Training Fuel Recipes

Been posting a lot of "food porn" on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter (who doesn't have 18 accounts of social media now?), or at least what I consider food porn.

I have been promising some recipes so during my taper week where I actually have the extra hour and maybe a couple more because there is nothing else on TV....I decided to put together a post with my 8 go-to recipes especially in and around heavy training/race time.  I like to go mostly gluten-free (sometimes I have to throw in a non-GF) during this time.  I can't quite give up dairy and I know it doesn't agree with me so I just down-size and give myself a little cheese when needed...

Vegetable Mung Bean Pasta with Miso Tahini Sauce
(recipe by the Daily Garnish) except I add Mung Bean Pasta...

This dish is creamy (almost dairy-like) and when adding the mung bean pasta it adds another 20 grams of protein and its Gluten Free.  Check out the link for the recipe but I have been making it at least once a week to have left overs, I found it is a great recovery food after a run/bike!

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Parsely Orzo Salad
(print recipe)

Ingredients
1 lb of chicken breasts
2 tspn olive oil
Various Seasonings (I use TJ's 21 seasoning salute)
Sea Salt

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 handful of fresh parsely chopped
2 tbspn romano cheese

1 bag Orzo
1 red onion
1 bell pepper
Lettuce (assorted)


Directions
1.  Let chicken marinate in various seasoning and olive oil in bag or container and grill.
2.  Combine dressing ingredients and put to side
3.  Boil orzo to al dente
4.  Chop/dice red onion, bell pepper.

Done - wasn't that easy!!



Chicken Sausage Butternut Squash Chili
(print recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 package of TJ's jalepeno chicken sausage sliced
• 1 lb of butternut squash chopped small
• 1 tbsn olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can cannelloni beans
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Cilantro
• 1 jalepeno chopped
• 1 avocado chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime squirted at end

Directions
Saute with olive oil, garlic onions and butternut squash for about 10 min. 
Add sausage, spices, tomatoes, beans, chicken broth and bring to boil. 
Let simmer until squash is soft.
Serve with cilantro, chopped jalepenos, lime juice and sliced avocado.

Asian Quinoa 
(print recipe)

Ingredients
10 sugar snap peas
1/2 cucumber diced
2 scallions diced
1 red onion diced
1 bell pepper (any color) diced
1 handful of cilantro chopped
1 avocado diced
1 cup of edamame

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Dressing
Brown rice vinegar
Tamari
Sesame oil
TJ Sesame Ginger Vinagrette

Directions
Rinse quinoa, add to water in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer covered until no liquid.  I like mine crunchy versus soft so I don't let it go the full time.
Add to all veggie ingredients.
For dressing I add equal parts of all but not really measured so a dash of each and then if it needs to be wetter I add more vinegar.
And, lastly, this little gem that I did last night when Yasi came over for our Mooseman planning!!

Mexican Quinoa
(print recipe)

I can't make this NOT upside down...

  The only addition to the old recipe was that I added green salsa and cumin to the dressing  and put it over my dad's lettuce he is growing in the yard!  I also worked in some ground turkey breast to give me a little extra protein.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (I used a red/white mix)
3/4 can black beans
1 bell pepper (any color)
1/2 cucumber
1 jalepeno
1/2 red onion
2 limes
1 tbspn olive oil
cumin
salt/pepper

Directions

Rinse quinoa, and add to water in small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer and cover until quinoa is done.

Make a salad with spinach, chopped veggies (cucumber, pepper, jalepeno, red onion), and juice of 2 limes and olive oil and toss.

Add in quinoa and salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Make a salad with spinach, chopped veggies (cucumber, pepper, jalepeno, red onion), and juice of 2 limes and olive oil and toss.

Add in quinoa and salt and pepper.  Enjoy!  Add in some green salsa if you need more "dressing" for the salad.

Best part of the Mexican Quinoa is you can add eggs and put in sprouted corn tortillas for breakfast!

And lastly, we started a new batch of our Nightstalker Stout...(recipe will be coming...)

Cheers as I get ready to finish up the work day and pack for New Hampshire!!

Detox - Day 1 - "And so it begins.."

Day 1 was not so bad.
I got up early since I had interviews most of the day and had to work on some proposals.
I figured I would start out with some Bob's Red Mill oat bran, half of a Macintosh apple simmered in the oat bran, a little dash of honey and some TJ almond butter with flax seeds and some Yogi detox tea.

I made some water flavored with orange slices and cranberries to keep things interesting.

Yeah, that was all fine but 2 interviews later, I was hurting, tired (no caffeine remember!) , so I tried a snack and ate some Fage 0% and some blueberries. Later on, for lunch there was some vegetarian chili (canned from Whole Foods...exciting I know). Man - no caffeine sucks...But it is all good because 2 hours later I decided to do my 5 mile run. It took every bit of energy to get out of the house - it was rainy, dark and I was TIRED!!

BUT...it was a great run, I was supposed to do a Steady State run meaning I would be running at a pace slightly more than a jog keeping my heart rate around 148-150 - so I started out a little slow at 9:45, then started picking up to 8:45 - 9:00 for the remaining splits. Anyway, I got my energy back and finished up some work!

So here is the most important part of the post - MY DINNER RECIPE!!
Spicy Butternut Squash - Sweet Potato Soup with Sweet Chili Tofu

1 big swirl of olive oil
3 stalks of celery chopped
3 chopped carrots
1/2 chopped sweet onion
6 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 Macintosh apple (cubed)
1 butternut squash (cut and cubed)
2 medium sweet potatoes (cut and cubed)
3/4 of a box of organic vegetable broth
Firm tofu (pressed)
sea salt
Herbs De Provence
chili powder
Sweet Chili sauce or other marinade
green habenaro sauce

Heat up olive oil on medium, sautee garlic, onions, celery and carrots and little salt.
Once softened (about 5 minutes) add apples, sweet potatoes and butternut squash and add herbs.
Stir for about 5 minutes, add broth and allow to come to a boil. After about 3 minutes of a boil, lower to simmer for 25 minutes. Once soft puree the mix.
In the meantime, heat up a frying pan and some PAM. Add tofu with brushed on chili sauce, flip twice until browned and put to the side.

Serve with tofu and some green habernaro sauce and ENJOY!