Quick Sunday Brunch

November is upon us. And with it come late nights, longer study days, and inevitable anxiety resulting from the thought of not being able to finish outlining.

November is upon us. And with it comes no fun.

What a sad way to start a blog post. I'm feeling the law nerd humor, however, so it seemed appropriate. Nonetheless, November also brings cold chilly relatively cooler weather that makes for more enjoyable runs and bike rides. Also, it welcomes tea-fueled study sessions from the comfort of my apartment followed by enjoyable Netflix study-breaks--the longing for daylong marathons makes the shorter breaks that much more exciting. But actually, November is not so bad. It ultimately provides me with a legitimate and unquestionable excuse to retreat from social events and spend time alone, which as you may know, is a crucial factor of my well-being.

Before moving onto the food, just a quick note about the holidays (namely Dia de los Muertos). This year for Halloween, I proudly incorporated culture into my costume. As it turns out, the makeup was a hit!

For a brief background and explanation of the festivities read this or this. And definitely check out this awesome video. Otherwise, for a quick and contemporary info session, go see the Snapchat story!

Grilled Breakfast Sammie (adapted from With Peanut Butter On Top)
Makes 1 sandwich.
Active time: 10 minutes; total time 15 minutes.

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon salsa 
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 2 slices Ezekiel (or other) bread 
• 1/2 tablespoon mustard
• 1/4 avocado
• 3–4 tomato slices
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Daiya shreds)
• More salsa! (optional)

1. Heat a non-stick skillet or pan over medium heat; spray with cooking oil. Add egg whites and salsa and cook until resembling an thin omelette, about 5 minutes. Remove egg from pan and set aside. 
2. In the same pan, cook spinach, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. 
3. Assemble the sandwich by spreading the avocado on one slice of bread; spread the mustard on the other slice. Lawyer one slice of bread with the spinach, tomato, cooked egg whites, and finally the cheese. To with the other slice of bread. 
4. Place the sandwich on the pan and cook uncovered for 3–5 minutes, or until sides are toasted. Cover and cook for 1 more minute. 

Fish & Quinoa

So the fire alarm in my building went off today. At 7:47 a.m.

I'm assuming it was a false alarm, but we weren't actually informed otherwise. Ten minutes after the piercing sound woke me up from my deep sleep, the torture stopped and everyone walked back into the building. I followed, dragging my feet up the five flights of stairs to my apartment.

The only upside--if any--to this terrible event was the head start I got on my studies. But I guess that's  up for debate.

Anyways, tomorrow is the first day of my third week of law school. So far so good. Yes, I'll admit there is a lot of reading involved, but call me a law nerd, because I've mostly enjoyed it--except for the uber-overwhelming and seemingly infinite amount of property terms.

On another note, I've figured out a way to go grocery shopping without a car: my backpack, two bike bags and an extra reusable bag. Thankfully the bike ride is only about five minutes because the extra weight really does kick in.

Here is my dinner from tonight: grilled cod with caramelized onions and orange-avocado salsa and carrot zucchini quinoa. On hindsight, I probably would've paired the fish with a cucumber salad or something fresh, but I wanted to cook quinoa for leftovers during the week. It's all about practicality now that I'm a lawyer-in-training. Enjoy!

Cod with orange, avocado and onions (adapted from Bon Apetit: Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook).
Makes 2 servings.
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 25 minutes.

• 1 medium navel orange
• 1/2 cup avocado cubes (about 1/3-inch)
• 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño 
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2  6 oz. cod fillets
• Parsley for garnish

1. Cut and peel orange ,removing white pit; carefully separate sections and cut in half. Combine orange sections, avocado, jalapeño and lime juice in a small bowl; stir gently to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until slightly browned. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; transfer to skillet and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. 
3. Serve fish topped with salsa; garnish with parsley. 

Spiced carrot and zucchini quinoa (adapted from Bon Apetit: Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook).

Makes 4 servings.

Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes.

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinse and drained
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Combine first four ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover; simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté, about 3 minutes. Add paprika, cumin and cinnamon.
3. Remove skillet from heat and add quinoa. Toss to blend and season with salt and pepper.

Tuna Guac?

Ten days.

That's how long I have to wait until I get to step back on Mexican soil. It's also the day I'll receive my LSAT score (provided the release date is kept). So to say that I'm anxious/excited/thrilled/nervous is an understatement. I'm trying my hardest not to think too much about the LSAT--I already spent four months obsessing over it--but it's proving to be difficult.

Here's the problem. I want those ten days to go by as fast as possible since I want to go home, see my friends and attend my cousin's wedding (which is the main reason why I'm making the trip). But on the other hand, I can't predict my score, so I might want this LSAT limbo to last longer. If I don't know my score, I can't get upset about it right? I'll take the middle ground then: average-speed ten days + score-unknown bliss.

Ten days. Of limbo. That I vow to enjoy to the fullest.

Here's a delicious recipe for a modified guar/avocado salad. I paired it with some Wasa crackers for a light lunch, but I'm sure it tastes great atop a bed of greens or wrapped in a whole wheat lavash. Enjoy!

Chunky Tuna Avocado Salad (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)
Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.
Makes 2-3 servings.

• 1 5oz. can Albacore tuna in water, drained 
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds and diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• Juice of half a lime
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 avocado

1. Place tuna in a medium sized bowl and mash with a fork. Add tomato, cucumber, cilantro and green onions and mix well. Add lime juice, vinegar and oil and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper.
2. Carefully fold in avocado pieces and mix well, but making sure you don't crush them--unless you like your salad less chunky. Chill for 10 minutes in refrigerator and serve.

And That's A Wrap Folks

Every book, blog, article or story I've read on marathon training has an overarching rule: listen to your body. This means do NOT over train; do NOT go out for a run if you feel injured; do NOT push yourself past your limits.

Well leave it to me to try to do exactly that.

June 23rd I ran my second half marathon. I pushed my hardest and completed 13+ miles at race pace even though my training only specified 10 miles at an easy pace. The following week I stuck to my regular training--meaning that I gave my legs no rest. Then June 30th I ran 14.5 miles at a not-so-easy pace. Come Monday I was beat and injured.

I don't regret either of those runs--more to come about the latter one in my next post--but I do wish I would've adjusted for them in my weekly training. Since I didn't, now I'm facing 2+ weeks of no running and a possible cancellation of my August marathon.

At the moment I'm trying to deal with the physical and mental effects of no running for what seems like ages. After nine weeks of running six days a week, 13 days of no running have left me feeling lifeless and without energy; the thought of having to cancel my first marathon keeps me awake at night.

On the bright side, like stated above, I don't regret the first half of my training. Plus, nothing is decided yet. And as everyone keeps telling me, there will always be another 26.2 miles for me to run.

One thing from my training that for the most part is still active is my diet. I'm obviously not consuming as much food as I was before, but I'm trying to stick to healthy meals. Here's a quick tuna salad that makes for an easy lunch on a hot summer day--of which we've had many lately; I added it to a wrap with a kale and avocado slaw (from Whole Foods).

Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad
Makes 2 servings.
Active & total time: 10 minutes.

• 1 jar no-salt added albacore tuna in water
• 1 tablespoon low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1. In a small plate, empty can of tuna and mash with a fork. Add yogurt and mustard and mix well; stir in lime juice and olive oil until combined. Mix in tomato and cilantro leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

*This salad goes great in wraps, sandwiches, veggie salads, or simply as a dip.

**I clearly couldn't stop myself from taking a bite of the tortilla before wrapping...

Run Through the Pain

Run through the pain.

That's what runners do.

Or at least that's what I'm trying to do. If it's unbearable, then I stop and walk--or rest--but before I let it get to that, I'll do everything I can to stick to the plan. So today, after my morning run, I stopped at the convenience store to buy several things. Tylenol Extra Strength, Icy Hot gel, Bandaids and a couple bags of ice. The cashier (who knows me since I have frequented this store ever since I moved to Boston) looked at me and asked what was wrong. I said, it's the running; she frowned and shook her head as she rung up my purchases.

I'm at the end of week seven,  so I'm scared to think about the following 10 weeks of my life. But just like I mentioned on a previous post about running pain being bearable, this fear is also bearable. More than that, it's exciting. I'm pushing my body to new levels and hopefully, come the end of the summer I'll have pushed enough to conquer the 26.2 miles.

Phew, felt like I was writing a personal essay. This whole overhaul on my body might be getting to my mind.

I'll move on to more happy things. FOOD.

Summer calls for something fresh, and my schedule calls for something quick a wholesome. So why not combine the two? Whip up some salsa and add it to your favorite grilled fish.

Mango Avocado Salsa
Makes about 4 servings.
Active and total time: 15 minutes.

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño or other chile
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped 
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add lime juice and olive oil and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!!

Shrimp Salad & Potato Side

The problem with blogging during finals is that I do not study. I keep telling myself, if you cook now, then you will have time to study later. But when later comes around, all I want to do is post the pictures of what I had for dinner. When that is done, I want to figure out what recipe I should make for tomorrow. And so a vicious cycle of food blogging takes over my afternoon study time.


I am so ready for it to be summer already. Yes, I am going to be taking classes for a month, and yes, I will be interning at Gatehouse Media; but I will also be enjoying the warmth (sometimes exaggerated heat) of a Boston summer. By this I mean going running every morning, walking around the city dressed in skirts and flowy dresses, and enjoying my roof-deck to the fullest!


But before the summer arrives, I have yet to pass (and ace) two exams. And I also have to cook my way through this week. 


Now that spring weather is actually here and the days are getting sunny and warm--with the exception of those horrible rainy days--, I have had cravings for fresh dishes. That means fruits and vegetables; and more vegetables. But I also find seafood perfect for spring or summer dishes. 


So last night I decided to make a shrimp salad. It was similar to a ceviche, but with less of a seafood flavor (which certainly makes it more appetizing for me). As a side, I made a crispy potato dish at my roommate's request. 

Let me just say thanks to my roommate for peeling the potatoes. She did the arduous job of preparing the ingredients for what turned out to be quite a delicious dish (if you like potatoes at least). Anyways, I wouldn't necessarily pair these dished together for a dinner, but I wanted to try out the shrimp salad and Amanda wanted the potatoes, so in the name of practicality, I made both.


Zesty Shrimp Salad (adapted from Skinny Taste)

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined, chopped into 3 parts
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, without seeds, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
• S & P

1. In a small bowl, combine onion, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with S & P and let sit for at least 5 minutes to mellow onion flavor.
2. In a separate bowl, mix shrimp, avocado, and tomato. Add jalapeno and cilantro along with onion marinade. Toss to combine and season with S & P. Serve cold.

Crispy Potato Roast (adapted from Martha Stewart)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
• S & P
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 
• 4 thyme sprigs

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush baking dishes (I used two 4-cup Pyrex containers; but if you double the recipe you can work with a bigger round dish) with butter mixture.
2. Slice potatoes thinly crosswise, using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler. Arrange potatoes in baking dish, packing them close together so they stay vertical. Wedge shallots in between potatoes and sprinkle pepper flakes over potatoes. Brush potatoes with remaining butter and oil.
3. Bake potatoes for about 75 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and return potatoes to oven until cooked through and crisp, about 30 minutes more.