Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Yes.... I needed my pasta fix.

Can we talk about how delicious this looks??

Adding slices of lemon right into the sauce really boosted up the flavor. And guess what.... every single thing in this is healthy. That's right, see all that creamy deliciousness? NO FAT. Why? Because there is no cream in this! I used fat free ricotta cheese mixed with a little non-fat milk and TONS of garlic. ohmigod.

This simple sauce can be mixed with so many combinations of veggies and protein. Tonight I chose spinach and feta chicken sausage along with some shrimp and broccoli. I want more.

Veggie & Turkey Sausage Crust-less Quiche Cups

I know how important it is to never skip a meal, especially breakfast, so I wanted to make some grab and go quiche cups to make hectic mornings that much easier.

These are so easy to make! Just choose your favorite veggies, some low fat cheese, and combine! I opted to add some turkey sausage since I had some I needed to use up and I used a 5:1 ratio for egg whites to whole eggs.

Life has been so busy lately with work, keeping up with my daily workouts, and I am studying to take the CPA exam this year (bring on the $$$!), so having healthy meals ready to go is a must. I will not eat Dunkin Donuts. New rule since that has always been my go-to for last minute breakfast :) As TLS coaches like to say, "You weren't born with a bagel in your mouth"

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I can't get enough sweet potato fries. They are my new addiction...

These are such a great alternative to regular white potato french fries, and there are so many different ways you can make them. Drizzle on a little agave syrup for a sweeter treat!

I made these the simple way - olive oil, salt & pepper.

Ingredients:
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp EVOO
Salt & Pepper
 *Garlic powder is a good addition if you aren't adding agave

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch strips. Toss the fries in a bowl with the EVOO and salt & pepper, then arrange on the baking sheet (I also sprayed the tin foil with canola oil spray to avoid sticking). Bake for 20 mins, flipping the fries half way through.

I could eat these for days...

New Name and Updates

I have been thinking of changing the name of my blog for a while now, so I finally did it! Welcome to:

In the Kitchen & On the Run

Exciting stuff! I thought it suited the contents of my blog better since I post about cooking as well as all things running related. You can still Kiss the Cook if you'd like, though :P

As promised, here is a summary of my weekly running schedule:

Sunday: Rest

Monday: 4-5 miles

Tuesday: 5k

Wednesday: 5k

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 5k

Saturday: Distance - usually between 6 and 7 miles, but I'm trying to add on each week

Sometimes I will switch up my rest days, but I have trying to be very strict with myself and only allow a maximum of two. If I don't I end up losing motivation and that could lead to taking a whole week off! Having a routine is extremely helpful - you know what you have in store and can look forward to rest days if you need them. My body needs at least one rest day because I tend to get knee and hip pain after longer runs.

I can tell my speed and endurance are definitely improving because I have gotten much faster at the 5ks and the longer distance runs are becoming easier. Nothing beats a long run on a sunny, breezy day.

I have also gotten back into strength training - a must! I want rock solid abs baby - and I WILL get them.

And of course, always make time for R&R. My favorite = BEACH! 

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

Football preseason is here! Time to round up some game day recipes, so I thought I would start with some healthy {but oh so good} turkey and black bean chili.

In my house growing up, football season was the most important time of year. My father is a die hard Patriots fan, so my sister and I bought him a sign to put above our television that says "We interrupt this family for football season". It suits him well to this day. My step mother might just be a bigger fan than my father. I swear I can hear her clapping and cheering back home near Cape Cod all the way here in the city. My father was never too happy that his daughters didn't share in his love for the sport, but after 24 years it has grown on me! Matt and I will definitely be watching this season :)

Matt has some crazy motivation lately. He has been running 6-7 miles almost everyday in addition to circuit training. It makes me crazy that he can workout for a week or two (albeit with EXTREME effort) and look like he has been training for months. Abs all toned....chest definition....drool. Anyways, his motivation has rubbed off on me, so I've gotten more on track with the longer distance runs (mine are 5-6 miles) as opposed to the routine 5ks I was doing. I think my body needs the extreme effort to get the results I am looking for since I have already lost a bunch of weight. I want to lose the final pounds and really tone up - I'll post our workout routines next time.

On to the CHILI!

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad {Lettuce Wraps!}

Here we go again... oh I love lettuce wraps. Me opting for lettuce instead of bread? WHO KNEW.

You know those rotisserie chickens they sell nice and hot at the grocery store? Lifesavers. BJ's sells giant ones for only $5! I love having these on hand to toss over a salad or for a quick dinner. And what better to do with all the leftovers than make chicken salad!

Of course, I had to make this TLS friendly, so I used Greek yogurt mixed with a little bit of Smart Balance mayo (half the fat of regular mayo and no trans fats) instead of a pure mayo base.


Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts (no skin) or chop up a whole rotisserie chicken (white meat only!)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced to almost a paste
1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (1/2 cup if using 2 chicken breasts only)
1/4 cup Smart Balance mayonnaise
1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (adjust to taste)
1 Tsp Thyme
S&P


Directions:
Dice chicken (white meat!) and put in a bowl. To toast the walnuts, heat a small skillet over med/high heat and add the walnuts to the pan. Cook for 3-5 mins stirring frequently. Add the walnuts and all other ingredients in with the chicken and combine. Feel free to eat in a wrap...but I'm telling ya - go for the lettuce wraps! YUM!

Romaine lettuce wraps