Here’s my creative recreation of my afternoon snack: a lemon Larabar! A mini one picked up from a race a long time ago. I love Larabars but lately ALL afternoon snacks have been making my stomach feel weird. I don’t know if I’m going too long without eating (although I don’t really want to eat in the last few hours of work nor do I feel hungry and i’m drinking enough water) or what, but all I want each afternoon is a cool, glucose-filled drink.
Emily and I made last-minute plans to run this afternoon. I was planning to go tomorrow AM and she was going to run alone –> re-group!!
We ran a very pleasant summery 5 miles. But my stomach was not so pleasant! I CANNOT run well in the afternoons!! I’m a big log clonking along and my stomach is never settled. It’s always too full and I feel like I have a day’s worth of food in my small intestines! Boooooooooo!! It was otherwise a great run.
Got back home to do some work. Pack some. And eat a dinner made by Matt!!
Tempeh Spaghetti!
I always seem to eat tempeh raw in slabs or cooked in cubes. I don’t think I’ve ever crumbled it!
Emily left this Soy Boy 5 Grain Tempeh at our house. I have no idea where she got it (go ask her) but I’ve never seen the brand before. It was GREAT! I think there may have been wheatberries involved!?
Matt sauteed some zucchini and red pepper and then crumbled in the tempeh with his hands. He said it stuck to the bottom so he quickly added half a jar of Ragu Garden Veggie and things got to simmerin’. The sauce was AMAZING!!!!! I’m not sure if it was the tempeh, the sauce, or the combo – or the Garlic Gold!! – but it tasted like cheesy lasagna filling. And there was no cheese!?
Tableside topping. Garlic Gold Parmesan. It was awesome on sketti!
This tasted sooooo good.
Served over whole wheat angel hair
His portion was gigantic!!
Cleared my plate 
I have no idea how, but this slice of CinnaRaisinWalnut made it into my mouth while I was packing my lunch. (Actually this is a reenactment because the slice I ate was gone too fast to photograph!) It was doughy and so good.
More work to do 🙁
Then bedtime. Early to bed, early to rise.
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Oh yum, that sounds amazing!!! And SO creative!
Evan Thomas says
I can’t run in the afternoon; I feel like with all that lunch and breakfast in me, I’m a big barrel rolling down the street.
Kaz says
Those noodles look so good! Spaghetti always screams “comfort good” to me. 😀 How awesome of Matt to make that for you!
Kaz says
Comfort *food. Gah, Freudian slip? LOL
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
So bare! You’re a packing machine!
Lauren says
I love this brand of tempeh! I think its actually relatively lower in fat and calories than most other brands as well. And I also think it tastes better.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
That dinner sounds perfect!
Callie says
I’m more of a morning workout person. I hate feeling food sloshing around inside me. It somehow weighs me down.
That dinner looks so good. 🙂
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
YUM! Tempeh! Looks delicious. Glad you got a chance to run! That is a nice surprise! I hope you have a good night!
The 50 Best Health Blogs says
Kath, regarding your stomach problems, could you have recently developed some kind of food allergies?
Jim Purdy
Kath says
I don’t think it’s very likely. I think I’m just not used to this eating schedule and feeling stressed at work.
Ella says
Yeah, I was going to suggest that the culprit may be stress. I am very sensitive to stress – it affects my stomach, my sleep, my immunity, etc., so maybe you’re having a similar effect. (Try to get as much sleep as you can so you don’t get sick!!)
Tricia says
Sounds yummy!!! Just saw that you were featured on the finecooking home page
http://www.finecooking.com/item/17657/kath-eats-real-food. Glad to see others enjoy reading about your daily adventures in food and in life as much as I do
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
Spaghetti is fabulous because of all the things you can throw in and still have it taste amazing!!
Lindsay @ Summit Sandwiches says
That dinner looks great! I’ve never tried crumbling tempeh before, but it sounds like it would go great with pasta.
Sandi says
I’ve never tried crumbling tempeh but it sounds like a never tried crumbling tempeh but it sounds like a great idea! I like tempeh but the big pieces of it always seem too bitter for me, but if it was more incorporated with a sauce I bet it would be great. I’ll have to try that next time!
Brittney says
I love crumbled tempeh in stir-fry. I usually use a box cheese grater and do a block of tempeh and a couple carrots and stir-fry them with bean sprouts and other veggies and eat it Asian style over rice noodles or as filling for lettuce wraps. I’ve also used the tempeh crumbles in Mexican food as taco/burrito filling. Tempeh is so versatile. I need to try it like you guys did as “meat” in spaghetti though. Looks great!
[email protected]://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
Who makes angel hair whole wheat pasta, that is my fave and I have never found it?
Kath says
Harris Teeter + EarthFare do
Robyn @ Frugal 'n' Fit! says
You had me at “cheesy lasagna filling”. Yum!
Lauren @ eater not a runner says
I’m the same way about running in the afternoon…it just does NOT work for me.
Mary @ What's Cookin' with Mary says
What a great dinner! Points for Matt!!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
That’s a creative way to use tempeh. All I could ever think of to do with it is grill it or eat it raw, like you said.
Noelle says
No Biscoff spread in my Walgreens. 🙁 But, Biscoff cookies, and my are they delish crumbled on top of oats!
Can we discuss your dining room chairs, hutch, and TV stand? I’m looking for something similar, and can’t find anything that’s between crazy Pottery Barn prices and IKEA.
Have a great night!
Noelle
Kath says
Mine was from the online store – I dont’ think they have the spread at Walgreens. Just the cookies.
Dining room chairs + table + hutch + TV ALL Crate + Barrel!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
i love running in the afternoons…mornings just about kill me because my body doesn’t wake up very quickly at all then. at least the 5 miles were good though! that tempeh sketti sounds AH-MAY-ZING 🙂 no wonder you cleared your plate!
The Wife of a Dairyman says
What a great hubby you have ! He’s not only an artist but a great cook as well:)
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
glad dinner was so great, despite what could’ve been a disaster!
Stacie @ Imperfectly Healthy says
Mmm…that dinner looks good! And I’ve never had a lemon Larabar – but it sounds really good!
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
Argh – can’t do tempeh!!!! But your dinner “looks” good 🙂
Krystina says
Congrats on being on Fine Cooking! 😀
Molly says
So cool about Fine Cooking! I love the magazine!
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
now THERE’S a sauce! looks delish! I’d love some of that with bread and buttah!
Camille says
Mmm, Tempeh is my new favorite 🙂
Alyssa says
Kath,
I totally feel you about running in the PM! I even can’t eat too late at night, because I can’t run with food in my tummy…PERIOD! My best runs are always first thing in the AM with an almost empty stomach (usually a small pre-workout snack). If you figure out how to get your stomach to cooperate, please fill me in!
~Alyssa
[email protected] says
You are such a busy lady!
I like how satisfied Matt is with his soon-to-eat meal.
Bec says
Mmmm that pasta looks delicious, happy packing!
Marilou @ Mostly Healthy says
Wow! That sauce looked so freaking good! 🙂 I’ve neber had Tempeh! On my to try list immediately
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
Between you and Caitlin I now have some great tempeh recipes to try.
I can’t run with food in my stomach either. I get sick.
Wei-Wei says
That looks sooooo good! It’s like spaghetti bolognese with tempeh instead 😉 So delicious! I hope your packing is going well 🙂
Wei-Wei
Samantha says
What is in that sauce that looks like millet? Is it the tempeh? or garlic?
mmm!
Kath says
I THINK it was the tempeh!!?
A Teenage Gourmet (Sami) says
I’ve only had Tempeh once, and I really did not like it. However, this use for it looks pretty delectable! I may have to reconsider.
Kerri says
A good spaghetti is still one of my favorite meals. Those garlic products are starting to look very appealing.
ChocolateCoatedRunner says
That tempah pasta looks soo good…. What a creative idea… It’s almost like meat pasta except without all the meat =)
foodandfarm says
great idea for tempeh! cannot wait for a GH in cville!
Emily @ The Front Burner Blog says
tempeh is from Earth Fare! I buy that brand because it is lower in calories than most of the others – yet just as good.
fun run today – thanks for changing your swim plans 🙂
Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies says
Ohhhh – that looks amazing. I love crumbling tempeh into just about anything. This looks phenomenal!
Alyssa says
SoyBoy makes tofu and tempeh in Chili, NY! It’s a local company with a lot of great products including a line of flavored tofu. I lovvvee the 5 grain tempeh on a slice of bread with almond butter and jam! Yum yum yum. We find it in the local markets around here, but I’m unsure of where it’s sold nationally.
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
What a great idea! That’s a perfect subsitute for the ground beef in my mom’s spaghetti recipe 🙂
Meg says
Mmm tempeh! That dish looks magnificent!
I hope that whoever I marry is as great as Matt 🙂 You’ve got yourself a winner, Kath, and he does too!!!
Hannah says
Yum! That tempeh spaghetti looks amazing, although it makes me sad because I splurged on tempeh and then discovered the stupid thing had expired WEEKS before I bought it. Stupid supermarket! And it would’ve been a waste of petrol to go back to the far-away supermarket where I got it…
Next time, I’ll check, then make something delicious like this dinner!
Carly @ Happy Healthy Foodie says
I am SO going to make that tempeh spaghetti! I’ve been craving comfort food like that lately.
Katharina says
That use to happen to me on Mondays, but I honestly think it was that my professor was incredibly anxious and I would tap into her anxiety. My stomach was always in knots and I would have the worst pains.
But your dinner looks sooo delicious! It reminds me of the days back in high school when my dad would make vegetarian spaghetti and there were also vegetarian taco nights as well.
Amy @ Amy Starts To Run says
Ooooooo I never though of crumbling tempeh before. I bet I can even get my picky fiancé to eat spaghetti sauce like that!
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs says
Gah, I can’t run more than a few miles in the afternoon either!
Haha, I’ve seen tempeh crumbled before but I’m way too afraid to try it – I LOVE tempeh so much, I’m worried that if I crumbled it I’d lose the flavour or texture, and then I would’ve wasted a serving 😛
Kaci Higgins says
That looks scrumptious!!
JL Goes Vegan says
I can’t run in the afternoon, either! I’m definitely a morning person. A few years ago I was on a relay team for a 210 mile race (12 runners on a team, someone on he road at all times) I had three legs to run, one late night, one early morning and one afternoon. I forced myself out on mid-day training runs to prepare and I never performed well.
The tempeh sauce looks excellent. I need to try it!
maxinthegym says
Holy deliciousness! The spaghetti looks so so so good I want to grab it through my computer screen!
MelanieF says
Can you believe I’ve never had tempeh? But, your spaghetti looks delicious.
Jessica says
Hey Kath, Just wanted to show my appreciation for you blog. It’s a great inspiration to see someone very strong and healthy who still has an appreciation for the odd beer! x
Kath says
Thanks Jessica!
Anne @ the doctor takes a wife says
I’ve seen tempeh so many times and just haven’t had the courage to try it. This looks yummy though. Is the consistency like tofu??
Kath says
Not at all! It’s more like compacted rice.
Melissa @ HerGreenLife says
Whole wheat angel hair is a perfect place to start if you’re hesitant to try whole wheat pasta, plus, most types cook in only four minutes, so it’s great for a fast meal. Great job keeping making healthy meals during this busy, hectic time. Hope the stress decreases soon!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
That’s so neat that you’re on finecooking.com. I adore that magazine! 🙂
Sarah Snacks says
LOVE tempeh! I never thought about crumbling it! I must try this soon!!
Marissa says
Mm, that looks like a great sauce! I’m a volume whore and not a big fan of pasta in the first place, so I always mound my plate up with tons of sauce on top of veggies like green beans and broccoli. So satisifying!
Lauren (Clean Eats in the Dirty South) says
that. looks. so. good.