Skip to main content

Spin & Super Fast Pasta Dinner

Weight-Free Wednesday
Well, I have some nice DOMS going on today in my shoulders and biceps. My next weight workout will be chest and back, but I decided to take a day off from weights so that when I do chest and back, the soreness won't get in the way of a good lifting sessions.

So, today Jason and I decided to do the Group Ride (spin) class at our gym after work. I was really itching to do a workout at lunch, but I had already declared it a weight-free Wednesday. The gym does have Group Ride at noon and we may try that next week perhaps.

The only problem is that it will mean a really long lunch and I'll have to actually shower and get ready at the gym. I have never showered at a gym. So, it sort of freaks me out thinking about how much crap I'd have to pack in order to get ready there. Plus, there are only two showers, so if they are in use, then I have to wait, and that could mean even longer getting ready.

Do you shower at the gym? Any tips or hints?

I will say that I ended up with a horrid headache just before lunch. It was an Excedrin kind of headache for me. Thank goodness I had one left - must add to Target list. I used to get headaches and migraines all the time at my previous job and popped Advil, Excedrin, and Imitrex like candy. Now I rarely get headaches so when they hit, I'm caught off guard.

I had committed myself to the spin class though. It was either going to help the headache or make it worse, but I was going (stomp foot). It ended up being a great, sweaty class, and I'm so glad I went. It gave me a much-needed energy boost too.

Dinner in a Flash
Because of the spin class and not getting home until a little after 6:30, dinner needed to be fast. Unfortunately, I didn't have any rice pre-made this week. So I went with a fast pasta dish since I did have some squash and zucchini to use - "Sausage" & Veggies Pasta.


"Sausage" & Veggies Pasta
Ingredients
8 oz whole-wheat rotini (or penne)
2-3 Tofurky Kielbasa, cut in half length-wise
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1-2 tbsp tomatoe paste
Minced garlic (to taste, I like a lot)
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1/4 cup white wine (may need more or use vegetable broth)
To taste: salt, pepper, red chili flakes, oregano, basil, parsley, nutritional yeast flakes.

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

In large skillet, sear the "sausage" on both side and remove from pan and dice.

Saute onions and garlic in wine or small amount of olive oil until soft. Add in tomatoes, tomatoes paste, and spices and combine well. Add in squash, zucchini, and "sausage" and allow to simmer and begin to thicken and veggies soften, re-season if needed and add more wine if gets too thick. You can either toss in the pasta or spoon over pasta.

This is super simple and versatile. You can add in any veggies you prefer such as eggplant or broccoli. You can use any veggie/vegan sausage or even the real deal or substitute with chickpeas.

Commenting System Update
I am going to try to get this fixed as soon as possible, but for the time being, you have to be on the day's post to see the commenting section. I think this is mostly a problem for people using Google Reader. Also, you can sign up to receive a notice when I reply to your comments (or you're supposed to be able to).

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Workout Wednesday - Body Blaster Tabata

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post: Be Kinder to Your Body. Calories are Not the Enemy . It sounds like it resonated with many of you. Today I wanted to share a new workout with you. I've been working on interval workouts for some of my clients. I try to give them the most bang for their buck (time). I know that in an ideal world, we would all have time to do longer workouts. There would never be scheduling conflicts, sick husbands or kids, or sick us. In reality, workouts need to be effective and efficient. And they don't have to be lengthy to be effective and efficient either. There's no need to spend hours in a gym to get in a good workout. Interval workouts like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or tabata, or even interval running are great ways to get in a fantastic workout in a short amount of time and have many benefits. You can read more about Tabata workouts  here . The benefits of this type of work

Piriformis Update & Grilled Veggie Salad

New Piriformis Exercises Today wasn't too terrible for a Monday. Of course, I did leave a little early. That always helps huh ;-) I had another round of physical therapy today. My PT has been really researching piriformis syndrome and found an interesting article that discusses the use of McKenzie Exercises - typically used for back pain. I have started adding in low back extensions (one of the exercises) but now have a whole new list of exercises to add into my workout rotations. But, if it helps, I'll do it. I also asked her about dry needling (thanks Sarena ), which is sort of similar to acupuncture, but is more about trigger point and intramuscular stimulation. And I'm glad I asked because the timing is uncanny. One of the doctor's in the clinic happens to be going to get certified this weekend. They both believe that I am a prime candidate for the procedure. So we'll see how that goes. Kind of scared because I hate hate hate needles. Have any of you tr