Grilled Brats, Potatoes with Veggies and Black Bean Salad

I'm so happy to have my grill master back!!! I think we'll be grilling all week since neither of us grilled in the past two months. We have to make up for lost time! Sunday night, we though about doing a little surf and turf with grilled shrimp and steak, but it just seemed more like low key kind of night, so we decided to keep it simple with grilled brats and veggies!

We got a very cool gift from my in-laws called a grill wok. It's a very handy piece of equipment for the grill! It has a removable handle so that you can close the grill on the pan and let your food get the full smoky flavor. You can grill all sorts of things with it! We've stuck to potatoes and veggies so far, but I'm sure we could do shrimp and other small items that you might worry would fall into the grill. We've had great luck with our veggie combinations - they always seems to turn out well! Last night, we did potatoes with red peppers and onions seasoned with a little olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.

Alongside the brats and grilled veggies, I decided to serve a bean salad because I wanted something light and flavorful, but full of protein and fiber to help refuel after my long training runs this weekend. This bean salad was out of this world delicious and I'm pretty sure it will be gone by tonight and I'll have to make a double batch to get through the week! I adapted the recipe for what I had on hand, and it was perfect in my opinion!

Black Bean Salad
Adapted from Food Network

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus cooling time

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can cannelli beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onion
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons honey
Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and cool until ready to serve (refrigerate for one hour or pop in the freezer for 15 minutes like I did :) ).

Homemade Toaster Strudel and Mini Egg Pies

I had a special breakfast planned for Bryan's first Saturday back at home. We love to make a big breakfast and have lazy Saturday mornings every now and then, and this was sure to be one of them!

We made some egg pies with our mini pie maker (one of the best gifts ever!) out of eggs, baby bella mushrooms, spinach, onion, a little cream and cheese. All we have to do is mix the ingredients, fill the pie doughs and pop them in the pie maker for about 8 minutes! They are so delicious!

To go with the savory egg pies, I decided I wanted something sweet. I recently saw a blog post with homemade toaster strudels and they sounded like a perfect side to the egg pies. I never grew up with toaster strudels in the house, but I remember enjoying them at friends houses the morning after sleepovers or for afternoon snacks. I remember they were so delicious and there was never enough toaster strudel to satisfy my appetite for them. That's where these homemade toaster strudels come in. They are bigger and better than the Pillsbury boxed version! All you do is take a pastry sheet, cut it into 4 strips, top it with some jam that was thickened with corn starch, fold over and crimp the edges together and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, and voila, the best breakfast dessert one could ask for! The only downside is that we used homemade frosting that didn't get very thick, so you can't really see it in the photo. It ended up being more like a glaze, but went perfectly with the strudel.

Homemade Toaster Strudel
adapted from 1 Cup Awesome

Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 pastries

Ingredients:
1/2 cup blueberry or strawberry jam (we used blueberry!)
1/2 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1/2 tablespoon cold water
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small saucepan, bring the jam and cornstarch mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Lay 1 sheet of pastry on a board and cut it into 4 equal strips.

Put a heaping teaspoon of cooled jam in the middle of the upper part of the dough and fold over the bottom part. Seal the edges with a bit of water and crimp with a fork.

Arrange the pastries on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pastries from oven and allow them to cool completely.

In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and whisk in, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice at a time, to make a thick icing consistency. Drizzle the icing over the pastries. Allow the icing to set for about 15 minutes before eating.

To see a step by step guide, click here.

Sushi Wabi

I welcomed Bryan home last Friday, after he spent two months doing away clinical rotations for medical school. It's so nice to finally have him back! For his homecoming, I brought back the infamous frozen chocolate peanut butter pie! It was just as good as the first time!

The pie served a second purpose as well. On Saturday, we had plans with friends celebrating one of their birthdays, and knowing Bryan and I couldn't (and shouldn't) eat the whole thing by ourselves, we brought it along for dessert and it got rave reviews by all!

Saturday night's plans involved going to Sushi Wabi with the group. I had been craving sushi and was happy to finally satisfy the intense craving. I think Bryan and I chose a great variety in our rolls, and we were really happy with the choices. They were so incredibly delicious! We ordered the Godzilla: tempura shrimp, avocado, orange tobikko, cream cheese, masago, mayo, green onion, chili sauce, tempura crumbs, eel sauce, wasabi mayo and sesame, the Spider: soft-shell crab, cucumber, masago, mayo, pepper vinegar sauce and sesamie, and the Spicy Shrimp: boiled shrimp, green onion, chili oil, red tobikko, masago, mayo and sesame.

It was so fun to hang out with a great group of friends celebrating a birthday, a homecoming, taking boards, and beginning an exciting new school year!

Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon 2011

This morning I ran my second half marathon ever - the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon! It was a very fun race and I was so happy to see my friends Jessica and Mae along the course! The weather was great too - partly cloudy skies and around 70 degrees! It even rained lightly on us during the race, which felt really good!

Unfortunately, this year, I'm not able to document the race with photos. Last year, Bryan rode his bicycle around the course and took photos of me and the course. But he's in Cleveland at the moment, so you're stuck with my review in words :)

The first mile was very fast and fun. The next 4 were hard for me. I ended up getting a massive stomach cramp (I never get those!!!), but was able to run through it. Before I knew it, I was at mile 7 and feeling much better! I tried to keep a decent pace through another major stomach cramp around mile 8 and sooner than I thought mile 10 was upon me! I pushed it hard to the end and felt good! My goal was to finish in under 2 hours, but unfortunately, I finished just over that. My full marathon training has been focusing on distance rather than speed, so I didn't feel like I could push myself to the max the entire race and keep the pace the whole time. I guess I was mentally running a marathon race and should have been focusing more on speed. I am very proud of myself for knocking about 20 minutes off of my time in this very race last year. That's major progress! Overall, the race was very fun and the course was awesome!

Now, I'm sitting on the couch drinking Gatorade and water with my compression socks on and massaging my quads with my running stick - and eating my favorite post-race snack... Lays sour cream and onion potato chips. And I don't feel bad about it at all!

Pre-Half Marathon Dinner: Pasta with Salsa di Noci

I love having a savory pasta dish the night before a race! I've actually cooked a very similar meal prior to another race (you can view the recipe I generally followed here), and I thought I'd do something similar with what I had on hand. I didn't have my usual Pappardelle Pasta that I love prior to races, but I did have some whole wheat bow tie pasta made with tomato and spinach. Salsa di noci basically means walnut sauce, and and to make it, I toasted the walnuts in butter and garlic until the garlic is lightly browned and the walnuts are heated thoroughly. Then I removed the contents from heat and added the mascarpone cheese until it melted. I mixed in the cooked noodles and topped with grated parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. It was awesome! Next time I think I might add some mushrooms! Served with a large salad full of veggies (not pictured because I ate it too fast!) it was a perfect pre-race dinner.

19 miles in Chicago

Today I ran 19 miles for my marathon training! It was long and hard, but I did it!!!

I completed my run in the evening so that I could spend time with Bryan this morning before he went to Cleveland. I waited until just before 5pm so that the temperature would decrease as I ran. It was actually pretty pleasant out compared to many recent runs!

My long run last week was extremely difficult and I hit a major wall with 3 miles left to go. I could not finish and it was miserable. I was determined to not let that happen again! With these long runs that I've been doing, I've discovered that I'm a very salty sweater! Anytime after mile 10, if I rub my arms or legs, they have a thin layer of exfoliation (solidified salt crystals from sweat) all over my skin. When I do these long runs, the salt builds up so much and that means that my body is totally depleted of electrolytes and that is the very reason why I bonked and hit a wall last week. This week I tried Nuun tabs (electrolyte tabs) that dissolve in water and I was thoroughly impressed! My legs got tired near the end of my run, yes, but the rest of my body felt great, which I had not yet experienced after 14 miles yet. What a nice feeling knowing that you have the mental energy to keep going, even if your legs are killing you!

The majority of my run was along the lakefront and it was a beautiful evening for a run! After I came home, I enjoyed leftovers from our date night at Market last night. MMM! Good food in my belly! Now I'm sitting with my compression socks on and taking intermittent breaks to massage my legs with my stick!!!

Market

Bryan and I were able to enjoy a date night while he was home for 30 hours! We decided to try a restaurant near us on Randolph called Market. It's in a fun location and has a rooftop, sports bar, beer garden and patio. The food and drinks were absolutely amazing! We split a caesar salad and an appetizer of mac n cheese mini muffins topped with a sweet BBQ sauce that were to die for! Bryan had a burger with ham, onions, cheese and a fried egg and I had a turkey bacon avocado burger. Both were huge and delicious. Needless to say, I have plenty of leftovers to get me through tonight no problem!!

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

For Bryan's homecoming, I also wanted to make a special dessert. I had bookmarked this one from a few weeks back, and knew it would be perfect considering the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. I've been crazy for peanut butter desserts this summer!

This pie is insanely delicious! Each bite literally melts in your mouth into a smooth, creamy, peanut buttery slice of heaven. And the homemade Oreo crust makes each bite perfection. It's the perfect summer dessert that is perfect for any time of the day! I think I'll enjoy a piece right now because I just can't get enough of it!

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
1¾ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (about 20 Oreos)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt

For the Filling:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups creamy peanut butter (not chunky or natural)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

For the Topping Drizzle:
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions:

1. To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork until all of the crumbs are moistened. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then bake until set, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Wipe out the mixing bowl, switch to the whisk attachment and whip the heavy cream on medium-high until soft peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it up. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Transfer the filling to the cooled crust and spread in an even layer. Freeze uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day covered with plastic wrap.

3. To garnish the pie: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments at 50% power, stirring after each. Continue until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny bit off the corner. Hold the bag over the pie and drizzle the melted chocolate in a zig-zag pattern. Melt the peanut butter in the microwave using the same method used for the chocolate. Add the melted peanut butter to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and drizzle over the pie. Let stand for about 10 minutes to set. Return to the freeze if not serving immediately.

4. Remove the pie from the freezer about 10-15 minutes before you are ready to serve. If you have trouble cutting it, running your knife under warm water will help. Cover leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and store in the freezer.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

For Bryan's homecoming, I wanted to plan a tasty breakfast! My love for pancakes sent me on a search for the perfect pancake to try. I'd been intrigued by quite a few lemon ricotta recipes lately, so I did a simple search and found these lovely babies!

They were totally awesome! While they are super thick, they are light, fluffy and have a light lemon zing that is perfect for the summer! The blueberry sauce adds an element of homeyness which was perfect for the occasion on a lazy Saturday morning! We accompanied the pancakes with a side of turkey bacon and endless cups of coffee to recover from the late night drive home!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

To make the blueberry sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

1. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice and cornstarch mixture. Stir until the sauce thickens slightly.  Cover to keep warm and set aside.

To make the pancakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and canola oil. Gently fold this mixture into the dry ingredients until flour disappears. Don't over mix. The batter will be thick.

3. Heat a griddle or a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.  Drop about 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle or skillet. Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the pancakes on the other side, about two minutes longer. Continue making pancakes until batter is gone. Serve warm with blueberry sauce.

New Computer, New Camera!

This weekend was nothing short of awesome. I drove back to Minnesota to pick up Bryan at the end of his away rotation! YAY! We got back to Chicago late Friday night/early Saturday morning and were lucky enough to spend the weekend together before he left this morning to drive to Cleveland for another month-long rotation. At least we're half way done with this away stuff!!

I also got to pick up my new computer that Bryan bought while there. I got a new MacBook Air and I LOVE it!! It's super thin, sleek, light and super duper FAST!

We made another purchase this month: a camera! We can't yet afford a sweet DSLR, so we got the next best thing: a Nikon Coolpix L120. I'm hoping my photos will be much more enticing now that I can not only see what I'm taking a picture of, but also the quality will be much better!

It also has quite the zoom capabilities!