I have a couple life updates to throw out there. First of all, this morning I was back at my pre-pregnancy weight! I gained 31 pounds while I was pregnant, lost all but 7 within the first week or two, and then the weight loss pretty much completely stalled.

A few weeks ago I decided to count calories for a few days just to monitor what I was eating (since being at home makes it way to easy to just graze on crap all day), and since then I’ve just been mindful about only eating when I’m actually hungry. I’m guessing all the running and Bikram I’ve been doing probably helped a little bit, too.

Second, I’m back at work and it’s AWESOME. The kids this year are so amazing. I had them write paragraphs explaining the difference between mass and weight, and was completely impressed with how well they write. Also, about a dozen students from last year (who are now in high school) stopped by one afternoon to visit and it totally made my day. I love this job!

Meals like this are perfect for those busy days (like yesterday, which involved work, a dentist appointment, and a trip to Costco to get stuff for our work party this weekend) that require something super fast and healthy. I served the noodles with a quick slaw made with red cabbage, mint, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

The weather this weekend wouldn’t be considered anything special in Southern California, or even in the East Bay. But out by the ocean, it’s almost ALWAYS cold and foggy, so to have temperatures in the upper 70s felt completely amazing.

We started Saturday morning with a run by the beach (6.03 miles at 9:47 min/mile). It felt so nice to be running in the sun. I’m sure you’re dying to see an awkward cell phone picture of Mike and me at the turnaround in the park, and I’m happy to provide that for you:

After the run we hit up our new favorite coffee spot in the Outer Sunset (Trouble Coffee on Judah).

I got an iced chai and Mike got a latte, and they were fabulous as always.

They have a pretty awesome assortment of baked goods, including one seriously phenomenal cookie that’s thick and chewy and full of chocolate chips and CARAMEL CORN!

Yes, I absolutely will be attempting to re-create that very soon.

After a minor freak out about still having a few pounds of baby weight to lose (I realize it’s normal to not have lost it all after 6 weeks… I was just having a moment), Mike and I decided that we’re going to be making a more serious attempt to eat a LOT more fruits and vegetables. This dinner was a perfect first step.

I have no idea why this is called Dragon Sauce, but it’s apparently from a vegan restaurant in Montreal. It’s sweet and a little nutty, and goes perfectly with vegetables. For these bowls I just cooked quinoa in some vegetable broth, then topped it with red cabbage, shredded beets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh spinach, edamame, and avocado. Obviously you can use whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. Simple, colorful, and healthy!

Recipe:

(adapted from Jessica Lettuce Tomato)

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups vegetable broth
pinch salt

1 beet, shredded
1 medium carrot, cut into thin coins
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup edamame
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, thinly sliced
sesame seeds

Dragon Sauce
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
2 medium cloves garlic

Bring the vegetable broth and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

For each bowl, place quinoa in the bottom, top with vegetables, then drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

My mom included quinoa in my last care package, and I was pretty stoked to see it.  Brown rice is fine, but I’m definitely starting to get a little tired of it, and I want to play around a little more with different whole grains.

I found some fresh edamame at the store the other day, and since then I’ve never seen it there again, so I guess I just got really lucky!  As usual when I need inspiration, I turned to my google reader. I found a great recipe for edamame salad with shiso and lemon, two things that are easy for me to find. To make a more filling and balanced meal, I added some quinoa (and cucumber for crunch) and the result was this surprisingly filling (and really healthy!) salad.

The lemon was strong but not overpowering, and the shiso added a complementary depth to the citrus flavor. Shiso (or perilla) is common in Korean and Japanese cooking, and you should be able to find it at an Asian grocery store, or possibly the farmers market. If you can’t find it, a little bit of mint might work (since they’re in the same family), but I haven’t tried it out myself.

Recipe:
(adapted from The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen via 101 Cookbooks)

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped shiso, loosely packed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp (loosely packed) lemon zest
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
pinch salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Put the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a bowl.
Add cucumber, shiso leaf, and edamame, and toss to combine.
Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and salt.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir.
Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil and mix well to serve.  Garnish with some thinly sliced shiso.