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Free Time Friday

I went to bed last night with high hopes that the sleet would come early enough that we'd either be told to stay home from work or get a two hour delay. Alas, no such luck. However, I did opt to go in later and ride with Jason. This meant I got my workout done early, but not so early that I was still asleep. I decided to do Step Blast and Abs from Step Jump and Pump. It was a funny, sweaty workout.

Jason and I work across the street from one another and our offices are only about 7 blocks from our house. So riding in together made sense, plus I trust him driving on the ice more than me! When I got to the office there were only two others there. The whole building was pretty much empty as most employees just stay home and use personal time rather than brave the ice. The sleet was coming down, but it wasn't terribly slick at that point. Only five brave souls in my immediate area ended up showing up. By noon it was coming down and coating the streets completely. The big boss gave the thumbs up to get the heck out of dodge by 12:30. Talk about a Friday treat! Workout already done, leaving early, free time for a change. Here are a few pictures to show how it looked outside. This is not snow, only sleet.
So, what's a gal to do with some actual free time? While really wanted to just sit on the couch and be completely lazy, it's just no in my nature. I did need to make some dog treats for an order. So that was easy enough. I also started the cashew cream for a recipe I plan to make tomorrow from Tal Ronnen's book The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat Oh, made some more White Cheeseless Queso. Whittled down the laundry pile. Oh, and I did decide to go ahead and do my weight workout that I would normally have done on Saturday. I have a baby shower at 11 am then mom and sis coming up right after. I didn't want to feel rushed, and since I had the time this afternoon, I just got it done. I was a good workout and I was able to go up in weights per the rotation suggestion. Felt good. Today was the last workout for Week 4 of the Total-Body Training rotation. I did 3 sets of 15 reps of the following as supersets:

SS #1
Triceps - Weighted Dips
Calves - Dumbbell Calf Raises

SS #2
Chest - Decline Dumbbell Press
Back - Double arm rows

SS #3
Quads - Step Ups (12" step)
Shoulders - Front Raises

I did add 2 sets of 6 reps of preacher curls (I will win this battle) and 2 sets of 12 reps alternating plie squats.

Jason and I had time on our hands this evening and we both wanted to try a new recipe out. I have a few blogging buddies who swear by Kabocha Squash (Alyson & Allie). I finally got my hands on one at the Asian market last weekend and have been trying to figure out just how to use this beauty. I found plenty of soup recipes, lots for roasting, but this one in particular caught my eye. The original recipe is by Sunset and is Roasted Fish with Kabocha Coulis. Seeing as how I'm vegetarian, the fish part wasn't going to work. However, it's a very versatile recipe and proteins can be easily changed out. So, here is my take on the original.

Quorn Cutlets with Kabocha Coulis
Ingredients 
About 1 tsp olive oil
Seas salt and pepper to taste
6  oz fresh shiitake or portobello mushrooms (I used tried dried shiitakes)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup frozen shelled soybeans
Kabocha coulis (see below)

Directions
Wipe off mushrooms; trim off and discard stems for shiitakes (tough stem ends only for portobollos). Cut mushrooms into 1/2-inch chunks.

Note: If using dried mushrooms, skip the first part of next step and simply add to broth to reconstitute and add the garlic to broth as well.
In a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, stir mushrooms and garlic in 1 teaspoon oil until mushrooms are limp, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomato sauce, and soybeans; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until soybeans are tender to bite, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook Quorn according to package.

Mound 1/4 of the soybean mixture in the center of each of dinner plate and top with a Quorn cutlet, and spoon Kabocha coulis equally around soybean mixture.

Kabocha Coulis
Ingredients
1/2 lb  Kabocha or butternut squash
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Sea salt and pepper to taste 

Directions
Rinse squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds (save to toast); with a small, sharp knife, pare peel and discard. Cut squash into 1-inch chunks; you should have about 2 cups.

In a 3- to 4-quart nonstick pan over medium-high heat, stir onion and ginger in olive oil until onion is very limp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin and curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups broth and the squash; bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced, 18 to 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, holding down lid with a towel, puree squash mixture, in batches, until smooth. Add more broth if too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Updated Note: I completely forgot to review this dish. It was super tasty. Full of a variety of textures and flavors. The tangy tomato sauce was offset by the velvety, slightly sweet coulis. The chewiness of the mushrooms paired well with the bite from the edamame and again the smooth coulis. This was a winner.

Comments

  1. Ahhh love that you turned it into a sauce!! I was gonna roast mine up tonight (I actually have 2!!) but forgot. Asian mart is where it's AT (literally) haha. Thanks for the shout out, Heather!

    ...oh and glad we can bond over our respiratory disease too :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Allie this was freaking awesome. The tartness of the tomatoes combined with the sweetness of the Kabocha was sooooo good. I have a ton of the coulis leftover and will use that in a soup.

    It is definitely nice to have someone who understands the woes of asthma. I was always embarrassed as a child to say I had it. I spent soooo much time in and out of the ER with asthma, bronchitis & pneumonia. Seriously, singulair was my saving grace.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yum yum...this looks amazing!!! I still have seen (sadly) no kabocha squash in our store. Boo. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg check out an Asian market. That's where I finally found it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, that is a lot of sleet. Looks just like snow (which we are getting today). I hope you are able to see your mom and sis today.

    Your dinner looks great, as always. We used to eat a lot of Quorn. I would to know how they that make that stuff. The texture is so meat-like.

    talk to you later,
    Alicia

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Alicia ! Yep, that's sleet not snow! Mom and sis didn't get to make it up today unfortunately. We really like the Quorn products. Very different from most of the soy-based. I did get some wheat gluten to try to make my own seitan though! Going to search your recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Heather,

    Seitan is very easy to make. The steam baked method seems to be the easiest one. I have omni friends that make the cutlets regularly now to reduce their overall meat consumption. However I have a preference for the pressure cooked sausages. The beer brats are good if you like that sort of thing.

    Seitan can be bland, I always serve it with a sauce or chutney. Ir you have any questions feel free to ask.

    Alicia

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, how fun & creative, love it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Alyson @ nourishedfitness.com it was soooo good. I have plenty left over too. I roasted half and have been snacking on that and plan to make a soup out of the extra coulis. YUM!

    ReplyDelete

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