Pre Marathon Carb Loading Meals

Andrew will be running the Malibu Marathon

on Sunday 11/14/2010

I'm only doing the 1/2

so I'm not too concerned with the Carb-Loading

I'm just gonna keep eating good, clean meals,

keeping tabs on my hydration, and making sure I get a bit more rest

so I don't feel as wrecked as I did 2 weeks ago when I did

The Los Angeles Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon

Andrew loves pasta

in any shape, form, and preparation

 

So I decided to make him one of the dishes that my Grandma would make

for my brother when he was in junior high/high school

and participating in every sport that fit into his schedule

Marathon Men and teenage boys have 2 things in common

A never ending appetite

and a never ending pile of sweaty clothes and socks

Luckily

I only have the never ending pile of sweaty clothes and socks

in common with them.

The greatest thing about this dish

is that it's inexpensive

and can be made with wonderful ingredients

to ensure the best of both worlds

Nutritional Value and Flavor

As always

start with fresh, high quality ingredients

In the cast iron skillet

fresh red and green bell peppers; fresh yellow onions; fresh green onions, fresh garlic, fresh shallots, fresh sage, fresh, oregano, some cumin, salt, and pepper.

Add

The House Burger Blend from McCall's

to the veggies once they are almost beyond al dente

Add

2 cans of tomato paste, and some more herbs and seasoning to taste

Mix

with some enriched elbow macaroni

and you've got yourself a whole heck of a lot of

delicious carb-loading goodness

that tastes even better the next day

*******

Here's another Excellent way to carb load

while still incorporating fresh ingredients

that also ensures some nutritional value and comfort-factor flavor

Tuna Casserole

White Trash Done Right

Along with the usual suspects (white trash ingredients),

I use fresh, chopped spinach, fresh mushrooms, peas

and freshly grated Parmesan

I'm sure you know the drill

Mix ingredients, stick in Pyrex Dish, Bake,

Serve

Eat

Not exactly photogenic

but it sure does taste good

and it's pretty inexpensive

and, a little goes a long way.

I would love to hear about your favorite

Carb-Loading Meals.

Wishing You a Happy and Healthy Day!

Melissa Adylia Gutierrez

Owner/Personal Trainer

Controlled Burn Fitness

Beautiful Bird

When the weather cools down

I love to turn on the oven and cook amazing meals

Lately, the weather has been hit or miss

One day it's freezing

(by my SoCal standards, anything below 70 should be against the law)

the next day,over 80 degrees

I love a perfectly cooked chicken

Paired with roasted veggies and a glass of bubbly

Last Friday,

The weather was in my favor!

: )

First Step

Start with the best ingredients

I Grabbed this beautiful bird at my favorite Butcher Shop

McCalls Meat and Fish Company

in Los Feliz, CA

Simply, Cut up some veggies and aromatics

Throw in a Pyrex dish

Place birdie on top after stuffing it with some of the veggies and aromatics

Smear the skin with delicious butter, salt, pepper, and garlic

Top with herbs

Put in oven

Take your time preparing your side dishes

and cleaning the kitchen

Here is your reward

A Beautiful Bird!

I could stare at this all day

but I'd prefer eating it

Crispy Skin

Juicy Meat

A Perfect plate of dark meat

Served with rice, roasted carrots and garlic, and steamed spinach

A Perfect plate of white meat

Served with rice, roasted carrots and garlic, and steamed spinach

I love adding roasted Shallots, yellow onions, thyme, and sage

Served up with my favorite view

Mister Andrew C enjoying one of my home cooked meals

along with his favorite garnishes

Slowly toasted green onions, garlic, shallots, and yellow onions

Dinner was amazing

Had to make a plate for Andrew to take for lunch the next day.

Thank you McCalls for another perfect bird.

Can't wait to rock the chicken stock I made with the bones and make some risotto this week!

I welcome everyone to share your favorite way of preparing a chicken.

Cheers!

: )

Post 1/2 Marathon Disciplined Indulgent Treat

Sunday, October 24th

I "ran"

The Los Angeles Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon

I Love this pic!

This pic was Courtesy of Louis Kwan.

You can view a ton more pics from the Los Angeles Rock n Roll 1/2

here

I was craving something super delicious

as a treat to celebrate a few long weeks of training clients and completing this 1/2 Marathon, completely unprepared, over trained, and utterly exhausted.

Sometimes I crave some "interesting" things after a long run

Cold pizza and beer

really hit the spot after the

San Diego Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon

(June 2010)

After this 1/2 Marathon, I was craving something a little more indulgent.

Marrow Bones!

But first, I had to make a quick pit stop to one of my all time favorite places 

Best Fish Taco in Ensenada

for a shrimp taco before heading to my other post-run-standby

Chi Dynasty in Los Feliz

for a large order of Sizzling Rice Soup!

After taking care of serious business

Saying hello to the most wonderful fish taco stand owner, Joseph Cordova, and eating my favorite immediate-post-run-snack

and heading to Chi Dynasty for my Sizzling Rice Soup

I headed towards

My Meaty Mecca

McCall's Meat and Fish

to grab some

BONES!!!

Placed them atop some foil on a baking sheet,

sprinkled them with flake salt and some freshly ground pepper

and surrounded them with fresh sage from my garden

and let them get all toasty

Served them with toasted whole grain bread

and a bottle of bubbly

What more could a gal ask for?

Toasted Shallots, Garlic, and Onions!

...for the amazing Cod

Also picked up from McCall's!

Of course, I had to throw in some pretty heirloom tomatoes

for color, flavor, texture, and nutritional value

All served up with my favorite view

Mister Andrew C, enjoying a meal cooked up by little ol' me

: )

He loved the bones

and the pretty fish as much as I did!

What do you enjoy after a run?