Last Tuesday, I started running again! It felt so good to wear my running shoes and run ’till I sweat, pant, and can’t talk no more. 🙂 Next to meeting God, running a few kilometers in a garden in the middle of the Makati Central Business District (CBD) is one of the few reasons I look forward to waking up in the early morn.
I ran at 7 AM and unfortunately, didn’t get to see the sunrise. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my 30-minute run. However, since I was on hiatus for several months (only with running, not exercise), my body cried for an adjustment phase that it may recall my former running stride, if I had any. =))
Then last Thursday, I cooked a healthy, low-cost pasta dish! Now that I have all the time in the world I can run and continue enhancing my cooking skills. This dish I adapted from Women’s Health Whole-Wheat Spaghetti With Sweet Peppers and Chicken Sausage recipe. As usual, I lacked the exact ingredients stated in the recipe so I tweaked the dish using  ingredients available at home. Thankfully, my Dad brought home a few cans of Spam so I used that instead of chicken sausage. It turned out swell! Everyone at home enjoyed the dish.
Spaghetti With Spam, Bell Peppers, and Basil
Makes 6-8 servings
- 500 g pasta noodles (spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine)
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 can Spam lite, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 tsps dried basil leaves or 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves plus whole leaves for garnish
- 4 large assorted bell peppers
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add Spam and brown lightly on both sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Wipe out the pan.
- Add remaining oil to the skillet. Saute garlic over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peppers and saute until shiny, about 1 minute. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until peppers are soft but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add Spam and basil to pan, and mix gently.
- Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain in a colander, leaving a little water in the pot. Pour the pasta back into the pot and toss to prevent sticking, then add it to the pan with the sauce and combine. Divide among  plates, garnish with fresh basil, and serve.
Voila!
I know it’s not the most appealing photo of a supposedly delicious pasta (but really, it’s good), but I don’t exactly have a very good camera (or photography skills). My Dad wasn’t home when I cooked this so I had no one to take good photos with an excellent camera. At least I tried!
By the way, if you’re a runner and you’re searching for a playlist that could help fire up your albeit monotonous run, then I suggest you update your playlist with these songs emailed to me by Chris Lawhorn of Run Hundred.
Tim Berg – Seek Bromance (Avicii Vocal Edit) – 127 BPM
Katy Perry – The One That Got Away – 135 BPM
Alexandra Stan – Mr. Saxobeat (Maan Studio Remix) – 126 BPM
Flo Rida – Good Feeling – 129 BPM
Wolfgang Gartner & Will.I.Am – Forever – 128 BPM
Hot Chelle Rae – Tonight Tonight (Goldstein Remix) – 118 BPM
Taio Cruz & Flo Rida – Hangover – 129 BPM
Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull & The WAV.s – I Like How It Feels – 129 BPM
Kaskade & Skrillex – Lick It – 128 BPMÂ (I did not use this, though, The title turned me off. haha)
Kelly Clarkson – What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) – 117 BPM
I also suggest ending your playlist with Israel Houghton’s, “We Have Overcome.” It’ll seal your hard work! 🙂
Until my next run and dish! 😀
Gracing Jenny 