Happy Healthy Blogger Thursday!!

I am so excited to introduce you to this week’s healthy blogger, Laura from Sprint 2 the Table.  Laura is so inspiring! She mixes ridiculously hard workouts with an amazingly healthy diet, and girlfriend does it with style. Her recipes and photos always make me drool and I know that if I ate them, I would not only thoroughly enjoy the experience but also feel great afterwards because she is so focused on healthy foods done right. 

In the last month, she has started a plant-based diet and she has had some amazing results. I love hearing about people eating clean and feeling great. And believe me, it’s not unusual. If you clean up your diet, you will feel better. Guaranteed.

And Laura can tell you about it as well.

So without further adieu, hhhheeeeerrreee’s Laura!

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Hi!  I’m Laura from Sprint 2 the Table!   I am honored to have been asked by Kimberly to do a guest spot today!

Sprint 2 the Table is a collection of recipes, food adventures, races, strength training, and general musings.

Why the name?

I live my life from meal to meal. Sometimes I think I’m just hustling through my daily activities so I can get to the next occasion for mastication. At bedtime some people count sheep, some people have lull-a-byes… I fall asleep at night thinking about what I’m going to eat for breakfast. It’s a sickness, I know. Oh, and I also run. 🙂

Seasonal eating is important to me. Buying in-season (and local where possible) produce is beneficial for a few reasons:

      Cost: In-season produce is more abundant, making the supply high and the cost lower.

      Taste: The fresher the food, the better it tastes.  If it doesn’t have to be shipped across the world and stored for weeks in a refrigerator, your produce is more fresh and flavorful.

      Nutrition: When produce is in season it is pick when it is closer to being fully ripe.  This results in higher nutrients!

This doesn’t even begin to touch on the benefits of supporting local economies and food systems!

Two of my favorite seasonal items are widely available right now – Meyer Lemons and Asparagus.

If you haven’t tried a Meyer Lemon yet, run out and do so now.  Their season is fairly short, from January until April.

How do they differ from regular lemons?

      Deeper yellow in color

      Twice as juicy

      Sweeter/less acidic

      Edible skin (you can eat a regular lemon peel, but you probably won’t get far)

Drooling yet?  These special lemons are awesome in compotes, cheesecakes, drinks, dressings… anything!

I decided to create a ricotta sauce, to be used with penne pasta and asparagus, which is just now coming in season.

It is rare that I make pasta at home.  I’m more into quinoa or lentil mixes.  However, with the ricotta I needed something with more umph… and I was able to get my hand on some fresh from a local pasta-maker.  You can also buy some whole wheat pasta so you can feel better about the nutritional content if you must. 😉

When you read the recipe below, it may look time-consuming.  It really isn’t because each piece can be done simultaneously.

I had a gourmet-quality dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

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Meyer Lemon Ricotta Penne with Asparagus

      4 oz penne pasta
1 Meyer lemon + zest
1.5 T EVOO (I used local Sweetwater Growers’ Basil-Infused)
1/2 C ricotta
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
S+P, to taste
2-3 T shallot, minced
1 C asparagus

Pasta

Prepare pasta as directed on package, adding 1 tsp of sea salt to the pot.

Asparagus

Meanwhile, place a small pot filled with water over high heat and bring it to a boil.  Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside.  Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 1-2 mins (just until turning a vibrant green). Drain asparagus and add to ice water to stop the cooking and retain color.  Drain the asparagus again, cut into 2-in pieces, and set aside.

Shallots

Heat a small amount of oil in small pan over med-high heat.  Add minced shallots and saute until translucent.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta

In a bowl, stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta, red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, and salt.

Plate

Toss ingredients into a bowl and enjoy!  If possible, consume on a patio with a citrus-y white wine while enjoying a warm, sunny evening. 

Thanks everyone for reading!  I hope you’ll come say hello over at my blog, Sprint 2 the Table.

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Oh, man. I can’t wait to try this with a little tofucotta. What a great recipe! What are your favorite seasonal foods? 

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