Not every week can be stellar in regards to exercise and exciting foods, even for a fit blogger.  In lieu of exciting recipes and fitness news, here is what I’m thinking about currently. I welcome your thoughts too!

1. The quantity vs. quality debate. Not about food, that’s old. This is about fitness. When do you place speed (quantity) over distance (quality), or doing a workout fast (quantity) above adding weights (quality)?

For example, is running a fast 3 miles better than a slow 5? Which would you pick? What about doing a whole workout fast but using lower weights vs. a whole workout slow with heavier weights? I don’t know the answer. I’m not sure which is best. Perhaps a mix.

2. Outside vs. Inside. Would you choose to run slow outside in the heat, dripping lots of sweat, or faster inside where you could go longer too? In Houston, I choose inside. But am I setting myself up for a harder training program when it cools down outside since I’m not used to uneven terrain and hard pavement?

3. Here’s an observation that I appreciate: The athletic store where I buy my running shoes has a 30 day return policy. I changed brands a few weeks ago to see if a new shoe would help with leg pain, and now I have new pain. So I’m thinking of going back to the old brand, or trying something else. 30 days is kind, and enough time to really try out a shoe.

4. Push vs. Pull. When do you know when to push on and when to say no? Do you wait for a bad pain to say no? Do you know where your max is? What does it take to make you say no, or to make you say yes?

Pan Seared Tofu with Cous Cous and Vegetables

I made a delicious and filling dinner to make use of leftover cous cous, a block of tofu that I bought this week, and some fresh vegetables. I am getting more confident at experimenting in the kitchen. This time, I used the tofu instructions I read from Emily’s blog (refer to this post where I tried tofu her way for the first time) that I tried a few weeks ago, but cooked them as slices instead of cubes.

Ingredients:

1 block Nasoya Tofu

1 squash

1 zucchini

cous cous

feta

scallions

salt, pepper, garlic powder

Stir Fry sauce (or any marinade sauce–I used garlic ginger)

Instructions:

Cut tofu block into six long slices. Lay on towel and press with something heavy for 10 minutes. Place in hot skillet seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder.

Let brown on both sides. I put a garlic ginger sauce on one side with the back of a spoon. Just a little.

In another skillet, brown zucchini, squash, and onion slices seasoned with salt and pepper.

Heat up leftover cous cous, top with vegetables, tofu, scallions, and feta cheese. Enjoy!

This was really filling, the tofu was super tasty–crispy outside, cooked well inside. And feta pulls everything together. It was also a good use of leftovers, fresh ingredients, and odds and ends from the refrigerator.