This vs That, Noodles!

Ya’ll want to know how dedicated I am to you and our core challenge?  Halfway into bed last night, I realized I had gone for my run, but not done my core work – eek!  So just for you, I dropped down and planked for a bit before hopping into bed.   Don’t ask me about the alarm clock goal just yet.  Its a work in progress…

So.

Over Memorial day weekend, one of my favorite things to eat was the Soba Noodle Salad from Emily over at DailyGarnish (She used red peppers, I opted for cucumbers)

When we got home and were settled, I was curious about the noodles I’d been using, which were simple Soba noodles, made with buckwheat.   From what I’ve read, they’re a common street food in Japan and can be served hot or cold (either way, delicious!).   Apparently, they are an excellent source of Manganese (not to mention a whole host of other things), which seems to be pretty darn important for keeping your body on an even keel.   So they’re delicious and nutritious!

Because pasta salads are so popular over the summer, I thought round 2 of this vs that may be fun, to compare some Soba Buckwheat noodles to some whole wheat spaghetti, using nutritiondata.com through Self magazine.  Lets take a gander!

Hmmmmm, aside from the Calorie and Sodium difference, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to differentiate the two!  Although it could be that the vitamins and minerals are different, I’ll admit, after reading all of the praises about Soba noodles, I was expecting something a little more dramatic!

Happily, there’s no real “bad news” about this comparison!  I have a feeling that the soba noodles may have too dense of a flavor to be an effective noodle in a traditional style pasta salad with say Veggies and an Italian Dressing.  But for something with a little more of an Asian flare, like my dish from Memorial day weekend or something with a peanut sauce, like I had up in Toronto, I think the Soba noodles would be perfect and are sturdy enough to stand up to such a flavorful sauce!

Come to think of it, now I really want to create that bowl from Fresh!…Hmmmmm

xo

Changing perceptions

Spring seems to have sprung a little early here in B’more.  For the record, I am NOT complaining.  I absolutely love the sun outside in the evenings, whether its when I head out for a run, or just sitting on the porch after work with a beer.  I also love that it gets me in the mood for more fresh and light meals.  I’m sure there are few more chilly soup nights left in the season, and have a few recipes up my sleeve for the winter holdout, but will gladly take advantage of warm evenings, with a little something like this:

SO Good.

This Lemony Lentil salad will make even the non-vegetarians drool (trust me on this one, I saw it happen!)  Heck. It made ME drool.  Over. And Over. And Over.

Doesn’t it just LOOK amazing?  So many colors and sweet/tart/neutral flavors tossed into one big bowl.  Those veggies have been topping my salads alllllll week.

Apples!? Sign me up!

I added some roasted tofu, that I marinated in my peanut sauce concoction and am sad to say, there is none left 😦

The recipe itself is from one of my old favorites, http://www.littlehouseofveggies.com/ , and if you haven’t checked her out before, go. Go now. When I printed out this recipe, I was frantically pressing the back button over and over again to print out more.  I have yet to be disappointed with a recipe from her.  On the menu for next week?  That Buffalo style tempeh salad and some “fish” tacos.  YUM.

I think a lot of times, people hear the word “Vegan” and automatically jump to image of me chewing on grass and drinking clumpy brown juice mixes.  After last night, it should be pretty evident, that even Vegans can have their junkfood 🙂  Even I was a little surprised.  The pizza, was AMAZING.  Its from a local pizza shop, Egyptian Pizza, here in town and they offer any of their pizzas cheeseless or with Soya Cheese.  And lemme tell ya, it is QUITE the relief to not have to give up our random Friday Pizza and Beer nights.  Not to mention an outlet for that inevitable baked goods craving.  I’ve also found myself looking at a recipe and thinking “oooh that sounds good, I wonder how I can make that Vegan…”, and what’s more, I’m acting on those thoughts now.  A lot of this new thought process is thanks to several blogs I’ve started reading in the past year or so.

AND before I forget!  I am now a firm believer of a recovery run.  I never quite understood the concept – how can you get faster or stronger, if you’re not working out?  And then, you know – I tried it.  A nice 5 mile jog through the sunny neighborhood (in my new kicks!) on Tuesday night, set me up for a great 5k run Wednesday morning, in which I am STOKED to say – I nailed my goal of breaking the 28 minute mark.  Now, granted, it was only by 10 seconds, but STILL.  I hit it.  I know. I’m slow.  But the IMPORTANT thing, is that I’m pushing PAST the limits I mentally set for myself and getting faster.   Next goal.  3 miles, 27 minutes flat.  GO.

Now tell me, what’s your goal? 

xo