Power Foods Monday - Foil Roasted Salmon

The Spatularettes are bringing you a special edition of the power foods this week, because we just couldn't wait until Friday to share this recipe with you!  As we documented for you yesterday in Instagrams, Pam and I ran in Sunday's Rock N Roll Half Marathon here in Philadelphia.  And not to brag or anything... but I really think we rocked it!

We've been running together since college, so we've finally got the whole pre-race thing down to a science.  When you talk about dinner the night before a big race, everyone always thinks carbs, carbs, carbs.  But do you know what carbs, carbs, carbs equals?  Heavy, heavy, heavy!  The last thing I want to do the night before a long run is load my stomach down with slow-to-digest pasta!  Instead we turn to a balanced meal that incorporates all of the food groups!  And believe it or not, salmon has become our go-to staple the night before we race.

Typically I grill or sear salmon, but I've always heard rave reviews about roasting it in a foil packet, so Pam and I decided to give it a try!  And boy were we impressed!  I think this is going to be my new standard for salmon cooking.  It is quick, easy, and the salmon comes out of the oven with a huge pop of flavor!  And better yet, no crusty pans to clean up after dinner!

INGREDIENTS:

-6-8 oz salmon filet

-Seafood seasoning

-1/2 a lemon, sliced

-1 Tbs butter

-3 sprigs rosemary

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lay a sheet of foil out on a flat surface.  About 12 inches should do.  Place a salmon filet, skin side down, on the foil and generously season with your favorite seafood seasoning.  I use a salmon blend that I purchased at Pike's Market in Seattle last year, but any good one will work.  If you don't have seafood seasoning around the house, just sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Slice a tablespoon of butter into 4 little pats and place them on top of the fish.  Next, lay 3-4 lemon slices down and top them with the sprigs of rosemary.  Fold the long sides of the foil up over the fish so they overlap and roll the short sides tightly to form a snug little packet.  Place the foil packet in the oven and bake for 18 minutes exactly.  Remove it from the oven and gently open the packet, being careful, as the steam is hot.  Allow the salmon to cool for a couple of minutes on the foil before plating.

We served our salmon with the most incredible mushroom risotto you can imagine.  The recipe comes from one of our favorite food blogs Eat, Live, Run.  The dish is rich and flavorful, but not heavy, so it made for the perfect pre-race carbs.  I've never made risotto before, but this one turned out so well, it is definitely something I plan to experiment with more in the future!

Even if you aren't running a half marathon in the morning, this power dinner will have you ready to face any of life's challenges!

XOXO,
Tall One

Race Day In Instagrams

We've been blogging about it a lot lately but in case you've missed the memo, the Spatularettes and our best friend Pam  are deep into the training cycle for our next marathons (half marathon for Smally).  Pam and I decided it was time to test our fitness level and signed up for today's Rock N Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon.  We've had the most incredibly beautiful weather here in Philadelphia lately and today was no exception.  The race conditions were perfect and helped push us to run some of our best times!  What else helped power us through the miles this morning?  Ummmmm, what else but the Pre-Race Power Dinner we made at my apartment last night.  Check back tomorrow for the recipes... we promise you are not  going to want to miss these!!  Until then, we leave you with Race Day In Instagrams..

Pre-Race Fuel

Ready to go in our matching uniforms.
We spent a lot of time debating if we looked like bad asses or dorks.

Nike Pegasus v Asics 2100's
What's your shoe?

The rising sun reflecting off the art museum
as we walked to the start line.

A successful day for The Spatularettes.

We used to celebrate victories in liquid form.
Now we turn to homemade pumpkin sugar cookies.

Finisher medals and finisher treats :)

Healthy Friday - Kale Smoothie

I can't imagine any response to this recipe other than, "Yes, please give me another serving of that smoothie that looks like a combination of Nickelodeon slime and my own boogers!"  This booger-colored glass of goodness isn't just weird to look at, it is packed with protein, dietary fiber, and essential amino acids!  Luckily it tastes delicious too.

Note: this recipe takes a bit of prepping in advance.  Several items will need to be frozen, indicated below.  If you are a huge kale smoothie fan, the Spatularettes suggest freezing several baggies of blanched kale.  That way Healthy Friday will be a cinch!

Ingredients:
-1 banana
-1 cup of kale, chopped, blanched, and then frozen
-1 6 oz mango Greek yogurt, frozen
-1/4 cup of pineapple (fresh or from the can is best, but frozen will blend as well)

1. Dump everything into your blender.
2. Blend.
3. Enjoy your healthy Friday!

Harrison Ford loves his smoothie so much, he dumped it on himself.  Who can blame him?!

Love,

Small One

Village Whiskey

You know that impossible to get into restaurant that you've just been dying to try?  The one with a 3 month wait for reservations, or worse yet, they don't even take reservations?  The hot spot where you show up on a Friday or Saturday evening any time after 6PM and are told there is a 3 hour wait?  A 3 hour wait.  Always a 3 hour wait.  This must be some pretty fancy schmancy food if you are going to ask me wait 3 hours for dinner.  Fancy schmancy food... or the hottest burger joint in town.

Yes.  You heard me right.  Burgers.  There is a burger joint in Philly, so popular, that they regularly turn guests away with a 3 hour wait list.  The name of this hot spot?  Village Whiskey.  The probationary themed burger and whiskey bar owned by Iron Chef Jose Garces is located in center city on the corner of 20th and Sansom.  Interestingly enough, Philadelphia's first Shake Shack just moved in across the street.  Hellooooooo competition!

After trying and failing to sink my teeth into one of those coveted burgers on 3 different occasions, I realized I needed to take a different angle.  Instead of trying to wrestle the Friday/Saturday crowds again, I decided to give the early Sunday dinner a try: success!!  For a Sunday at 5PM though, this place was hopping.  I was by myself so I snagged the last seat at the bar, and it sounded like there was still a short wait for the tables.

So this begs the questions.  Does Village Whiskey live up to hype?  In my opinion: AB-SO-LUTE-LY.  First, I love the ambiance.  The space is long and narrow with a black bar, white tiles, high top tables, leather booths, and entire wall dedicated to the namesake liquor.  It gives off a vibe like you've stepped back in time, but not in a cheesy gimmicky way.

The food menu is short (featuring burgers, fries, a few other sandwiches, some apps, and an array of pickles) while the drink menu is long (beers, wine, old-school cocktails, and of course whiskey flights).  Unfortunately I wasn't feeling up for a drink, so I can't provide any insight on those, but I did watch the bartenders work and they seemed to be creating some pretty intricate concoctions.

For my dinner, I ordered a burger with cheddar and avocado with a side of the famous duck fat fries.  (If you've been to any of his other restaurants, you'll know that Jose Garces loves him some duck fat).  The service was friendly and quick which I appreciated because I was just stopping in for a quick bite before church.  The quality of the food though, was incredible.  This is not your average burger.  This is 8 oz of hand crafted love.  This is a shove-your-face-right-into-it kind of sandwich.  (If you've had a shove-your-face-right-into-it kind of sandwich before, well then you know what I'm talking about.  If not, well then you are missing out and need to stop by Village Whiskey immediately.)

The burgers are thick, juicy, and hand made.  Most importantly, I ordered it to be cooked medium and it actually came out medium... not well done with the slightest touch of pink in the center which, in my experience, is a common occurrence at restaurants.  The toppings and the bun were fresh and flavorful, really rounding out the whole sandwich.  Then there are the duck fat fries.  Where do I even begin with the duck fat fries?  Can someone please tell me why duck fat takes and already wonderful food and makes it 10 times more awesome!  Normally I end up dumping a ton of salt on frenh fries, but these were crispy and perfectly seasoned.  I literally had to grab my hand and remove it from the fry container just to give myself a break.  To say I cleared my plate, well that would be an understatement.  I was one step below licking my plate clean.

Now let's talk about something I didn't care for:  the price tag.  Ok, yes, this was probably the best burger I ever had.  And it is probably also the best burger in Philadelphia.  But, after tax and tip, I spent $28!  On a burger and fries!  And I didn't even order a drink!  They really get you because everything is a add on.  The burgers start at $11, but cheese is an extra $3.50 and the additional toppings range anywhere from $1.50 to $5.50.  Oh, and the fries?  Yeah, they aren't included either.  Those cost another $5 as well.

So the million dollar (or in this case 28 dollar) question is... would I do it again?

Expensive? Yes.  But worth it?  Absolutely.  Village Whiskey isn't an every day (or every week) kind of place for me, but I will most definitely be back.  I think I'll just wait until my parents come to town and I'll let my dad take me :)

XOXO,
Tall One

Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Peach Topping

We are an entire week past Labor Day now, so whether I want to admit it or not, another August has come and gone.  Although I have much to look forward to this fall, I'm not quite ready to let go of summer yet.  So before they go totally out of season, I want to bring you one more peach recipe.

I'm not a huge meat eater, but since I'm smack dab in the middle of marathon training right now, I've been trying to focus on preparing lean meats in order to make sure I'm getting enough protein.  I've never made pork tenderloin myself before, but this recipe turned out so great that I've made it twice in the last month!  Since I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing the first time around, I consulted the always wonderful Ina Garten for some cooking strategies before getting down to business.

The peach topping is inspired by a recipe I found ages ago in the Cook This, Not That cookbook.  It is the perfect blend of flavors and textures, but really allows the peach to be the star of the show.  This sweet and tangy topping is perfect to punch the flavor of the marinated pork tenderloin up one more notch.

INGREDIENTS:

Pork:
-1 to 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
-1/4 cup olive oil
-3 Tbs real maple syrup
-Salt
-Pepper

Topping:
-3 peaches, halved
-1 small red onion, sliced
-3 Tbs blue cheese crumbles
-1 Tbs balsamic reduction

Generously salt and pepper a pork tenderloin on all sides, rubbing the seasoning in with your hands.  In a medium sized bowl wisk together the balasmic vingar, olive oil, and maple syrup.  Place the tenderloin in a large, plastic freezer bag or a sealable container, and pour the marinade over it.  Seal the bag or the container making sure it is air tight and refrigerate for atleast 3 hours, but up to 24 hours.  The longer the meat marinates, the more flavorful it will be.

When ready to prepare the meat, remove it from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot.  Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and place it on the skillet, turning it every few minutes to sear it on all sides.  This process should take about 10 minutes total.  While the meat is searing, halve the peaches (removing the pit, but leaving the skin) and slice the onion.  When the meat is seared on all sides, surround it with the peaches (flesh side down) and the onion rings, then transfer the skillet to the oven.  Cook for another 10-15 minutes (it will depend on the size of the tenderloin and how well you like it done.  I recommend cooking to an internal temperature (use a meat thermometer) of 145 degrees for the tenderloin to be medium in the center and well done on the ends.  If you prefer your pork well done, just let it cook for and extra 3-5 minutes.  Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the meat is resting, prepare the peach topping.  Remove the cooked onions and peaches from the cast iron skillet.  Chop both ingredients into small bits and then gently toss them with 3 Tbs of blue cheese crumbles.

To serve, place the tenderloin on a platter and slice it into one inch rounds.  Spread the peach topping along both sides of the pork and drizzle the whole shebang with a Tbs of balsamic reduction.  Balsamic reduction can be purchased at specialty food stores, but if you want to make your own, we show you how to do it here .

It may be September, but I'm hanging on to summer with all my might!

XOXO,
Tall One

Power Foods Friday - Jalapeno Cheddar Turkey Burgers

When you think about a distance runner's diet, the thing that usually comes to mind is the base of the food pyramid.  You know, the tier with the breads, cereals, and grains.  It's all about the carbohydrates!  Right?  Wrong!

While proper intake of carbohydrates its a very important aspect of fueling any endurance athlete, an equally important (yet often ignored) aspect is the adequate consumption of protein!  Protein (found in meat, eggs, cheese, and beans to name a few) is the piece of the nutrition puzzle that re-builds muscle after a tough workout, so I've been making an extra effort to include it in my diet lately.

We received a huge response to Pam's Black Bean Burgers last week, so I decided to grill up another burger recipe that eliminates the carbs, cuts the fat, and focuses all on the protein!

INGREDIENTS:
-20 oz lean ground turkey
-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
-3/4 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
-1 tsp salt

-Lettuce
-Tomato
-Avocado

Remove the seeds and stems from 3 jalapenos and finely chopped the peppers.  In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, the chopped jalapenos, the shredded cheese, and the tsp of salt.  Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients until well combined, then form the mixture into 4 patties.

I cooked my burgers on a George Foreman grill for 6 minutes.  If you don't have a Foreman, cook them on an outdoor grill or the stove top for about 5 minutes per side.  Poke the center of the burger with a knife to check if the burgers are done.  The juices will run clear when they are cooked through.

I served these turkey burgers for lunch so I decided to keep things a little bit lighter.  Instead of sandwiching them on a buttery bun, I topped them with some mashed avocado and a slice of tomato, then wrapped them in a leaf of Romaine lettuce.

These bad boys are so packed with flavor, that I promise you won't miss the extra fat or carbs that often crank up the calorie count on a good burger.

Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers are the perfect way to power up after your next work out!

XOXO,
Tall and Small

My Second Favorite Summer Salad

I know I already posted my Favorite Summer Salad a few weeks ago, so if strawberries and arugula are my favorite, then today's recipe is my Second Favorite Summer Salad.

As I mentioned before, I spent last week on travel for work in Bloomington, IN.  It is a cute little college town with a surprisingly impressive selection of restaurants.  Whenever I'm in town, I try and make it a point to stop by FARM  for dinner.  The menu changes seasonally and is full of inspired dishes that feature mostly local ingredients.  In fact, I felt so inspired by this summery salad topped with homemade honey-lime dressing, that I decided to make myself as soon as I got back to Philly!

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:
-Spring mix greens
-Sliced peaches
-Diced mango
-Sliced radishes
-Crumbled goat cheese

Dressing:
-2 Tbs low fat mayonnaise
-1 Tbs honey
-Juice of one lime
-1 Tbs olive oil
-pinch of salt

Lay a bed of lettuce and top with peach slices, diced mango, sliced radishes and crumbled goat cheese.  1 mango and 2 peaches were the perfect amount for 3 salads.  I sliced 1 large radish per salad and topped them with about a Tbs of crumbled goat cheese.

To make the dressing, whisk together 2 Tbs of low fat mayo, 1 Tbs of honey, and the juice of one lime in a small bowl until smooth.  Slowly pour in a Tbs of olive oil and continue whisking until well combined.  Mix in a pinch of salt and add more if needed.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use again.

A restaurant called FARM... in the Midwest... in August... if they can't dream up the perfect summer salad, then I don't know who can!

XOXO,
Tall One