speedvegan

the week got off to a bad start. i wanted to go for a long bike ride on my birthday, but i was too depressed. plus, i had to see my family and that pretty much sucks all the energy out of me. the depression lasted through Monday and halfway through Tuesday. that’s when i realized enough was enough. i couldn’t complete my swim workout on Tuesday because there were 12 (yes, 12) people in the pool so i ran instead.

friday 05.19:
* rest day

saturday 05.20:
* 30 min run

sunday 05.21:
* rest (birthday depression)

monday 05.22:
* more rest (still depressed)

tuesday 05.23:
* 20 min bike @ gym, high intensity, low cadence
* strength training: legs, abs

wednesday 05.24:
* 1hr spin class

thursday 05.25:
* 40 min run
* 800 meter swim (pyramid)
* strength training: upper body

Frito Misto, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

There is an awesome appetizer at my favorite restaurant that seems to have universal appeal. I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it. Unfortunately, this appetizer is deep fried which means I don’t have it unless I am with a large party. After trying another wonderful recipe from the Eat Air blog, I decided i could make a healthier version of the dish at home.

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds

batter:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp egg replacer
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain soymilk
2 tbsp tamari

1. In a large bowl, combine batter ingredients and set aside.

2. Heat oil over moderate high heat in a large pan or wok.

3. Mix the cauliflower florets in the batter.

4. Stir-fry the florets until they are brown.

5. Lower heat to about medium and stir in the sweet chili sauce. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

6. Transfer to a serving dish. Cover with sesame seeds. Allow to cool for a few minutes before diggin’ in !

Wow ! I am planning to take this to the next vegan potluck. If you decide to make this dish, here are a few tips:

• I found it best to cook the battered florets in 3 sets. This allowed for an even golden-brown color and each piece to be thoroughly cooked.
• If you are not a big fan of crisp cauliflower, I suggest either steaming the florets prior to battering them (just make sure you let them cool completely before placing them in the batter) OR placing the cooked florets (before adding sweet chili sauce) in the oven for a few minutes. Then transfer back to pan or wok for the sauce. That’s what i did and they turned out perfect !

Sundried Tomato Pesto, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Jose loves pesto. It doesn’t matter with what, he will eat it. I introduced him to sundried tomatoes a few weeks ago and he seemed to enjoy them so tonight, I decided to make sundried tomato pesto.

8 oz penne pasta
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper (to taste)

1. Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. To make the pesto, place sundried tomatoes and water in a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain (reserving the water) and then rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Place garlic, walnuts, dried basil, olive oil, salt and pepper in food processor and puree. Add sundried tomatoes with water and process until smooth.

4. Combine pasta and pesto sauce. Serve immediately.

Jose confessed this is his new favorite dish – and so easy to make ! That is the best part !

i worked harder than my training schedule called for this week. that is a BIG NO-NO, but i felt bad about slacking off last week and wanted to balance things out. i couldn’t run on Saturday because my foot was still hurting a bit and i didn’t want to risk having another fracture. overall, it was a good week.

friday 05.12:
* rest day

saturday 05.13:
* rest

sunday 05.14:
* 43 mile bike ride

monday 05.15:
* 1hr spin class
* strength training: legs

tuesday 05.16:
* 30 min run
* 1600 meter swim (pyramid)
* strength training: legs

wednesday 05.17:
* 1hr spin class

thursday 05.18:
* 30 min run
* 800 meter swim (pyramid)
* strength training: upper body, legs, abs

Orange Teriyaki Tofu, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Yesterday at breakfast, I was inspired to create this recipe for dinner.

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 (9oz) jar orange fruit spread
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp vegan non-hydrogenated margarine
1 large summer squash
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp agave nectar (optional)
sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the tofu through the side into rectangular slabs or “cutlets.”

3. In a medium bowl, mix fruit spread, garlic and teriyaki sauce until combined.

4. Dip each tofu cutlet in the fruit mixture, making sure to cover all sides.

5. Transfer tofu cutlets to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Spread remaining fruit mixture over the tofu.

6. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, steam squash and asparagus for about 10 minutes or until desired tenderness.

8. Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and squash. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

9. Stir in sesame oil and agave nectar (if using) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

10. Serve cutlets with asparagus and squash. Sprinkle sesame seeds over dish and enjoy !

This was incredibly good. I suggest choosing a fruit spread that is low on sugar since teriyaki sauce will add a bit of sweetness to this dish already. I really liked this and will try it again with different spreads and maybe seitan.

Baked French Toast, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I sometimes try recipes that I find on other cooking blogs. I usually end up changing them around a bit to fit my taste. This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on the Eat Air blog. When I first saw it, I knew Jose would love it. Even though I can’t have more than a bite, the aroma of cinnamon sugar in the house was totally worth it !

1 french baguette, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Topping:
2 tbsp non-hydrogenated vegan margerine, softened
1/4 cup sugar or substitute
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place bread slices in a greased 8×8 glass baking dish.

3. Mix the rest of the French Toast ingredients and pour over ALL the slices. Set aside.

4. To make the topping, mix together margarine and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.

5. Add agave nectar/maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until smooth, then fold in the walnuts.

6. Spread topping over bread slices evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving or burn your tongue !

OMG ! Can you say d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s ?? Chris and Darlene from Eat Air rock !

i’m doing this a bit backwards, but it’s a start. i’ve setup a new category called “training logs” which will contain, well, weekly training logs of course !

my weeks will start on fridays which is my official rest day. i will try my best to post my log for the previous week each friday.

i’ve added logs starting with 4.7.06 which was the beginning of my triathlon training program. take a look !

this was a bit of a weird week. it was the weekend of the MS Bike Tour. can you say exhaustion ?? also, the gym i normally go to decided to close for renovation until next Monday. Jose thought i would go insane. i had originally decided to take the Monday after my ride off and go to the bike shop. i am ordering some cool new stuff for my bike which i will post about later. hee hee hee. sadly, my bike guy wasn’t in on Monday. i saw him Tuesday night which, for the record, was a complete waste of my time. it was too late when i finally left the store and my feet weren’t feeling 100% yet. i fought the urge to run and took another day off (ugh).

friday 05.05:
* rest day

saturday 05.06:
* 76 mile bike ride

sunday 05.07:
* 71 mile bike ride

monday 05.08:
* rest

tuesday 05.09:
* rest

wednesday 05.10:
* 30 min bike @ gym, high intensity, low cadence
* 30 min elliptical @ gym, high intensity, low cadence

thursday 05.11:
* 30 min bike @ gym – high intensity, high cadence
* 1600 meter swim (pyramid)

Mandarin Oriental Salad, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I’m in a rut. I’ve been making salads every Tuesday and Thursday for the past few weeks. These are my swim nights which means I want to eat the second I get home. Salads are easy, but it’s hard to get enough of everything I need after a workout. I normally go for a spinach salad. In order for your body to absorb all of the goodness in spinach, you must eat with something that has vitamin C. Three words: Mandarin. Oranges. Yum.

1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp peanut oil
2 veggie burger patties, cut into bite-size pieces
bragg liquid aminos (to taste)
generous amount of baby spinach leaves
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup sliced almonds
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp agave nectar
6-8 mandarin orange wedges
salt and pepper (to taste)

1. In a large skillet, heat sesame and peanut oils over moderate-high heat. Add veggie burger pieces and braggs and cook for about 5 minutes or until pieces start to brown. Set aside.

2. To make dressing, blend all ingredients until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, toss spinach leaves with mandarin oranges and sliced almonds.

4. Transfer to individual plates. Top with the veggie burger pieces. Season with fresh ground pepper and toasted sesame seeds.

Jose really enjoyed this salad. My workout was pretty intense tonight so I still felt hungry after eating my portion. I think it would have been fine any other day though or you can always have it as a starter salad.

it’s been almost a week since i completed the MS Bike Tour but i haven’t had time to post about it. this year was the best so far for many reasons, but mainly because of the constant support of Jose. he was my personal SAG (Support and Gear) person throughout the ride. despite the fact that his car broke down again on Friday (long story), he was there for me in every way possible. he is truly very selfless.

the first day was brutal. headwinds were slowing everyone down, but i somehow managed to get through it and finish. i was very tired and hungry. i had pasta with olive oil and garlic for lunch. there aren’t many vegan things to eat in the keys where the flesh of choice is fish.

for dinner, Jose had made reservations at a local restaurant that encouraged you to bring your “catch” and the kitchen would cook it for you. we brought tofu. they put it in our pasta (yes, more pasta) primavera. it was delicious, but i was still stuffed from the pound of pasta i had eaten only 3 hours prior.

the second day was easier. we had the wind pushing us forward. i rode with a guy i met on Saturday. we took turns pulling 5 miles at a time. the best part of the ride on sunday was doing a lap around the homestead speedway. i kept thinking how much Jose would have loved that. hopefully he will join me on the ride next year (wink wink).

i was happy to see Jose and best friend as i crossed the finish line. she said i looked better this year than every other year which is how i felt, so there you have it. i hit the pool and had a beer when i got home. we then headed over to our favorite (and very vegan) restaurant, Sublime, had dinner and saw m:i:III afterwards. good times.