Pumpkin Risotto

Nostalgia and a feeling of warmth flows over me whenever I hear the word risotto (ri-sòt-to/riˈzoːtto, pronunciation is key– nothing quite irks me like this one, it’s not ri-SOH-toh or ri-ZAH-toh people!). It is definitely the comfort food that instantly brings me back to my childhood. Growing up with Italian roots, risotto was always my choice of comfort carb -forget about the pasta.  My mom would make her chicken giblets, garlic, and white wine recipe (simplicity at its best) and a smile would cross my face as the smell of heaven circulated the house.

As I grew older, I gravitated towards the more complex varieties. Seafood, squash, beet, truffled mushroom, the flavour combinations bountiful and ever changing. How do we try them all?  Different variations are constantly popping up at my favourite restaurants or in my favourite magazines, often surrounding the latest food trend – which inspired me to introduce pumpkin to my love of risotto.

Once the cooler weather hit, I was set on stirring up a pumpkin risotto. And low and behold a friend of mine happened to post this dish days after the idea entered my mind. So here it is, pumpkin risotto. Best served as a meal or would make a killer side dish to an apple stuffed pork tenderloin (just saying).

Pumpkin Risotto (yields 6 servings)

  • 2 cups aborio rice
  • 1 cup bacon, sausage or pancetta
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4-5 sprigs rosemary
  • 1.5 litres of vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can of pumpkin puree
  • S&P to taste
  • Parmesan
  1. In saucepan saute, oil, onion, garlic on medium heat
  2. Add in meat option, paprika and rosemary and mix until meat is cooked through
  3. Add aborio rice to mixture, once coated add 2 ladles of vegetable broth
  4. Once absorbed add 2 more ladles of vegetable broth
  5. Repeat adding ladles of broth every five minutes on medium to low heat for 20 minutes
  6. Melt in pumpkin puree within the last minutes of cooking
  7. Serve with parmesan, cracked black pepper and rosemary

China 1347Mangia Mangia! xx

Hearty Black Bean Soup

This black bean soup is quick, healthy, hearty, flavourful and fool proof. Its simple ingredients make it easy to stir up in a matter of minutes- it doesn’t get much better than that. Oh but it does– I mean who doesn’t love some good heat! This soup finishes with a smooth spicy kick, but not to fear, as you can gradually add more or less spice as you please.

Not only is this soup tasty and filling, but black beans offer many health benefits as they are packed with fiber, folate, protein, and numerous vitamins and minerals. Offering digestive tract benefits, blood sugar regulation, benefits to cardiovascular health, and cancer prevention properties. Major incentive to increase your bean intake.

This recipe easily cuts in half or you can freeze the leftovers for those cooler months ahead-I hope you enjoy!

Hearty Black Bean Soup (yields 8 servings)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 x 19 oz. cans black beans, rinsed
  • 10 oz. low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 10 oz. water
  • 19 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  1. Cook onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, and jalapeño in oil over medium heat in large saucepan for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in cumin, coriander, and sriracha.
  3. Place 1 can of beans and broth in blender, blend until pureed. Add to ingredients in saucepan.
  4. Place second can of beans and water in blender, blend until pureed. Add to ingredients in saucepan.
  5. Add remaining can of beans and tomatoes to mixture. Mix well.
  6. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Ladle into serving bowls and top with sour cream, guacamole and cilantro. (whatever you prefer!)

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 Keep it Spicy. xx

Race Recap – Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Faith. Magic. Transcendence.

Well where do I begin, first I’m sorry (but not sorry) as STWM Half Marathon seems to be all that I can talk about, so abort now if you wish. 🙂   And for the rest of you, I hope you find muse in what I am about to share.

Sunday’s Half Marathon was a moment that I still can’t find the perfect words to describe. It was filled with excitement, nerves, pain, and pure ecstasy. I would do it all over again in an instance, if I wasn’t so sore. Don’t fret, it’s a good sore, a soreness that you know you just kicked butt! A pain that you know you worked your body hard, but in a good way. As quoted from the running documentary Transcend, (which I highly recommend watching, runner or not)  “Relish the hurt, we never promised it would be a rose garden.” It is so true, no one said it was going to be easy and it was FAR from easy, but it is amazing what your body is capable of and every agonizing moment in this journey, was solidified yesterday in the whole 1:54:45 minutes of running STWM. 26,000 runners all out to accomplish their own goals on their own journey. Being amongst elite athletes who make running their profession, but also alongside those who do it for pure fun- it was simply magical.

Sure it was hard on my body and there were moments I wanted to give up, but I dug deep and chased something that wasn’t visible. After months of training, my body was more than ready to run 21.1 km, it was my mind that needed to be in sync. As suggested in the film Transcend   “Be dumb and run, just let your body move…Stay in the moment.” And I did just that. It was me, the sound of thousands of feet hitting the pavement and some killer music to clear the mind.  I  kept on running without much other thought. I let the feelings flow through as I passed each kilometer and time flew as if I were in a trance.

I mean there were some thoughts that crossed my mind-

  • like Ryan Gosling – when I saw the BEST signs of him with the speech bubbles  “Hey Girl, you’ve got a beautiful pace” & “Hey Girl, you’ve been running through my mind all day” – I legit laughed out loud
  • after 6 km running on pure adrenaline, I thought of the time when 6 km seemed impossible
  • at 10 km I thought wow that was much easier than the Women’s 10 km only 8 weeks ago
  • at 15 km I started to feel some serious hip pain, but I thought of my mom who had severe hip pain due to osteoarthritis + a degenerate ball that slipped due to destruction. Her pain got so intense that it was hard to do simple things like put socks on- this put things into perspecitve and I knew I could definitely power through the next 30 minutes (I may have fought back tears here)
  • at 16 km that it was time to pick it up and dig deep to get through the remaining kilometers
  • at 17 km it felt like my feet were sticking to the pavement- “how do I shake this?” I thought
  • at 20 km I knew I had this done and as the countdown began I couldn’t help but smile the rest of the way

It was amazing being able to start the race with Vanessa and see her finish seconds ahead of me. Her goals and determination pushed me to my max. I really had no idea where I was all race in terms of hitting my goal, because my Nike+ GPS watch was so out of whack (not sure what happened there!) So when I saw Vanessa pass me at 19 km, my heart jumped with joy, knowing that I was definitely going to far surpass my goal of 2:00. I just had to keep her in sight.photo(3)I set out on yesterday’s race with the thought that I wanted to finish strong. If that meant over the STWM 2013 average half marathon time of 2:03:48, I was more than okay with that, because for me it was about accomplishing 21.1 km and feeling good, feeling strong. Of course I knew I’d be super thrilled if I finished around the 2:00 mark (I was literally figuring out pace/km 15 minutes prior to the gun going off). So when I finished at 1:54:45 – I couldn’t shake that high. All day I had a grin on my face ear to ear.photo(4)Crossing that finish line with 10’s of thousands of spectators cheering you on, is an experience fully worth training for. The pain, sweat, tears completely forgotten in a second when your bests are there to hug you and congratulate you. I can’t thank you guys enough. That was a moment of complete rapture. XO!

photo(5)All in all, I am glad to cross another goal off of my 2014 list, and yes I will be doing it again! I am not sure when and how soon, but there is no doubt that I WANT to do that again.photo(6)

Thank you again to all of you for support and encouragement along the way! xx

Glowing Green

I love everything about Green Smoothies, the way they taste (i know you are thinking – ya right Delainie- but trust me you will learn to love), the energy they provide, the cravings they curb, and even the weird looks I get when people ask “what are you drinking” or “is that actually good?”

While I like to switch up my greens regularly to keep things interesting I always revert back to the Glowing Green Smoothie by Kimberly Snyder. It has truly become a staple in my daily regime as it is so quick and easy and  maximizes my plant consumption first thing in the morning.

When I first started having my daily GGS, I immediately noticed a difference in my energy level and mood, not to mention loss of unwanted pounds and clearer skin. I was shocked at how great I felt and how I wasn’t dying for a coffee first thing in the morning.   The GGS  keeps me full between meals and has allowed me to cut out coffee completely (although I do enjoy a nice cup of java- it’s a simple pleasure). I will be honest, it took me some time to acquire a taste for the smoothie, but now I find it simply delicious and when I go without for more than a few days, my body craves the nutrients.

It is also great for the fact that you can mix and match with seasonal greens and fruit for this combo and all work equally as well. You can also incorporate fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley as they have wonderful cleansing properties and mix in well with this recipe.

Here’s the recipe (yields 60 oz, 4 servings):

  • 1-2 cups water
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2-3 cups of spinach or kale
  • 4 stalks of celery
  • 1 apple
  • 1 pear
  • 1 banana
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/3 bunch of cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions: Add the water and chopped romaine and spinach into the blender. Start blender on low speed, mix until smooth. Gradually move to higher speed, add celery, apple, pear. Add cilantro or parsley if you choose. Add banana and lemon juice last.

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 Get Glowing. xx

Runspiration

I am 5 days out from the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon and filled with anticipation and nerves. Training has had its ups and downs as expected. I knew that not every run was going to be a good run and that the last 6 months was going to be intense and challenging, but who knew it would be such an emotional roller coaster! I must say though, the ups have far outweighed the downs. 🙂  Luckily, I have had a great support system of family and friends, encouraging me along the way. Special shout out to my run buddies (V & M) who have helped set the pace and pushed me through those extra miles.

I have shared this before, but feel it’s appropriate to share again, as I always revert back to this piece from Tyler Knott Gregson, whenever I need some extra motivation. #571 reminds me of how good it all feels, even when it can be so tough. It helps encourage my body to keep going because it can, that it’s strong enough to get through the extra miles.

Tyler Knott Gregson, Typewriter Series #571

Tyler Knott Gregson, Typewriter Series #571

Last week I had my longest run yet at 19.12 km in just under 2 hours (1:57) and damn did it feel good. I am hoping during Sunday’s race I will feel just as amazing and strong. Unfortunately, following that run I have been experiencing some Extensor Tendonitis for the first time. Good thing this week calls for tapering and rest before Sunday’s race. I’ll fit in a short run or two, a yoga session to stretch it out, some good fuel and lots of positive energy.

My ultimate goal is to finish STWM at 2:05, but will be more than happy if I finish strong and under 2:10. I am geared up with all my race day essentials, necessary fuel and a killer playlist- I can’t wait to get out there! Stay tuned for my results.

Good luck to all those running STWM on Sunday- Remember to run for your joy.

Run. Because you can. xx