Today was supposed to be a day off from running or lifting but sometimes you just know it’s best to go ahead and put on your favorite running shoes, put your favorite song list on the iPhone, and get it done.  It feels better to do it than not.

My nature is not that of a runner.  It goes against everything I can think of about myself.  But I have been and with consistency.  Some days it is much harder then others but running is always better then not running at all.

Lunch today!

Thai Collard Wraps with Tuna, Daikon and Carrots

6 collard leaves, approx. 8 by 5 inches in size

2 (5 oz.)cans tuna fish packed in oil (or poached chicken)

1/2 cup daikon, shredded or julienned 1/2 cup carrot, peeled, shredded or julienned

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1 fresno or jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 green onion, sliced into thin rings

2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce

juice from half a lime, the other half quartered

1 tablespoon canola oil

salt

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dip the collard leaves into the water and blanch them until they become a very vibrant deep green, at most a 30 seconds. Remove them from the pot and immediately run them under cold water to cool them down and stop the cooking process.

2. Combine the carrot, daikon, cilantro, green onion, and fresno or jalapeño in a bowl. Add the oil, fish sauce and lime juice. Toss everything to combine. Taste and season with a pinch of salt. Toss it, taste it again, and toss one more time.

3. Lay out a collard leaf on a flat surface. Pat it dry with a paper towel if need be. Starting about 2 inches from the bottom of the leaf, use your knife to remove the center stalk. Do this to all the leaves. Take 1/6th of the vegetable mix and put it down, crosswise, onto the leaf. Add a 1/6th of the tuna and snuggle it in along side the vegetables.

4. Starting from the bottom of the leaf, roll to bottom up over the filling and then drag everything backwards so you get a tight roll. Now fold the sides over onto the roll, this keeps everything from falling out the bottom when you eat it. Finish rolling the bottom to the top. Repeat rolling the rest of the rolls. Serve.

Note: If you don’t plan on eating these right away roll them in a small amount of plastic wrap and put them in the fridge.