Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to share that I made my running goal for the month! 100.56 miles to be exact. I ran twice yesterday so I wouldn’t have such a long run today. Breaking the 13.1 miles apart like that definitely helped!

I ran 3.7 miles at lunch yesterday (in the Newton Fates): a 5 minute warm up, then 3 repeats of 3×3 hills, followed by a 10 minute tempo run and a quick cool down. After I got home and took Lucy for her walk, I jumped on my treadmill and did another 3.5 miles (in the Saucony Fastwitch 6s): 3 minute warm-up followed by 1:2 (run:jog) intervals. Then today I ran 7.01 miles (Brooks PureFlow 2s) doing 1:30/2:00 (run/jog) intervals.

I’m feeling pretty good about my running, and starting to gain a little confidence about marathon training beginning (in 9 days!!). I’m also looking forward to slowing back down for my longer runs. I’m perfectly happy running anywhere from 9 – 12 minute miles at any given time ;)

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Today’s recipe is a deliciously spicy “Beans, Greens, and Grains” (thanks Matt for that label!) healthy concoction.

Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (or use non-stick cooking spray or a splash of veggie broth) for sauteing
• 1 Red Onion, chopped
• 1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 Poblano pepper, diced
• 1 cup Vegetable broth
• 1 can (15-oz) black beans – drained, rinsed, mashed
• 1 cup dry quinoa (I use pre-rinsed)
• 1 can (15-oz) Fire-roasted diced tomatoes (not drained)
• 1 Tbsp (Hot Mexican) chili powder
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• 1 bunch scallions (approx 6), chopped – both white and green parts
• 1 can (4-oz) sliced black olives, chopped
• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350* Fahrenheit
2. Saute the onions, garlic, jalapeno and poblano pepper for about 5 minutes until starts browning
3. Add the broth, beans, quinoa, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Give a good stir.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Pour into a non-stick cooking spray-ed 9 x 13 casserole dish
6. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top, then the scallions, olives, and cilantro. Then sprinkle the paprika over it.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Serve!

Note: You could also wait until you take it out of the oven before adding the scallions and olives. Personally, I like them a little crispy!

I cut this into 6 servings, with the following nutritional info per serving: Calories: 280, Fat: 6 grams, Carbs: 45 grams (Fiber 10 grams, Sugar 5 grams), Protein: 12 grams

I topped mine with guacamole and tortilla chips. Yummy!

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Today is the last day of the January #writeandrun31 challenge. Other than the 3 days I had to miss because of the concussion, I ran every day in January (I actually started my #runstreak on November 23rd), and I think I’ve only missed 3 or 4 days of blogging. This challenge has been amazing! I’ve made some new friends and discovered some new blogs, and I’d like to especially thank Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete, and Christine Frazier (his sister) for putting this together. I’ll be continuing on into February, though I do plan on taking a rest day or two before marathon training starts (in 9 days!!!).