Instant Pot Cream Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

Joey and I received a lot of great feedback/comments after our recent Instant Pot blog. Here's what you had to say......

• Is an Instant Pot practical for just one person? Even the small one?
  -I use mine for just one person, particularly for making a bunch of lunches at once, or cooking up big pots of rice or chicken to have on hand. If you’re a person who likes to cook one meal at a time, at each meal, I’m not sure it would be as practical.
  -I am just one person, and I have the six quart (plus an embarrassing number of accessories). It makes it possible for me to prep all of my food for the week in 4 hours or so, plus do things like ferment injera batter (or beer for home brewing), proof bread or pizza dough, make perfect hard boiled eggs, steam just about anything, etc. Imo, the 3 quart is restrictively small unless youre only cooking enough for 1-2 meals at a time. The 6 quart is the same size as your average crock pot, but way more versatile.
  
• Just recently bought an Instant Pot. Not totally on board with it yet. I think I need to buy one of the IP cookbooks. Example, I placed one large potato in there, set timer for 22 mins. The potato was still firm in a few areas and I had to stick it in the microwave. Took half-hour before I was able to have a cooked potato.
  -Yeah google or get a cook book as I can make like a full pot of potatoes for 16-17 min.
  
• I bought the 8 qt even though it's just two of us. Ideal for planned leftovers and we go through a lot of food. It took getting used to but it's definitely been helpful!
  
• Love mine!! Use it at least twice a week! Meats, beans, hard boiled eggs, pasta, potatoes, yogurt! It’s the best! I recommend this website for recipes: https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/
  
• It took some getting used to, but I love mine! I like it for batch cooking and have recently been using it for homemade broth. (it's not as rich as a broth that's been on the stovetop for hours, but it's still good!) The biggest advantage for me, is that you can set it and walk away (similar to a slow-cooker, but "faster") You do have to be there to hit cancel and release the steam, if needed, but other than that - fairly simplistic. I have the 6 quart with the wifi capabilities, but have pretty much used the "pressure cook/manual" button the majority of the time. So many bells and whistles, but so many recipes call for the manual button and adjust the time frame.
  
• We have 2 and use them several times a week. I do everything from grains, hard boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, stews, pulled meats, roasts etc in them. I like the ease of use but I still use a traditional slow cooker because the slow cook setting on the IP doesn’t get hot enough.
  
• I have the small and the large one. I love them. Use them both 3-4 times weekly.

If you are in need of a new Instant Pot recipe, here you go. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Cream Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT

While the weather is still chilly, break out your Instant Pot for this amazingly delicious and hearty Creamy Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup. Use only straight up wild rice in this recipe (no wild rice blends, brown or white rice, or other rice substitutions) to avoid a potential mushy recipe disaster. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Instant Pot:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 5 medium carrots, sliced/chopped
• 5 stalks celery, sliced/chopped
• ½ of a medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice (only use straight up wild rice—no blends)
• 8 ounces fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth/stock
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (see recipe below*)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about ½ to ¾ lb-no need to cut up)
  
  *For the DIY chicken seasoning:
  4 teaspoons ground sage
  3 teaspoons ground thyme
  1 teaspoon ground marjoram
  2 teaspoon ground rosemary (Optional)
  ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  
  -Combine all ingredients and store in a tightly sealed container.
  -Leftovers can be used in a variety of chicken or turkey dishes.

For the Stovetop:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup flour
• 1 ½ cups milk (I used 1%)

Preparation
Instant Pot:

1. Put the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion in pot and saute until veggies start to soften. 
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. 
3. Add remaining ingredients in the first list into the Instant Pot and seal. 
4. Cook for 30 minutes (manual pressure cook, high pressure—takes pot about 15 minutes to come up to pressure before cooking time begins). 
5. Release steam using the valve on top (quick release). 
6. Remove the bay leaf and discard. 
7. Remove the chicken breasts and shred. 
8. Return shredded chicken to the pot.

Stovetop:

1. When the soup is nearly done, melt the butter in a saucepan. 
2. Whisk in the flour. 
3. Let the mixture cook for a minute and then whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until you have a smooth, thickened sauce.

Together: Mix the thickened sauce with the soup in the instant pot.
Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum recipe and Spend With Pennies recipe.

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice

Picture source

As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, Tempeh is one of my favorite, go-to plant-based protein sources. An Indonesian staple, tempeh is a cultured food that makes for a protein-rich plant based meal. Unlike tofu, tempeh is dry and densely compact, which makes it great for marinating, crumbling or grilling.

And denser than tofu, is is also more concentrated in calories and nutrients. For example, a 3-ounce serving of cooked tempeh (~1/2 cup) contains ~166 calories, 10g fat and 17g protein. In a 3-ounce serving of firm tofu, you will find ~53 calories, 2.3g fat and ~6g protein.

Tempeh is also a good source of iron (4.5 mg in 1 cup) and a complete plant protein providing all nine essential amino acids. Although tempeh does contain probiotics, the short fermentation period and cooking decreases the lifespan of the beneficial live bacteria.

The process of making tempeh involves fermenting cooked soybeans and binding them together when exposed to a mold culture from the Rhizopus genus. Unlike anaerobic fermentation, tempeh requires a warm, oxygen-rich environment and can ferment within 24 hours. Because tempeh is an unsalted, perishable and commercially produced food, it should be cooked to 165 degrees F before eating.

Most of the information above was found in the Sept/October 2019 issue of FoodandNutrition.org magazine (Pg. 27). 

Although tempeh can be easily prepared by crumbling it into warm olive oil and cooking on a skillet, try out this delicious tempeh recipe from my book Essential Sports Nutrition.

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice 

Yield: 4 servings 

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Tempeh is made from cooked, whole soybeans that are fermented into a firm, dense patty. It’s considered a staple in vegetarian and vegan diets. Although the food may look a little strange, this minimally processed food brings a nutty, chewy and “meaty” flavor to your dishes and also does a great job of absorbing other flavors. This makes it excellent dish to refuel your energy storage, boost your immune system, and to speed muscle healing.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked wild rice
2 (8-ounce packages) of tempeh, crumbled into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Optional: leafy greens and scallions

Directions

1. In medium bowl combine the sesame oil, honey, tamari sauce, water and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
2. At the crumpled tempeh to the bowl of wet ingredients. Toss until evenly coated.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add tempeh to skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Toss every few minutes to prevent burning.
5. Over a bed of greens, top with 1 cup wild rice and 1/2 cup tempeh mixture. Garnish with scallions.

Tempeh Tip:
Look for tempeh in the refrigerated section near the tofu or meat-alternative foods at the grocery or natural food store. Don’t be put off by its appearance. Tempeh is a fermented soy product, so you may see a few black spots with white stuff in between. Technically that is mold, but it’s entirely normal and perfectly edible. If you can’t get past the mold, just cut it off. However, if tempeh is slimy, sticky, or smells sour, throw it out. To make this recipe vegan, use apple honey.

Pass the rice, please!

Back in March, I wrote a blog post about rice. Although the topic was informative, it wasn't the most timely post as March is all about Spring and when I think of spring, I don't think of rice as my food of choice.

But now that we are in the middle of summer and the days are long, and packed with training and other activities, rice is the perfect "quick" and healthy food for anyone, but especially for athletes who are busy, exhausted and in need of fuel.

Here's the article for your viewing once more and if you missed it, happy reading!

---------------------------------------------

For almost half the world population, rice is a staple food.
But for much of the US population, rice is seen as a "bad" carbohydrate

There are many varieties of rice but what they all have in common is that they contain carbohydrates, protein, trace amounts of fat and sodium and are gluten free. 

Compared to white rice, brown rice is often viewed as the "healthy" rice. Whereas white rice appears to be nutritionally inferior to brown rice because it is a refined grain (bran and germ are removed during the milling process which removes B vitamins, iron and fiber), white rice is typically enriched with iron and B vitamins. Unlike brown rice, containing 3.5g of fiber per cup (cooked), white rice has less than 1 gram fiber. The noticeable difference between brown and white rice is that brown rice is a whole grain (the bran and germ are retained, which means it offers a good source of antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber). 

But having said this, athletes should recognize that fiber is often the culprit of many GI issues during training and racing. Thus GI-distress susceptible athletes are encouraged to reduce fiber (and fat) in the 24-72 hours before a race to minimize the residue in the gut. While 3.5g of fiber may not appear to be a lot of fiber, some athletes are more sensitive to fiber than others. Considering that white rice can be eaten alone or mixed with honey, syrup, eggs or even peanut butter to make for a great meal or snack - in training and or before a race - many athletes rely on rice as it is a cheap, easy to find, easy to prepare and easy to digest carbohydrate source. For me and Karel, we always have a bag of rice in our pantry and we often buy the 90-sec micorwave bag of Jasmine or Basmati rice for when we travel to a race. 

Although the lower fiber rice options are ideal before/after training/racing, let's not stop at white rice and brown rice. There are many varieties of rice that are great in the daily diet of athletes. Understanding that rice is often consumed with other nutrient dense foods, like fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and peas), nuts, seeds, lean meats, poultry and seafood, I encourage you to include this low cost, versatile ingredient into your diet as it is easy to incorporate into any dish. I recommend to prep 2-3 rice varieties ahead of time (~2 cups cooked per person) and store in the fridge so that you have your go-to rice options available to you anytime of the week.

Tips on cooking rice

• The shape and length of the rice kernel (short, medium or long grain) determines its texture when cooked, in addition to the type to use in dishes and cuisines. 
• Long-grain, which cooks light and fluffy with the kernels separated, is often used for making pilafs, stuffing, rice salads and jambalaya. 
• Medium grain is moist and tender, commonly used for making paella and risotto. 
• Shorter grain rice is short with rounder kernels and becomes moist and "sticky", making it a great option for rice puddings, desserts and eating with chopsticks. 

Here are the suggested cooking times and water/rice ratio for rice varieties:

(source) 

Types of rice varieties

• Basmati - An aromatic long-grain rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Basmati comes in white or brown varieties. It has a distinct flavor and aroma and produces a tender, fluffy texture and grains do not stick together. It is often used in curries and stir-fries, but is also great for side dishes.
• Brown - Available in short, medium and long grain varieties, a half-cup brown rice equals one whole-grain serving. It contains more magnesium, selenium and fiber than enriched white rice and can be eaten as a breakfast cereal, used in sushi and puddings.
• Arborio - A medium or short grain rice with a high starch content used to make risotto. Arborio is also used for rice pudding and other desserts.
• Red - This whole-grain rice is rich in nutrients and high in antioxidants due to its varying hues of red color. It is available as a long-grain variety from Thailand and a medium-grain from Bhutan. It's nutty, chewy texture lends well to rice bowls, pilafs, rice salads and stuffings.
• Black - Also referred to as "purple" or "forbidden" rice, the dark hue of this grain is due to its high anthocyanin content. It is a whole-grain rice available in both short and long-grain varieties. The short-grain variety is often used to make sticky rice porridge and rice pudding.
• White - Available in short, medium and long-grain varieties, most white rice in the U.S. is enriched with thiamin, niacin, folic acid and iron. Avoid rinsing white rice before and after cooking, in order to keep the nutrients from being washed away.
• Jasmine - Originally from Thailand, this rice has a distinctive floral aroma and nutty flavor that pairs well with Mediterranean dishes. It cooks tender, light and fluffy and is available in both white and brown varieties. Steaming, rather than boiling, provides the best results.
• Wild - Despite its name, wild rice is actually not rice at all, but a semi-aquatic grass species indigenous to North America. Its long, slender, dark kernels have a nutty flavor, chewy texture and contain more protein than white and brown rice. Wild rice is often mixed with brown rice or bulgur wheat, and it pairs well with fruits, nuts, meats, poultry and fish in salads, soups, stews and pilafs. 

Information from this blog was adapted from Food and Nutrition magazine. May/June 2013 issue. Pg 16 and 17, written by Rachel Begun, Ms, RDN, CDN. 

Rice - An ideal carbohydrate for athletes

For almost half the world population, rice is a staple food.
But for much of the US population, rice is seen as a "bad" carbohydrate

There are many varieties of rice but what they all have in common is that they contain carbohydrates, protein, trace amounts of fat and sodium and are gluten free. 

Compared to white rice, brown rice is often viewed as the "healthy" rice. Whereas white rice appears to be nutritionally inferior to brown rice because it is a refined grain (bran and germ are removed during the milling process which removes B vitamins, iron and fiber), white rice is typically enriched with iron and B vitamins. Unlike brown rice, containing 3.5g of fiber per cup (cooked), white rice has less than 1 gram fiber. The noticeable difference between brown and white rice is that brown rice is a whole grain (the bran and germ are retained, which means it offers a good source of antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber). 

But having said this, athletes should recognize that fiber is often the culprit of many GI issues during training and racing. Thus GI-distress susceptible athletes are encouraged to reduce fiber (and fat) in the 24-72 hours before a race to minimize the residue in the gut. While 3.5g of fiber may not appear to be a lot of fiber, some athletes are more sensitive to fiber than others. Considering that white rice can be eaten alone or mixed with honey, syrup, eggs or even peanut butter to make for a great meal or snack - in training and or before a race - many athletes rely on rice as it is a cheap, easy to find, easy to prepare and easy to digest carbohydrate source. 

Although the lower fiber rice options are ideal before/after training/racing, let's not stop at white rice and brown rice. There are many varieties of rice that are great in the daily diet of athletes. Understanding that rice is often consumed with other nutrient dense foods, like fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and peas), nuts, seeds, lean meats, poultry and seafood, I encourage you to include this low cost, versatile ingredient into your diet as it is easy to incorporate into any dish. I recommend to prep 2-3 rice varieties ahead of time (~2 cups cooked per person) and store in the fridge so that you have your go-to rice options available to you anytime of the week.

Tips on cooking rice

• The shape and length of the rice kernel (short, medium or long grain) determines its texture when cooked, in addition to the type to use in dishes and cuisines. 
• Long-grain, which cooks light and fluffy with the kernels separated, is often used for making pilafs, stuffing, rice salads and jambalaya. 
• Medium grain is moist and tender, commonly used for making paella and risotto. 
• Shorter grain rice is short with rounder kernels and becomes moist and "sticky", making it a great option for rice puddings, desserts and eating with chopsticks. 

Here are the suggested cooking times and water/rice ratio for rice varieties:

(source) 

Types of rice varieties

• Basmati - An aromatic long-grain rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Basmati comes in white or brown varieties. It has a distinct flavor and aroma and produces a tender, fluffy texture and grains do not stick together. It is often used in curries and stir-fries, but is also great for side dishes.
  
• Brown - Available in short, medium and long grain varieties, a half-cup brown rice equals one whole-grain serving. It contains more magnesium, selenium and fiber than enriched white rice and can be eaten as a breakfast cereal, used in sushi and puddings.
  
• Arborio - A medium or short grain rice with a high starch content used to make risotto. Arborio is also used for rice pudding and other desserts.
  
• Red - This whole-grain rice is rich in nutrients and high in antioxidants due to its varying hues of red color. It is available as a long-grain variety from Thailand and a medium-grain from Bhutan. It's nutty, chewy texture lends well to rice bowls, pilafs, rice salads and stuffings.
  
• Black - Also referred to as "purple" or "forbidden" rice, the dark hue of this grain is due to its high anthocyanin content. It is a whole-grain rice available in both short and long-grain varieties. The short-grain variety is often used to make sticky rice porridge and rice pudding.
  
• White - Available in short, medium and long-grain varieties, most white rice in the U.S. is enriched with thiamin, niacin, folic acid and iron. Avoid rinsing white rice before and after cooking, in order to keep the nutrients from being washed away.
  
• Jasmine - Originally from Thailand, this rice has a distinctive floral aroma and nutty flavor that pairs well with Mediterranean dishes. It cooks tender, light and fluffy and is available in both white and brown varieties. Steaming, rather than boiling, provides the best results.
  
• Wild - Despite its name, wild rice is actually not rice at all, but a semi-aquatic grass species indigenous to North America. Its long, slender, dark kernels have a nutty flavor, chewy texture and contain more protein than white and brown rice. Wild rice is often mixed with brown rice or bulgur wheat, and it pairs well with fruits, nuts, meats, poultry and fish in salads, soups, stews and pilafs. 

Information from this blog was adapted from Food and Nutrition magazine. May/June 2013 issue. Pg 16 and 17, written by Rachel Begun, Ms, RDN, CDN. 

Rice and veggie bowl

                                  

We ate a lot during the two weeks that we were in Florida for our training camp in Clermont + another week in Jacksonville for RETUL fits (Karel) and I spoke to the Delafina Women Cycling club.

Despite eating a lot of food, no meal left us feeling bad, stuffed, bloated or guilty as we always eat with good intentions and have a great relationship with food.
(even when Karel eats his frozen chocolate "recovery bar" - inside joke, ask us about it when you see us in person :)

 During our trip, we had a nice combination of food prepared at home (well, our homes away from home) and a few inspiring meals from restaurants.

After our Clermont training camp, we spent a week in Jacksonville, FL (where we use to live from 2008-2014 and stayed with our friend Shawn B. and his family.



On Thursday evening (3/24), Karel, Shawn and I left the house around 5pm and met up with our friends Lauren and Jen. Karel, Shawn and a few others joined the Thurs night group ride in Nocatee and Lauren, Jen and I headed to A1A for 2 x 30 min intervals w/ 5 min EZ in between (GIRL POWER!).

After my 2:20 ride, I enjoyed 20 minutes of flat road running off the bike around Atlantic Beach before Karel and Shawn arrived home from their ride. 

After Karel and I had our recovery drink (milk and whey protein), we enjoyed dinner with Shawn and his family.
Andy did the prep, Shawn did the final touches and we all did the eating.

And when I say enjoy, I mean I could not stop yumming!!
This dish was so absolutely yummingly delicious!
(yummingly delicious is my new word)

I just loved the flavors of this multi-ingredient dish that I could not wait to share it with you.

Rice and veggie bowl
Rice - jasmine or basmati (you could also do a whole grain of your choice)
Baked cauliflower and sweet potatoes - with turmeric and cumin
Sliced avocado
Chopped dates
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
Chopped cashews
Cilantro 

1. Toss cauliflower and sweet potato in olive oil and season with turmeric and cumin. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes (or until golden brown)

2. Combine cooked rice and the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. Be creative with your layering!
3. Yum!

Forbidden Rice

I am really excited to have recently discovered black rice.
I love all types of grains and not shy to try them out in my plant-strong diet.

Rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, protein, fiber and iron and gluten free (for those sensitive/intolerant to gluten), this popular Asian rice has been known for being great for the kidneys, stomach and liver.

I cooked a big batch of rice on Sunday so I could combine it with any meal.

Earlier this week, I added it to a stir fry veggie dish with edamame and tossed with pesto sauce and yummed until the last bite

And for your further reading, you are probably familiar with one of the grains on this list but have your taste buds become familiar with the other four grains mentioned in this article?

5 must-try grains

Fueling the busy body - a buffet of Trimarni creations

The other day, someone asked me what I eat when I am really busy.

I suppose I needed to give the reply of what fast food I order out or what's my favorite microwave dinner when I have no time to cook.

Now, there's always an exception as I do not believe that there is a perfect way of eating but you will not find a microwave dinner in our freezer and Karel and I rarely (less than 5 times a year) go out to eat (unless we are traveling). 

This doesn't mean I am good and you are bad but there's a reason why I wanted to write this blog. 

I absolutely love real food and I make time to cook, even in my busy lifestyle.

I know you can do it too. It's a lot easier than you think.

You, me.....we are all busy. Who isn't busy? If there were more hours in the day, we would find a way to fill those up as well. 

But it is because of my/your health that we are able to thrive in a world of craziness, business and never ending to do's. 

The food you eat has the opportunity to fuel your lifestyle. 

Why do you feel you are too busy too cook? 

Here are a few reasons that surprisingly, do not all have to do with needing extra time:

-No real food options in the house

-Grocery shopping takes too long

-Clean up takes too long

-Cooking takes too long

-Do not know how to cook

-Always going into meals starving (who wants to cook when starving and blood sugar is low?)

-Other, more important priorities than cooking...and sometimes eating

-Eating out is easier

-Eating out tastes better

-Not a good planner

-No fun cooking for yourself

-Crazy schedules (spouse/family/kids)

-Too busy training/exercising (if you are too busy to eat a real food meal because of this, then we need to talk :)

-No time to cook

I am busy, just like you, but if my body is not nourished, I can not do the things that I love to do and that life requires me to do. 

The food we eat has the ability to keep us health, energize our body, help us think clearly and my favorite, make us feel absolutely amazing inside. 

 So, it is important that you do not look for extra time to cook or hope for it to magically happen but instead, make the time. Carve out 30-60 minutes of your day to nourish your body and do not make meal time complicated. 

Certainly, there are a few things that help with making sure you get a health, real food, balanced meal in your system on a daily basis (hopefully three times a day):

-You can plan for leftovers

-Do a little prep ahead of time (Ex. weekends, morning)

-Get a little help from the grocery store (pre-chopped options)

-Involve the family at meal time prep

-Plan ahead

-Don't expect to be perfect

-If you are not a master chef, keep your recipes simple

-Think about the best days in your week to cook and prep

-Make compromises if you feel that there is absolutely no time during your week. Keep in mind that if you do not take time for your health (ex. nourishing your body or fueling your workout routine), you may be forced to make time for illness or injury. 

While in Jacksonville for the past few days, Karel stayed extremely busy by fitting 14 athletes on their bikes using the RETUL system. Each fit takes an average of 2 hours and Karel was on his feet from 9:30am until 5:30pm almost every day (one day until 9pm).

Needless to say, Karel was exhausted every evening on Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon and with that, his workouts were modified so that he could get good sleep on Sat morning (no workout) and Monday morning (no workout). 

It was my job (wife and RD duty) to make sure that my amazing hubby was well fed and that meant making sure that at the end of the day, he not only kept his blood sugar stable throughout the day but that he honored his hunger as he was working. Because we were staying with some friends at the beach, we had the great honor of being fed some fantastic meals and didn't have to do any kitchen. What a treat!

However, on Sunday, I was in charge of the menu and I could not wait to not only prepare a good evening meal for everyone to enjoy but one that would be balanced for each person. 

Because I believe that we should all eat similar foods but in different quantities and times, I prepared a plant strong buffet of options so that exhausted Karel could assemble his plate as he wished, I could create a plate that would help me continue to refuel from my morning long run workout (and boost my immune system) and for our friends to also feel great about what they were putting into their body. 

So I give you a beautiful buffet of Trimarni creations, all prepared in less than 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Kiwi Almond Salad

Mixed greens

Blueberries

Slivered almonds

Kiwi (chopped)

Broccoli sprouts

Fresh Parmesan

Olive oil on the side

1. Combine in a bowl. Add as much/little of each ingredient as you wish. Mine was extra berry because I LOVE blueberries. 

Veggie stir fry 

Mushrooms (1 container, sliced)

Onions (1/2 medium, sliced)

Red pepper (1 large, sliced)

Tamari sauce (about 2 tbsp)

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Salt

1. Cook in a skillet on low heat with a tbsp of olive oil and 1-2 tbsp tamari.

2. Stir occasionally, cook until soft. Season to taste.

Herbed tofu

2 boxes firm tofu (cube, bought at Costco, can be stored in pantry until opened)

Herb seasoning (any no-salt seasoning)

Olive oil

1. On skillet on medium heat, add cubed tofu and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil.

2. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until tofu is slightly golden on edges. Lightly toss occasionally and add more olive oil to prevent tofu from sticking (or a splash of water).  Season to taste. 

Quinoa and rice mix

1 package quinoa and rice mix  (I did not use the link I attached, I used one that was in the house I was staying and forgot the name). 

1. Cook package according to directions on stove top. 

Chickpea, corn and edamame salad

1 can chickpeas

1 cup edamame

1 cup corn

Yogurt ranch dressing (or creamy dressing of your choice - I used what was in the house where I was staying)

Cracked pepper

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl (if using frozen corn and edamame like I did, you can defrost until warm and then cool in cold water and drain). 

2. Add 1-2 tbsp yogurt ranch dressing and stir until combined.

3. Season with pepper and keep in refrigerator until serving time. 

Enjoy your yummy creations by yumming with every bite. 

Remember, eating is a happy time. You should feel great while you eat and even better after you finish your meal. 

Happy Creationg Cooking!

(And yes, cooking in 110% Play Harder compression socks is very typical in the Trimarni kitchen)

Eggplant pizza, mango slaw and more!

On Saturday, my body did not disappoint me. I was actually very impressed with how my body performed with 6800 feet of climbing over 85 beautiful, hilly miles. Our ride included a 45-minute (for me), 5 mile climb to the top of Ceasers Head which has an elevation of 3215 feet. And to finish off the fun, I had a good two more hours of riding behind Karel's wheel to finish off our workout.
In the past I would have called this a training camp but now it's just part of our training, in our new backyard.
I will do a separate blog on this ride soon. In the mean time, let's eat!

After our 85-mile ride and 4 mile run, we did a little resting coupled with computer work and then it was time for some meal prep for our first house guests in Greenville!
Our friends Kristen and Trent Norris (and Trimarni athletes) came to Greenville from Charleston for their own personal Trimarni mini training camp in prep for Ironman Boulder and since nothing beats a home cooked meal, I couldn't wait to make their bellies happy after our awesome morning of training (they did a slightly shorter route of around 64 miles followed by a 15 min run).
After our workout we had our first real meal of the day (glass of milk w/ whey protein and handful granola for a recovery snack and then eggs, fresh bread and fruit for a meal for me) and then snacked throughout the afternoon before dinner. Mini carb + protein meals are best for helping the body recover and repair as oppose to one large super filling post workout meal followed by several hours of not eating.

For starters, an assortment of foods to meet the many cravings of athletes after a workout:
-Sweet cravings - fresh dates
-Salty - Pretzels and Triscuits
-Carby - fresh baguette from the local French bakery
-Crunchy - Mixed raw veggies
and hummus for dipping/spreading
 

 

Pizza makes me super happy all the time so I decided to do eggplant pizzas.

Eggplant Pizzas
2 large eggplants (cut into slices)
Panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites (slightly scrambled)
Marinara sauce
Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil (chopped)
Pepper and garlic spice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange items: plate of sliced eggplant to far right, then shallow bowl of egg whites and then shallow bowl of bread crumbs.
3. Take one eggplant and place into bowl of egg whites for a second until slightly coated (just one side) and then press into bread crumbs and then place onto non stick cooking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. Continue doing this until all eggplant slices are coated.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until breadcrumbs are slightly toasted or eggplant is soft.
5. Remove pans and spread a spoonful of sauce on each eggplant and top with a pinch of fresh basil (as much as you want) and then a few pieces of mozzarella (I just broke the cheese into pieces instead of one thick slice on top).
6. Season with your choice of seasonings (I used fresh cracked pepper and garlic powder).
7. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Instead of a salad I wanted to do a refreshing slaw that had a bit of sweetness to it.
This slaw is very versatile and you can use whatever ingredients you are in the mood for such as nuts/seeds, raisins, cranberries, dried fruit or a different flavor of yogurt. This was a delicious side to our meal. 

Mango Slaw

2 bags slaw (I purchased from Publix grocery store)
1 large mango (soft to the touch)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Pinch of salt
2 small containers of pineapple chobani 0% Greek yogurt

1. Pour slaw into a large bowl.
2. Spoon yogurt into bowl and mix with a large mixing fork until evenly combined. 

3. Add a pinch of salt (to taste) and coconut and mix.
4. Add cubed mango and combine. 

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
(best if consumed within 3 days)

My plate made me yum a lot and my belly was super happy.
For my protein I kept it simple, a black bean Morning Star veggie burger. For everyone else, Karel made baked chicken (his own recipe).
We also had a bowl of Jasmine rice w/ onions because we LOVE jasmine rice. 

And for dessert......

Fresh cold seedless watermelon and

Dark Chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joes.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, trained hard and smart and did some yumming with your own happy tummy "food is fuel and food is medicine" creations. 

Let's eat! Trimarni sushi, pomegranate banana bread and more!

Pomegranate smoothie
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 large orange (without peel)
1 large celery stick (chopped)
1/2 large banana (very ripe)
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup  milk
1/3 cup greek yogurt (Fage 0% plain)
Small handful spinach
1 tsp cinnamon
~25g protein powder
10 ice cubes
water to meet consistency needs.

1. Blend ingredients for 90 seconds to make a smoothie meal that is thick enough to eat with a spoon. 

Zucchini pomegranate banana bread
2 bananas (very ripe), mashed
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup skim milk
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup zucchini (shredded)
1 cup pomegranate seeds.
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup oat flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8 x 1 1/2 inch pans with non stick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients except flour and mix well.
3. Add the flour until evenly combined.
4. Pour batter in one pan until 3/4th filled. Pour leftover batter in other pan (will make a thinner bread for pan #2).
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes. 

Mixed greens salad w/ fresh fruit and pistachiosMixed greens with pistachios, pomegranate, avocado, raspberries, apples, orange pepper, chives, purple onion, edamame and Parmesan topped with olive oil and a side of bakery fresh bread.

Avocado Sushi
Wild rice (cooked)
Sauteed onions and mushrooms (in oven or skillet - tossed in a little olive oil) or raw
Avocado - chopped

1. Take seaweed "paper" and lay flat on plate.
2. On 1/2 of paper, spread with semi warm rice. Top with onions, avocado and mushrooms.
3. Roll seaweed into roll and enjoy. 

Taco saladMixed greens, avocado, onion, green and red pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, salsa, pinto beans and carrots topped with crumbles chips (from Miami 70.3 travel home stop at Moe's) and a side of cottage cheese.

Why I love my real food diet: It is not a mass marketed diet fad, temporary change or extreme approach. It's real food in a balanced way that fuels life and reduces risk for disease....and it tastes great!
Happy eating!

Fueling oatmeal creation, wild rice side dish and pre-race dinner

 

While at our friends house (Stefanie and Kenny Swanger) from Thursday evening until Saturday (for our race - which I will be writing our race report soon), we enjoyed lots of delicious food creations. Seeing that Stefanie has been a long-time nutrition and coaching athlete, and Kenny is an amazing cook, we are always incredibly spoiled in our belly's when we go to visit them for a race in Georgia.

 

To start off the morning before a pre-ride warm-up on the Rock N' Rollman race course, we both enjoyed a delicious oatmeal creation. Stefanie and Kenny set up their kitchen like an oatmeal buffet with all the fixings on the counter and us to create something delicious.

 

I measured out 40grams of oatmeal on their scale (150 calories) to ensure I was getting enough to meet my needs for the morning. I then added 1/2 large banana (sliced) + 3 large strawberries (sliced) and a little each of cinnamon, PB2 (chocolate kind - delicious) and ground flax seeds. I mixed it with milk and just a tad of water and voila - a delicious Trimarni creation. I added some of my homemade trail mix granola (granola + peanuts and sunflower seeds) on top for a little cold crunch on the warm oatmeal. My belly was super happy and it did what it needed to do - it keep me satisfied and fueled for the morning activities.

 

On Wednesday, I made a trip to Whole Foods to buy several items from bulk (nuts, seeds, granola) for our trip to Macon and as usual, I just love buying whole grains and coming up with a delicious creation for them. The wild rice really caught my eye as it was so beautiful in it's unrefined form. I LOVE wild rice because it has a great nutty taste to it and mixes well in stir fry's or on top of a salad.

 

 

Since I was planning to fill our bodies with medicine (salad) that evening as the main part of our meal, I decided to do the rice as a side dish, combined with steamed  broccoli and veggie crumbles and after it was prepared, I topped it with a little asiago cheese. If you are trying to make dietary changes, I encourage you to not try to eliminate food...especially food that can be beneficial to your workout routine and overall health. Wild rice is a good source of carbohydrates to help keep your body energized and without added sodium or preservatives or food coloring, you can't go wrong with this type of carb. It contains protein and dietary fiber to help keep you satisfied. You will never find yourself "missing" out on anything while having a salad as the main part of your meal for having a side dish of whole grains is the best compliment to create a balanced meal - instead of making the "carb" or starch the main part of the meal, which often leads to people blaming "carbs" and starches for weight gain due to oversized portions.  Wild rice also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B9 as well as iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and magnesium. No need to pop pills when you can get your vitamins and minerals from real food. Plus, I absolutely love cheese that is so tasteful that you only need a little to be satisfied. Asiago cheese does just that as you can't eat a lot of it at once for it has just enough salt taste to cure your cravings and it is so delicious that you have no choice but to savor a little of it.

For cooking rice, you want to first rinse the rice. Generally, the ratio is 1 cup of rice + 3 cups of water. Boil the rice over high heat. Once the water level drops and the rice is visible, turn the heat to low and allow the rice to steam for 30 to 45 minutes. I usually keep my rice covered while cooking.

For serving sizes as a side dish, I recommend 1/2 - 1 cup of rice + ~1/2 cup veggie crumbles (or around 2 ounces protein of your choice) + broccoli (your choice of amount)  + 2 thin slices of asiago cheese.

 

For our pre race dinner at the Swangers, we kept it light and simple. Easy to digest, delicious and the right balance to keep us fueled for race day (Especially with a 4am wake up call).

 

 

When I work with athletes on race week/day nutrition as well as sport nutrition for training, it's important that I recognize that every athlete is different. We all train for different events at different intensities and our bodies are unlike our training buddies. Nerves, stress and sleep can all affect appetite and your relationship with food and individual fitness needs can also affect your dietary choices. Therefore, although the science is there in terms of how to eat before a race, I don't believe that there is a cause and effect - one size fits all (especially when research is often in a controlled setting) with how you eat before a race and how you will perform on race day. There are things to reduce (fat/fiber) as well as emphasize (carbs with a little protein) but in terms of what you choose to eat, this will always vary. My pre-race, happy tummy meal always includes a sweet potato and veggies and a little protein. I do bread and rice as well on the day before the race if it is available.

 

Kenny prepared chicken for Karel as well as all the other items on my plate. It was so absolutely delicious!

-Sautéed asparagus and mushrooms with sesame seeds (thinking back, every time I Have had asparagus before a race, I have done very well - perhaps my new good-luck food :).

-Hard boiled egg and cottage cheese - for protein.

-Salad with bell peppers and avocado with a little shredded cheese - topped with balsamic and olive oil.

-Sweet potato with cinnamon and a little butter.

-Sliced potatoes (Karel isn't a sweet potato lover like me so he typically does white potato or rice pre-race but I am happy to enjoy both).

 

I finished the dinner satisfied, around 6:30pm and felt energized and ready for a good night sleep before the race.

 

My secrets to long workout eats

What a beautiful weekend! The highlight of my weekend was being on my bike for 4 hours/80 miles on Saturday morning with the wind gusty like normal and meeting up with a group ride filled with fast guys with big ego's (or a lot of testosterone - or both). There were two other females on the ride and they were impressive as well. I didn't  have the legs to rotate as just drafting was enough for me. It hurt so good :)

After I warmed up, did the ~90 min group ride and after little extra "social" time with friends for ~20 minutes, I finished the workout with 4 x 10 min Z3 low w/ 5 min EZ spin in between. To cool down, Z2 steady effort (I tried keeping my cadence steady but so hard for my legs at that point + the wind would not let up) until I was back at my starting point.

It's interesting that as I progress with my journey of living a balanced lifestyle, my body is typically in a happy place most days of the week. My life doesn't revolve around working out or food but instead, both are balanced in a way that I am excited to wake up with energy and finish the day satisfied that I can do it all again tomorrow.

As an athlete, I know all about exercise-induced cravings especially when training for longer distance races. I welcome these cravings as I rarely get cravings within my normal diet. As much as I love veggies and fruit and other staples in my diet, my body doesn't seem to "crave" anything in a "I have to have it NOW" type of way. Maybe that is due to a diet that is centered around satisfying and balanced meals (filled with variety) as I have taught myself to rely less on snacking to keep me satisfied and energized but instead the composition of my meals. Maybe it is due to balanced meals and having enough protein and fat to slow down digestion of carbohydrates. Perhaps maybe those cravings are lessened due to my growing appreciation to sport nutrition and how nutrient timing can be a wonderful thing to an athlete or fitness enthusiast with health and fitness related goals. Regardless of the reason, I may not crave foods on a daily basis but with longer training sessions, there are often times when a specific food is the only thing that will make me feel even better than I do after a quality workout.

I wanted to share a few of my secrets to maintaining a "healthy" diet (however you would like to define this) while training for a sport. I do not feel that we need to compromise our health by giving into all exercise-induced cravings (as we all know sometimes they can be quite extreme and indulging and not always performance-enhancing beneficial) but at the same time, there are a few ways that you can still enjoy balanced meals all while re-fueling with some of your favorite cravable foods. As an athlete, I understand how it can be to eat around others. Some people believe that as athletes we have the freedom and luxury to eat whatever we want because we can burn it off in training. Despite having a little more wiggle room due to our calorie burn, we aren't professional athletes and we still have to fuel in a way that encourages consistent training. Additionally, some people may say as an athlete you eat "too healthy" and I find that is often an issue for individuals who worry about eating around workouts due to wanting to burn calories for weight loss. Certainly, without the right fuels we can't adapt to training stress and create a stronger, more metabolically efficient (and injury free) body. So don't worry about what others tell you to do or think of you, worry about yourself and your own nutritional needs.  Enjoy!

Side not: one of the most beautiful things in my diet is that I have no restrictions in terms of calories. I welcome food that can give my body nutrients and so I am not limited as to what I can't eat because I am afraid of calories. On the flip side, I don't go overboard and feel the need to reward myself with anything and everything because I earned it. I don't like how I feel when I overeat (I only had to experience this a few times to learn from it and now I act before I have to react) so I listen to my body and eat until I am satisfied (on a hunger scale 1-10, 10 being uncomfortably stuffed, I eat until I am a 7-8 and I start a meal being hungry but not weak, lightheaded or famished). I also don't like how I feel when I can't have a quality workout because I am underfueled. Learn how to see food for nutritional value and tweak the diet so that you are eating in a way that you have energy before and during your workouts, you recover quickly after a workout and you feel nourished throughout the day. Then snack with a purpose.

Beans and Rice

Who doesn't love the ease and yumminess of rice? While eating out, rice can be super heavy in sodium and portions are ginormous. Store-bought? Even the boxed version can be high in sodium. Either buy plain rice (ex. wild rice and brown rice in picture or your favorite grain/pasta) and season to your liking with fresh herbs and spices or 1/4 flavor package in box is what I recommend. Decide on a serving that will make you happy - perhaps 1/2 -  1 cup for starters (cooked). Then top with your favorite veggies and as I always say, look forward to something in the meal. Maybe a little cheese, crumble some chips on top or spoon some of your fav marinara sauce or salsa on top. Don't limit yourself from this flavor overload creation as this can be a great meal later in the day after a long workout to help you recover and still get in those awesome vitamins and minerals. I recommend sauté veggies in a little olive oil to soak up fat soluble vitamins. Also, canned beans, lentils, chickpeas are quick and easy. Give a rinse for ~1 minute to reduce ~30-50% sodium from the can (or pre-make from raw beans).

Pasta and veggies

I consider myself more of a pizza lover whereas Karel is a pasta lover. Good thing for both of us in that we can always enjoy Italian food either in or out of the home. There's nothing I love more than traveling somewhere new and finding out where I can find the best local brick-oven pizzeria.

Just like with rice, it's easy to over do it with Italian food - high in sodium, portions and sometimes fat. So you have two options - use a small bowl and portion control to 2-3 ounces or use a large bowl and pack with veggies. This meal should sit well and should not leave you hungry for more after consuming the recommended portion of pasta so add in a little protein (3-4 ounces animal protein, lean or ~20-25g plant based protein) and drizzle a little olive oil on your veggies to help slow down digestion. Pass on the bread as the pasta will do the trick to refuel and fuel your body and will allow you an opportunity in a few hours to refuel again (perhaps a light snack of 1 slice bread w/ 2-3 tsp nut butter and banana slices, dates  and cinnamon topped with 1-2 spoonfuls yogurt as a snack instead of stuffing yourself with pasta and not eating again for 6+ hours, thus causing blood sugar to drop and missing opportunities to nourish and refuel?).  What pasta do I recommend - I do like the higher fiber options but the whole wheat is not yummy to my liking (nor Karel). We prefer whole grain or the regular pasta/noodles and then to add more fiber, serve a salad as the main course (pasta on the side) and for protein, take your pick from your favorites. I recommend to avoid high fat proteins before or after long workouts as the protein/fat takes a while to digest and before racing (nigh before meal) we want moderate protein and low fat/low fiber with our carb selections.

I used a new kind of pasta which I discovered after a parent of one of the young swimmer athletes that I work with on nutrition (daily and sport) asked me my thoughts on it. The downside is that although you get 1 serving of veggies with each serving, the serving size is 4 ounces (not 2). But the taste is great - not starchy and slimy like some whole wheat pastas and although it is semolina based, you can not taste "veggies" but instead it tastes like a regular pasta. I also like that it is fortified with iron and folate. Instead of bulking up on more pasta at meal tim, throw in some veggies with your marinara sauce and bulk up the meal to become more plant strong. Bowl of veggies with pasta on top sounds good to me!

Crunchy salad

I don't see anything wrong with wanting veggies after a workout. But certainly, veggies won't cut it for refueling and repairing damaged tissues. It's amazing how many athletes will go a full weekend without eating more than 2-3 servings of veggies due to those constant salty/sugary/crunchy cravings after long workouts. I love helping athletes learn how to incorporate more veggies into the diet on long training weekends without compromising performance. If anything, more veggies = stronger immune system for more consistent workouts.

I have been known to crumble chips or granola on my salads just to give it a little crunch. I don't eat snacks from a box or a bag and if we have snacky food in the house, it usually takes weeks to months to consume (or gets stale so we have to throw it out which is something I rarely do in that I don't like to throw away food) so instead, I find a way to incorporate whatever I want that is not emphasized in my daily diet, into my diet on occasion.

This weekend I needed to re-fill my water bottle after my long bike workout and at the gas station, this bag (which is 4 servings if you find yourself eating the entire "small bag") was just needing a home...so I gave it one.

I try to not think of weekend eating as breakfast, lunch and dinner because my morning workouts typically start in around 7-7:30 thus no breakfast but instead a pre-training snack. Finishing around 10-1 depending on the workout, it is nearing "lunch" time but of course I haven't had a meal yet for the day and before my first meal, I have a recovery drink or shake. Like many of you, I LOVE "breakfast' style foods after training so I may eat French toast w/ eggs or pancakes with my smoothie around 12 or 1 as my first meal but knowing I still need to keep refueling throughout the day, I don't think of my day as I need to get in two more meals but instead, making sure I nourish my body and keep blood sugar from dropping by eating every few hours and not overeating at any one time. I enjoy some type of veggie dish in the afternoon - I suppose it can be like a meal but not super calorie dense because I typically have a meal around 4:30-6 (I honor my hunger, I don't watch the clock so my eating times vary on the weekends for meals).

This creation was a bed of dark greens topped with sautéed leftover veggies w/ brown/wild rice (thank goodness for leftovers on the weekend!) and grilled tofu topped with shredded cheese and a handful Chex Mix. The perfect combo to leave me satisfied and fueled.

The key with meal planning on the weekends is to not overlook the importance of your sport nutrition. So many issues like cravings, fatigue, mood changes, sore muscles, etc. can be reduced or eliminated by working on your nutrition before during and after your workouts. Think about when you body is under the most stress as that is the time when it needs fuel the most. You can reward your body in so many ways after a workout but perhaps, thanking it for what it allows you to do is best achieved with real food....that tastes awesome.