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Spin and Garlicky Tomato & Veggie Sauce

Spinning My Butt Into Gear
Man today I was dragging ass big time. Jason got up for a morning master's swim (it starts at 5:30 am), so of course that woke me up. I wasn't planning on running, so I tried to go back to sleep. I dozed for a bit, but I knew that it was getting closer and closer to my alarm going off, so I never was able to fully fall asleep again. Should have just gotten up and ran.

But, it's Wednesday and that means spin class. I'll readily admit to almost skipping out though. All morning I just couldn't seem to wake up. I felt like my eyes were just going to shut and that was going to be the end of it.

I was really banking on spin to give me a boost of much-needed energy to get me through the afternoon. And, it did - well, up until about 3:30 then it was crash city.

I'd say that about 95% of the time, workouts are the cure-all for an energy slump. Of course, there are those times when you really have to listen to your body and recognize that it's something more than a drag-butt kind of day. Hence, rest days.

When Did 84 Become Cool?
Today was another much cooler day - only 84. When I was walking back to the office after getting cleaned up post-workout, I realized that I wasn't sweating like a fool, totally negating the shower.

Perspective is a funny thing. Three months ago I was complaining about running on a super hot, humid Saturday morning - it was 85 degrees. I remember struggling so hard that day to get the run done. In fact, that day was equivalent to last Saturday's run when the temps were well into the 90's.

Today I thought it felt fantastic, perfect running temps. Of course, having 100+ degree days will do that to perspective. It did help that it was overcast with a nice breeze of course. But you get the point on perspective. In the spring, 85 is hot. Dead of summer, 85 means you can pull out the sweater.

Veggies and More Veggies
I had originally planning on doing a Grilled Tempeh & Veggie Salad tonight. But when posed with the second option (veggies and pasta), Jason went with pasta. I had a feeling he would though. He's a pasta guy.

If I do pastas and veggies, I typically mix them together in a single pan. I'm all about minimizing the number of pans I used, as I have a tendency to go a little overboard sometimes. Today I decided to use the veggies as more of a sauce for whole-wheat spaghetti. And since I love my garlic with tomatoes...Garlicky Tomato and Veggie Sauce was born. I know it looks like a ton of ingredients, but it's really quite simple to throw together.

Garlicky Tomato & Veggie Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 large zuchini, thinly sliced - or use mandoline to create ribbons
1/2 large yellow squash, thinly sliced - or use mandoline to create ribbons
2 carrots, thinly sliced - or use mandoline to create ribbons
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
To taste: sea salt, black pepper, red chili flakes (optional)
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh oregano, chopped

Directions:
In large non-stick skillet, saute onions, garlic, bell peppers until onions begin to soften. Add in the wine and tomato paste and combine well. Add in the remaining ingredients up to the fresh basil and oregano.

Allow to simmer until vegetables are cooked through, adding more wine or broth if needed. Add in the fresh basil and oregano and remove from heat.

Serve sauce over whole-wheat pasta of your choice.
 
 

If you do cheese, I think a goat cheese or feta would be good on top. Of course, good old parm would work as well.

Daily To-Enjoy List
  • Spin class
  • Cooler weather
  • More book reading (this one is really good so far)

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