garbanzo beans | A Hungry Runner

After the marathon on Saturday, we kicked the heat up in the hotel and rested and ate and rehydrated and stretched. Shortly after we made it back to the room, I heard a strange sound outside. I peeked out the window and saw … HAIL! It was seriously, not kidding HAILING! I felt so bad for all those people – runners, fans, volunteers – still out on the course! Yuck! Luckily, the hail only lasted about a minute. And then, Mother Nature showed off her sense of humor.

Except we weren’t laughing. Well, okay, we laughed. It was over, we were no longer wet and cold, and tired people tend to be a little slap-happy. 🙂

Sunday was travel day back from Salt Lake City. Boy, were we wiped out! The flights took a lot out of us and we were both just happy to be back in Florida where the temperature was a balmy 75 degrees. Lovely!

Dinner was steak, baby bell peppers and asparagus all expertly grilled by my sailor. We even opened a really awesome bottle of wine to celebrate.

There may or may not be any left. 🙂

So, perhaps it was a decision slightly fueled by wine, but mostly because I’m a sucker who’s always up for a challenge, but I’ve registered for the Tupelo Marathon in September. On my birthday. With Carla. Trying to qualify for Boston 2014. #Bostonhopeful That means training starts next week. *sigh* No rest for the weary. Want to know what else it means? Carla and I have different qualifying times. I have to run even faster to keep up with her. *sigh* Me and my bull-headedness. So, there it is – a goal in writing. For all the world to see. Now I’m really locked in. 🙂

OH! Carla got the blogging bug so go check her out at Will Run 4 Ice Cream. Do it.

FOOD! (something ALL marathoners think about) 🙂

It’s meatless Monday! Do you do meatless Monday? It’s fun because vegetables are delicious and it’s alliteration. Nerd alert! 🙂 Alliteration is fun! And so was this meal. Well, I thought it was. It was met with raised eyebrows and complaints about the lack of meat. Oh well. They survived. 😉 Really, it was delicious!! Om nom nom!

Vegetables and Chickpeas over Couscous
Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups reduced-sodium, defatted chicken broth (use vegetable broth if preferred)
1/2 cup golden raisins
6 cups hot cooked couscous

1. Measure out the salt, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and ginger into a small bowl.

2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Saute the onions until they begin to change color. Stir in the spices and garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.

3. Add the remaining ingredients except the raisins and couscous. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables become tender. Stir in the raisins and cook for 5 minutes more. Serve over the couscous.

Per serving:
Calories 383; Protein 15g; Fat 4g (saturated 1g); Carbohydrates 74g; Fiber 8g; Sodium 766mg

Recipe from 1,000 Lowfat Recipes

– jennifer

Ah, carb loading…. one of the best parts of marathon training. 🙂 This recipe came to me as a gift from God – thank goodness for Pinterest! I have already professed my love for the chickpea so it should come as no surprise that when I saw this, I knew it must be made and gobbled. Chana Masala can’t just happen on any day – it must be made on the PERFECT day. It doesn’t really require an exhorbitant amount of time so it’s definitely doable after work but the temperature must be perfect. Yesterday was that day – it was cool and rainy and blech. Chana Masala is perfect for perking up a dreary day!

I made a small adjustment to this recipe and it garnered rave reviews. I love Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes. There’s just something about them. It’s a sad day indeed if I reach in my pantry for a can and there isn’t one. I cry. Literally. Anyway, I left out the jalapeno and used the fire-roasted tomatoes as the “heat.” Delicious! Those tomatoes provided a nice smoky burn that totally complimented the flavors of the spices. This meal literally had me grinning from ear to ear. No Indian restaurants near you? Now you don’t need one. 🙂 Enjoy!

Chana Masala

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the butter. Once melted, add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat or until golden brown. Once the onions have caramelized, add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it starts to smell like heaven on earth.

2. Add the tomato paste and pince. (Pincing is essentially a browning process.After you add the tomato paste, stir it very well into the other ingredients. Then flatten the ingredients into one layer on the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat and allow the sugars to cook down for a few minutes and create a really nice brown crust on the bottom of your pan. It may look like it’s burnt but it isn’t so don’t freak out.)

3. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric and stir well.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and garam masala. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chickpeas have heated through. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and top with plain yogurt and cilantro, if desired. Serve with Naan on the side, if desired.