Hydronic Heating and Edamame

Training: Upper body weights

"Hydronic Heating and Edamame"  I know...strange combination right?  It will all make sense in a minute ;) I promise.

This morning started with an early weights session, that left my upper body quivering (in a good way!). My weights training has been quite sporadic of late (mostly due to work travel etc), but we are actually hoping to invest in a weights set of our very own in the near future. Hopefully this will allow for a more structured weights routine :)

My work day was interrupted with a quick trip home to meet with our heating contractor!

When we built our new house, we had in-slab hydronic heating installed.

And, given that Canberra has decided to quickly turn cold, it was time to meet with the contractor to work out how to turn it on.

Our decision to install in-slab heating, instead of ducted heating was a deliberate one. Both Mr BBB and I are fans of ambient warmth, rather than fan-boosted heating, and after lengthy research decided that in-slab heating was the way to achieve this (Not to mention the 'warm footsies it would provide!')

Hydronic in-slab heating comprises of heating pipes laid in the concrete slab during the construction phase.

 

When operated, warm water is then circulated through the pipes, the floor is heated and radiates warmth throughout the house.  Benefits of in-slab hearing include:

• It provides constant, controlled and comfortable heat.
• There is no noise when the system is running.
• Allows individual rooms to be heated independently, enabling running costs to be substantially lowered.
• There is no dust circulation and air movement.
• Low maintenance requirements.
• Radiant heat is less affected by draughts and air movement. That translates to lower running costs and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

So today we turned on the heating system for the first time!

It will take a little while to heat the concrete slab from cold, but once it reaches operating temperature  it is supposed to radiate heat consistently. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

 

But moving right along.

Tonight I also had time for a little Mystery Box love. The chosen ingredient...

Edamame!

Did you know? Edamame are young soybeans, usually still in the pod. Because the beans are young and green when they are picked, they are soft and edible. Rich in protein, fibre and calcium, edamame are commonly eaten as a snack, side dish and appetiser in Japan, China and Korea.

And on multiple occasions by me when travelling through Japan!

I wasn't able to find any fresh edamame, but I did find a frozen version at a local Asian grocer. After a quick boil in salted water, I removed the beans from their pod and they were ready to go!

 

I had a couple chicken breasts in the fridge, so decided that I would try and make a stuffed chicken dish.

Starting with the stuffing....

Edamame beans, mint, silken tofu, lime juice....

Processed with a little olive oil.

To create a rich pesto-like stuffing.

Spooned into the chicken breasts.

Then baked for 25 minutes, until the chicken had cooked through.

Served with a side of broccoli, in keeping with the unintended green theme!

A lovely little dish to showcase the wonderful edamame!

  

Edamame and mint stuffed chicken (serves 2)

• 2 chicken breast fillets, skinless
• 1/2 cup edamame beans, cooked
• 50g silken tofu
• 1/2 tbs lime juice
• 1/2 tbs olive oil
• handful fresh mint

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Combined edamame beans, tofu, lime juice and mint in a food processor and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil.
3. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally – but not cutting all the way through so as to create a pocket– and open. Spoon half the edamame mix onto each chicken breast, then close by folding the top flap over the mixture.
4. Carefully place in the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
6. Serve with a side of vegetables.

What about you? Have you got a favourite way to use edamame?

Happy Baking :)