Sushi Madness!

I love Sushi! I could eat it all day, EVERYDAY!. Making Sushi Maki is surprisingly easy. I remember the first time I made it at a friend's house about two years ago. It was so fun making the Maki roll from scratch and adding the kinds of fillings I wanted. It is a perfect way to spend time with friends or family. It is also an easy way to make something special for your special someone.

Usually Sushi Maki is made by using white rice as a base. At certain restaurants, I know it is possible to request your Maki with brown rice. I decided to give my Maki a new and healthy twist. I very rarely eat rice, so I wanted to find a way to make yummy Maki without using rice. I tried my luck with different kinds of bases in place of rice and on my first try I found that hummus was such a good base for a yummy and filling vegetable sushi Maki.

YUM! Just look at how delicious that looks!!!

 And trust me it tasted just as good. Its really very simple, easy and quick to make. The 3 key things to everything I make ;)

Equipment:

• Blender
• Spoon
• Sushi mat
• Knife

Hummus Ingredients:

• 1 can Chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon  Red Pepper
• 1/2 -  1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• A pinch of Sea Salt
• Juice of half a medium Lime/Lemon
• 1 teaspoon Parsley
• 1 Garlic Clove (optional, for the Sushi Maki I prefer my humus without the garlic)
• Water or Juice of humus (add as much as needed for the desired consistency. I find for the Maki base, the thicker the mixture the better.)

Sushi Maki Ingredients:

• Sushi Seaweed sheets (4)
• 2 medium carrots thinly sliced horizontally
• 3 celery stalks thinly sliced horizontally
• 1 big red pepper medium sliced horizontally
• Lettuce/Spinach/Kale
• 1/2 a medium avocado thinly sliced horizontally

Instructions:

1. Place all the Hummus Ingredients in the blender. Let the blender run until all the ingredients are mixed together. You want to have a lumpy and thick hummus consistency. Do not let it get too thin or too smooth.
2. Place a seaweed sheet on the Sushi Mat. Using the spoon, spread about two heaped tablespoons of the hummus on to the seaweed sheets. Make sure you spread it all the way to the edges. This is so that when you roll up the Maki it will stick and close properly.
3. Add the thinly sliced vegetables on to the hummus spread. Make sure you are placing the vegetables horizontal to the way in which you will roll up the Maki.
4. Add the lettuce/Spinach/kale on top of the sliced vegetables.
5. Roll up the Maki using the Sushi Mat.
6. Slice the Maki roll into sizable pieces.
7. Grab some chopsticks and enjoy this healthy yumminess!

Have fun with this. Experiment with different kinds of vegetable fillings. You can use this as part of a healthy lunch with some Zucchini noodles on the side (new recipe for this coming soon!).

Let me know what you think :)

Xx

Rati

For the Runners.

I know I need this encouragement when I run. Especially yesterday.

Training yesterday was overall good but it started off with me feeling so HORRIBLE. I wanted to just quit and sit it out. My body was feeling stiff. My legs felt like they were not responding and moving naturally. I just wanted to stop, give up and sit it out. But I kept on going. Eventually my body realized I wasn't stopping, I pushed through and by the end of the training session I felt brilliant.

Running is a mental battle. Yes your physical fitness and training play an important role in your runs. But to move from being a good runner to becoming a great runner your mental strength is what takes you there. Our bodies are far more capable than we think. When we take the time and effort to push our selves mentally, we begin to see ourselves accomplishing things we only dreamed off.

Do not always rely on how you feel. Feelings are fickle and can often be deceptive and limiting. Instead, look at your goals and keep going towards them; whether you feel like it or not. Develop the mental discipline to push through and be what you want to be. Of course it is important for you to use wisdom so that you make sure you are not pushing yourself to the extent of bringing harm to yourself.

Train hard.
Work smart.
Give it your all.

Enjoy it.

I wish you an amazing training week.

Xx

Rati :)

Half-Marathon Training: Any Idiot Can Run

I must say that, that is a very beautiful quote. I think, to a lot of people, running a half-marathon,or even running at all when there is nothing chasing you, is simply an idiot's idea of... FUN?!! I tell people I am training and some say: "Awesome!" and they really mean it, whilst others say: "Uhm... awesome?... Why? Is it for a cause?"

And though it is nice for those who have the opportunity to run for a cause, however, for me, I run because I like it. No, wait, correction... I run because I LOVE IT!

There is really no way to explain the joy and exhilaration that comes from running. You fall in love with the rhythm of your feet.
The sound of your breathing.
The movement.
The release.

Its an amazing feeling.

Sometimes the runs hurt and take more effort.
Other times the runs are all a beautiful experience.
But all the time, at the end of a run, I always feel a wonderful sense of release, happiness, confidence and accomplishment.

Yes, to me, running is fun!

I run in the rain. I run in the snow. I push through the wind and sweat it out in the scorching sun.

Of course if you are a new runner... your runs, at first, may feel more like a session of torture. But as you build your endurance and find your stride, running sessions become a strange and beautiful kind of pleasure.

So, I signed p to run the Den Hague ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on the 10th of March 2012. I am currently in week 3 of official training and its going real great.

Week1 and Week 2 were really good. They are all distances I am comfortable with running but, I think from week4, the long run distances will become a bit more of a challenge. In week 1, the run was supposed to be 4.4miles. But, well, i didn't "empty the tank" before heading out and I was feeling horrible by the first mile, I had to turn back. *Blush*

Note-To-Self: ALWAYS empty the tank before a run.

haha!

oh and also I ran my fastest km of 5:50 on thursday. YAY!

I hope everyone is doing great and that you are enjoying 2013 so far.
I definitely am :).

Below you can see my training schedule from week 1 and week 2.

61 MORE DAYS!!

Have a great start of the week.

Xx

Rati

Fitness: Early Morning Inspirations

A few weeks ago I went for an early morning run. It was a day after it had snowed quite a lot and it was just so beautiful out. It was still dark, but I absolutely love running when its still dark.

The streets are empty.
The road is yours.
Its just you.

So, of course,  the run was great! I went for about an hour. I ran about 9km/5.5m at a nice easy pace. I just felt so good. Then it got me thinking, "I think I am about ready to start training and running for a half-marathon". And so that's what I did... I am officially registered to run The Hague, ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on March 10, 2013.

SOOOO EXCITED!
and nervous.
but more excited!

It has always been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but it has always felt so far off and too hard. So I just set the dream aside. Then in December of 2011, I decided to a set small goal and I signed up to run my first 10km race on the 18th of March of 2012 at the Limassol Marathon. I was as excited as I am now about the half-marathon, but I was definitely MUCH more nervous about it. I trained, and I had good weeks and bad weeks of training. But on March 18th, 2012, I ran my very first 10km race and I fell in love with the racing atmosphere, adrenaline and camaraderie among runners. The whole day was just good vibes.

But after that 10km race, I sort of felt I was done with training specifically for running. I wanted to focus more on general fitness. Which I did. I started weightlifting and I absolutely love it. I experimented with other sports like rock climbing and hiking. I experimented with all sorts of fitness, which I enjoyed very much.

I needed to give myself this change to challenge my body in new ways of fitness, but I would always go back to running. There really is nothing like the run. You catch the rhythm of your feet and push yourself mentally and physically beyond where you thought you could possibly go.

And so.. here I am, once again registered to another race. This time the race is a half-marathon. I am currently in week one of training and it is going really great. I will keep you updated.

My dream of running a marathon just feels so much closer. It can be a reality and it feels good!

I am so happy and prod of myself at how far I have come.

I am a runner and I love it!

xX

Rati