Yesterday, I went on a run outside because I needed a break from sitting at my desk all day and I wanted to take advantage of the 83 degree day.
I could barely make it the 2.6ish miles I ran – it was really hot, especially since my skin is still hot from tanning in Miami over the weekend.
All I could think of the whole time I was running was, “Summer’s coming!”
On my run, I was running through a list of “summer goals” that I had. This summer, I’ll be someone’s wife, which is kind of mind-boggling for me. It’s only 1 month and 2 weeks away, but it feels like ages.
Thus, my half mile was spent thinking about how to be a great wife and partner. I picked up our wedding bands last night (well, mine still needed to be resized, but I picked up his) and Lu put his on and it was certainly a surreal moment to see him with a ring on THAT finger.
It’s happening, people. 6/20/15!
Amongst those summer goals was waking up at least once a week to catch the sunrise. The sunrise is around 5:45am, which is earlier than I’d like to wake up in the morning, but I think the sight and serenity of the sunrise will put me a good place for the rest of that day/week.
While I was running, I was also checking out all the new spots that are sprouting up in my city (Jersey City) and made a mental note to spend more time here (I’m always rushing into New York, when there’s so much to offer here in my homebase.)
Other goals included
- Traveling more around the New York and New Jersey area and taking more road trips,
- Doing more outdoor workouts in the park near our apartment and less gym workouts,
- Going on long walks after dinner to help with digestion and to avoid the couch rut, and
- Make a list of local outdoor concerts and music festivals and actually go to them.
Yes, I made all of those mental note goals while on the run (and it was less than 3 miles!)
Now, this recipe fits into summer perfectly, because it can be made also using zucchini noodles – I almost made it with zucchini noodles, but there were some delicious looking fresh beets at the market and I couldn’t resist.
Obviously, the bacon makes this dish irresistible, but if you don’t eat meat or are cutting down on your fat and sodium intake, substitute with a lighter bacon (like turkey bacon – but check the sodium levels, some turkey bacon varieties are higher in sodium than regular bacon) or use baked chickpeas with liquid smoke (I like the Lazy Kettle brand.)
The tomatoes burst with every bite and the beet noodles absorb the flavors from the bacon, making a sinfully delicious combination. And of course, who doesn’t love feta, especially when it’s softly melted?
What are your summer goals?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Beet Noodles with Tomatoes, Feta and Bacon
Ingredients
- 3-4 strips of bacon of choice
- 1 large or 2 medium red beets, peeled, Blade C/D
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
- 2-3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Once heated, add in the bacon strips and cook until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Remove about half of the bacon fat from the skillet and set the skillet aside for 1-2 minutes to cool down and then place back over heat. Add in the beet noodles and toss for 1 minute or until the noodles begin to wilt. Then, add in the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes, uncovering occasionally to toss, or until beet noodles are wilted and cooked to al dente.
- Once done, transfer the beet noodle mixture to a serving platter, crumble over with the bacon and garnish with parsley and feta. Serve immediately.
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