I just warned him that I was slowing down and then I kept going. Bad idea. By mile 15 I was walking…a lot. I could feel the lack of oxygen attacking my muscles and it felt like every fiber of my body was on fire. How is this possible? I was so much smarter with my preparation this time. What if something is really wrong?
I saw my husband and parents at 17.5 and I broke down into tears. I was in pain and my breathing was really shallow. I knew I was in trouble and I had a decision to make. Could I make it another 9 miles? I could if I walked or lightly jogged, but even then, the pain the breathing issues weren’t going to go away. (I’ve learned my lesson there.) It took me a few minutes battling with myself to make the decision. The runner in me really wanted to keep going no matter what it took. But the wife, daughter and friend in me was concerned for my health and what forcing my body to finish could possibly do to me. My body was (and has been) trying to tell me something and I haven’t been listening – maybe this is the time I should start. So, I stopped. Even as I type this I still get teary-eyed to admit that I gave up.
I didn’t finish. I am heartbroken.
What Now?
I had an appointment with my doctor and he’s going to run some tests. I don’t have a medical answer yet, but the good news is he says I can keep running. I’m going to take a little doctor-prescribed break — maybe a week or two — to recover physically and mentally and then get back to it.
Am I going to try for another marathon? I don’t think so. Am I disappointed with that, yes. But if I can hold onto the great memories from my first marathon, I’ll (eventually) be ok with that decision. I still have goals I want to hit for my half marathon time and I think it will be good for me to ease back on my mileage for a while — at least until I’m sure I won’t ever go through what I’ve been through THREE times again, which for all I know may be never.
Maple Glazed Pork Loin Roast
January 10th, 2012 § 2 Comments
Maple + Pork = Yum. Just like maple syrup goes well with bacon, it goes great with other pieces of pork, too. The real kicker to this recipe is… wait for it… ketchup. Yup. Ketchup. And maple syrup. At first, it sounds a bit odd. But when you combine them together it turns into a kind of sweet and sour sauce. And who doesn’t like sweet and sour pork?
This is a great weekend meal because it takes about 1 1/2 hours to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Yes, that’s lower than the 160 degrees we’re used to adhering to, but the USDA has approved the new lower temperature, which is great news for moist pork-lovers all over.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin roast
Salt and pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season the pork roast with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Sear in hot oil until browned on all sides, about 1 minute per side.
Place onto a large sheet of aluminum foil set on top of a baking sheet. Stir together the maple syrup, ketchup and garlic. Pour the sauce over the pork. Fold the foil over the pork, and seal to form a packet.
Bake in preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours.
Let roast rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
