You can tell what's on my mind this week...

FOOD. I've been trying to eat more. Well, I actually eat plenty - but I've been trying to eat better. As satisfying as it is to stuff my face with carbs all day, I'm in search of new, easy ways to incorporate both variety and vital nutrients into our family's meals.

This week, Marcia of Marcia's Healthy Slice told me to eat more pineapple. Conveniently, they were on sale at Kroger, where I stopped after the gym. My husband wants brinner tonight and having just run 6.5 on the TM (with hills and fartleks, of course) a day after 20 miles on the bike outdoors (insert look of shock) I figured I'd see how a dose of pineapple would help my muscles stop their bitchin'.

Of course, when I run for 52 minutes I don't exactly want chunks of fruit. I much prefer something else with chunks in it...




BUT, I was a good girl and made this for myself instead:

Doesn't it look delicious? I was going to wait to share my recipe of the week but I just can't withhold this kind of precious information from you so here it is:

Sauteed Pineapple & Pine Nuts with Maple Yogurt
(for one serving)
1-2 cups pineapple (fresh is best), cut into bite-sized chunks
A small handful of *pine nuts
2 tsp butter
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0% fat to make up for the butter)
2 tsp pure maple syrup

* I realize pine nuts are $400/lb. but buy a bag and keep it in your freezer, taking out a little at a time as you need it. I like to toast them dry and add them to salads, pasta, or to garnish soups. Pine nuts are a great source of manganese, which the body needs for nutrient absorption, bone development and wound healing. Paired with the pineapple, I think this makes one awesome recovery dish. Well, let's go ahead and call it dessert. Anyway -

1. Heat non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and keep a close eye on them, moving them around with a wooden spoon every minute or so. Continue until they start to toast ever so slightly.
2. Add butter and when melted, the pineapple. Stir/toss every few minutes, allowing the pineapple to cook slow and gently brown on the edges.
3. Add a pinch or two of salt. If you sweat like me, you can add salt to anything. If you are watching your sodium, simply skip this step. I like a little salt on my sweets to contrast the sugar and slight tartness of the pineapple.
4. Once everything looks golden delicious, remove from skillet and place in a bowl to cool for just a moment while you make the topping.
5. Whip the plain Greek yogurt with maple syrup using a small whisk. This will only slightly aerate the yogurt but it will create a silky texture. Spoon maple yogurt over pineapple and pine nuts while still hot.
6. Eat and thank me later.

I'm not going to lie, this was my lunch. But even the chocoholic inside of me would concede that this would make a pretty kick-ass dessert. Now I know I can't copyright a recipe but don't forget to give me some props when you use this to impress your dinner guests. *smiles*

I think I want more.

What's your favorite healthy post-workout meal / snack?

What's your favorite not-so-healthy post-workout meal / snack?

Mine....

Hey, at least the monitor is on.