More Run Fast Eat Slow recipes - Yummy carbs!

I can't believe it. We are now under 4 weeks away from the start of our first Trimarni camp of 2017 in Clermont, FL, which means that we will be racing our first triathlon of the season (Olympic distance) in just 4 weeks! And then three weeks later, Karel and I will be returning back to Florida to race the Ironman Haines City 70.3 event as our first endurance event of 2017.

To keep us well fueled, healthy and happy, I have been keeping our house filled with carbohydrates. In addition to making sure that our fridge always has some type of cooked grain/rice/potato assortment in it, I've been making good use of my Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook as there are so many delicious recipes that are perfect for helping us meet our daily carb intake. Plus, we love carbs so it's not that difficult for me to get excited to make something new.

I tried out two new recipes from the cookbook and I think you will just love them. Of course, I had to make another loaf of the banana bread.

Enjoy!

(All recipes are from the cookbook. However, the ingredients listed are with my modifications.)

We love having muffins in our house - homemade, that is. I love that this recipe includes zucchini and carrots to bump up the nutritional value of each muffin. The chocolate chips and walnuts give it a nice texture (and yummy taste) and the muffins are not too dense - just moist enough to yum with every bite. 

Superhero muffinsPg. 42


INGREDIENTS

2 cups gluten free flour (or almond meal)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups (I sprayed the tin with non stick sprayed and ended up with 17 muffins instead of 12 as I filled each 3/4th full instead of to the brim).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, walnuts and chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrots, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4th full. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. About 25-30 minutes.

Let's get real. Pancakes are amazing. I can't imagine my life without pancakes. My dad loved pancakes so every time I eat one, I think of him.
Pancakes taste great after a hard or long workout but they are also amazingly good for brinner or for breakfast, on a recovery day. I love pancakes as they provide a great source of carbohydrates and a fluffy base to dress up with yogurt, syrup, butter, nut butter, berries and anything that your taste-buds desire.
Having pancakes pre-made is such a great feeling when you finish a long or hard workout and you know that homemade pancakes are ready for you and you don't have to spend 20+ minutes mixing together ingredients and flipping pancakes on a skillet.
These pancakes came out really fluffy and they offer a nice pumpkin taste that isn't too overpowering. This recipe made ~23 pancakes so I kept about 15 in the fridge and froze the rest. 

TEFF PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Pg. 44

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups teff flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp nutmeg (it called for pumpkin spice but I used nutmeg)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk (it also called for 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt but I left that out as I didn't have any - still turned out ok!)
2 tbsp sugar (It called for 2 tbsp honey but I used sugar instead)
(it called for currants or raisins but I left those out since I wanted to make these plain - more fun for dressing up later!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the teff flour, baking powder, nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, (yogurt if using) and sugar (or honey). Pour over the dry mixture and stir until just combined. 

3. Fold in the currants/raisins if using.
4. Heat a stove-top griddle or skillet over medium-low heat (I used two skillets so that I could make more at the same time). Use oil for brushing the pan.
5. Ladle a heaping spoonful of the batter into the hot pain. Cook the pancakes on one side until the bottom starts to brown, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side until nicely browned and cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Continue with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.
(The book recommends to place the pancakes in the toaster to reheat from the freezer - great idea!) 

We are just loving this banana bread recipe - it's oh-so-good. I prefer my bananas on the yellow side but now, it makes me excited to see my bananas get brown spots as I have a recipe to use them for! 

For the recipe: banana bread. 

In this recent creation (picture above), I used walnuts and raisins and it was so good! 

Weekend training recap: Miles covered and food consumed

On Friday morning, I got in a light strength session, followed by a 25 minute EZ treadmill run before heading to the airport to pick up Trimarni athlete Stephanie, from Tampa, who was in town for a quick 48 hours for a RETUL fit by Karel. I was really looking forward to spending some time with Stephanie, especially since she loves food and swimming, like me!

It doesn't take much persuading to gather together a group of Trimarnis for a group ride but I promised the Greenville Trimarnis that I would make banana bread to enjoy with smoothies, for after our group ride on Saturday. I knew if I made the bread on Thursday, there would be a great chance that it would not make it to Saturday (and instead, it would end up in my belly). Instead, on Thursday evening, I made a delicious loaf of ginger molasses bread, which was perfect for breakfast on Friday morning.

Ginger Molasses Quick Bread

Pg. 182 from Run Fast Eat Slow

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup dark rye flour, whole wheat or spelt flour (I used spelt)

1 inch knob fresh ginger peeeled and grated, or 1 tsp ground (I used ground0

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

 1 cup whole milk yogurt (I used 0% Greek as that is what I had in my fridge)

1/2 cup molasses

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I used salted)

1/4 cup golden raisins (I used black)

1 tsp orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with butter. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. 

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, molasses, butter, raisins, and orange zest. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to bring the batter together. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick. 

4. Pour into the loaf pan and bake until a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. 

5. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow to cool completely prior to slicing. 

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

After Stephanie got herself situated, it was time to head to Furman for a swim (around 11:30am). I looked at the swim workout on paper and thought, "this isn't too bad". Ha! I was SO wrong.

Stephanie is a fast swimmer so it was nice for me to be pushed in the water. Karel held his own in the next lane and he swam super strong, just coming in a few seconds behind us for each part of the main set.

WU: 300

Pre set: 8 x 50's kick with fins

MS:

100 at 65% w/ 15 sec rest

2 x 100s at 70% w/ 10 sec rest

300 at 70% w/ 30 sec rest

4 x 100's at 80% w/ 45 sec rest

500 at 80% w/ 45 sec rest

6 x100's at 85% w/ 5 sec rest

700 at 85% w/ 1 min rest

8 x 100's at 90% w/ 5 sec rest

We had a hard time holding ourselves back so I am pretty sure all the 100's were 85-100%!

After our workout, I made a beautiful salad. And no, we didn't just eat salad after that mega swim.

We also had fresh bread and quinoa for carbohydrates and Karel made a tuna mix for him and Stephanie and I had cottage cheese for our protein (Stephanie also enjoyed Karel's tuna mix).

In the afternoon, I got to work on the computer and Stephanie got her RETUL fit by Karel. The fit took a bit longer than expected as Karel had to do some mechanic work on her bike to ensure that everything was dialed in. We had planned a short late afternoon spin after the fit, but we were unable to get on the bikes as we ran out of daylight. Instead, Campy got a nice walk before dinner

Dinner was ahhhmazing. I made a shredded apple, apple vinegar and olive oil (with a little mustard) dressing to toss in a broccoli slaw, to serve with basmati rice and marinara and cheese stuffed mushrooms. I made tempeh for my protein and Karel and Stephanie had chicken (Stephanie and Karel also had some of my tempeh). 

We relaxed in the evening after dinner after making a loaf of banana bread for the Trimarnis after our Saturday workout.

We don't always plan group workouts with our Greenville athletes but when we do, we like to have fun. Seeing that most of our Gville Trimarni athletes are parents, we feel it is important to balance the outside long bike workouts with quality indoor bike sessions. Therefore, when we have an athlete in town or we feel the timing is right, we encourage our Trimarnis to get outside and ride with us. While it doesn't happen all the time, it's a great opportunity to see them in action and we always have so much fun. Although our roads are super bike friendly, we do enjoy having safety in numbers. 

For our Saturday morning ride, we had Dana, Meredith, Stephanie, Bryan, Al, Thomas, Chris and Karel. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that it was just around 32 degrees when we started the ride at 9am and the high on Saturday was only mid 40's!! But thankfully, the sun was out and we all dressed appropriately. 

We were so proud of Stephanie for riding so strong on our challenging terrain. She was extremely attentive to our suggestions with her gears and managing the terrain. We did have a few delays in our ride, like a broken chain and a flat tire, but they didn't add on too much time to our 3 hour ride.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the cars animals were out enjoying the crisp air.  

I had told Stephanie that our roads do not have shoulders were we ride so she saw first hand that we literally share the road with the cars. 

All smiles for 3 hours and over 3600 feet of climbing. 

We didn't have a route picked out for the ride but instead, Karel was the leader and he just let his bike pick the route as we rode along. We just love where we live as there are so many different routes for riding! 

Although the ride was "endurance", it was not an easy ride due to all the punchy climbs for the last hour. 

But, the mountain views make it all worth it. 

After the ride, it was a quick transition (and hello to Campy) at Trimarni HQ before heading off for a 25 minute run. 

And if you were wondering, our running routes are just as hilly as our biking routes. 

Karel ran with Al, Bryan and Thomas and I stayed with Stephanie, Meredith, Dana and Chris.

Although we all had tired legs from the ride, everyone ran really well. 

Perhaps it was this goodness that was to be devoured after the 3.5 hour workout that motivated the Gville Trimarnis. 

After the workout, everyone came inside our house and as promised, I made everyone berry chocolate Clif protein recovery smoothies (with milk) along with my homemade granola chunks and fresh, warm banana bread. Let's just say that there was nothing left of the banana bread and the granola was happily enjoyed with the smoothies. Happy bellies for everyone!

I was a bit tired in the afternoon but I had to get some work done on the computer so I rested on the couch with Stephanie (while I worked) for a little bit before taking Campy for a long walk and then getting ready for dinner.

Seeing that we rarely eat out, we just LOVE heading downtown for dinner when we have company in town (or it's a special occasion). We invited our Trimarnis to join so we had a nice group for dinner at Pomegranate On Main (one of my fav downtown Greenville restaurants). We first walked around downtown for about 30 minutes to show off our amazing downtown to Stephanie and then headed to the restaurant for our 6pm reservation. I just love the vegetarian options on this Persian menu but I went with the special, which was a mushroom, bean and spinach stew served alongside basmati rice. 

Karel ordered the Shish Kabob which included marinated cuts of tenderloin, eggplant, mushroom, bell pepper, pineapple, zucchini, onion and tomato, along with basmati rice with lime and dill.

In typical Karel fashion, he was full after dinner but somehow, had room for dessert next door at Blueberry Frog. I always joke with Karel that he has this special compartment in his stomach that is reserved for something sweet, no matter how full he feels after a meal. Karel has sweet teeth (not just a sweet tooth). 

On Sunday morning, I woke up to an alarm to take Stephanie to the airport (on her birthday!!) and it was sad to say goodbye to her, but, we will meet again at our Clermont camp in mid March. Although her trip was short, it was a great investment to come to Greenville so that she could get a professional fit by Karel to ensure that her bike was all dialed in for her upcoming season of training and racing. 

After I returned home, I was super sleepy so I went back to bed for for 90 minutes to get myself fully rested before my long run on the treadmill.

My run was challenging but in a good way as it required a lot of focus.

30 minute warm-up

MS: 6 x 10 minutes as (3 min steady, 2 min strong, 3 min steady, 2 min strong, 1 min rest)

Then cool down

Total: 1:42

Karel ran outside for 2 hours and did a similar main set.

We typically swim on Sunday afternoon but we were tired and felt we would get nothing out of the swim so we stayed home and stayed busy with some work that we needed to get done.

What a great weekend of eating and training, filled with great people and lots of miles in and around Greenville, SC!

Weekend recap: FOOD! (recipes from Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook)

Oh the things I do for performance gains. Good sleep, proper recovery, mobility work and eating!! Seeing that food is fuel, it should be no added extra to your day to make sure that good food gets inside your body in order to give you energy and to nourish your many working systems. Cooking should not be seen as a chore, like cleaning your bathroom or taking out the trash. Sure, it's something on your to-do list but it is a skill that should be learned and appreciated through all the years of life.

For me, I love to eat the food that I cook and I love eating the food that Karel cooks but I also love being inspired by food that is prepared by others. I really enjoying trying new creations but more than anything, I love real food. I really value where food comes from, the effort that goes into preparing a meal, the presentation of a meal and knowing the purpose of the meal (nourishment, fuel or pleasure). Cooking is a process and although it does involve time, patience and effort, there's absolutely no reason why any athlete should not enjoy cooking.

My hope is that you will make the effort to spend a bit more time in your day to cook your food. Seeing that you are so busy, try to utilize your weekend and be creative with your time during the week. Considering that you are overburdened with work, squeezing in time for training early morning or late at night (or on your lunch break) and still making time for your family, spouse/significant other and friends, it's no wonder that you feel "too busy to cook." But the truth is that you can't expect "cooking more" to just happen. It's a lifestyle habit that you have to work at and make time for. It has to be part of your day, with no excuses getting in your way.

Remember why it is important to cook. Because it's a skill that keeps your body well, it's a responsibility to your body as an athlete and when YOU are in charge of the ingredients, you are more likely to eat better and feel better. 

GINGER MOLASSES GRANOLA

Adapted from pg. 54

Not only do you save money by making your own granola but your house will smell AHHmazing when this delicious crunchiness is ready. I love adding granola to my pre-workout snack or to my yogurt. Plus, it's great for those high volume workout days when you need to pack in some nutrients with energy dense foods but you don't want to lose the nutritional value of those extra calories. Blackstrap molasses is a great source of iron for vegetarians and a great addition to the diet for athletes due to its nutritional value.

Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (provides your body with a dose of iron, B6 and magnesium)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, seeds, raisins, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a small microwavable bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey and molasses and microwave on low until slightly melted.
4. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined. 

5. Spread out in a smooth thick layer on the baking sheet. Bake and stir every 15 minutes (I set the timer to remind me to stir every 15 minutes). Bake for 45 minutes. Granola will be moist at the end of baking but will turn crunchy. (After 45 minutes, I removed from the oven and covered with a towel and kept it out overnight and it turned nice and crunchy). 

Cranberry Orange and Chocolate Pomegranate Scones

In case you were wondering, scones will not make themselves. Karel provided me with this ground breaking information as my hint to refill our scone container as it was empty after a few days from my first batch. No surprise, Karel loved the lemon blueberry scones that I made so I decided to change things up a bit with the add-ins. I used the same Lemon Blueberry scone recipe from pg 59 of the book but instead of using lemons and blueberries I added dried cranberries (about a handful) and a splash of orange juice. For the chocolate pomegranate scones I used a handful of frozen pomegranate seeds and a handful of chocolate chips. YUM!

RECOVERY QUINOA SALAD
Pg. 99

The picture of this salad in the cookbook looked oh-so-good so I could not wait to make this dish. Karel and I were invited over to my friend's/athlete's house, Meredith for a pizza party with the Greenville Trimarnis on Saturday evening and I was told to bring something healthy. I figured this had all the ingredients for something healthy to go along with a yummy slice (or two) of pizza and a cookie from our neighbor Joey for dessert. Although this is named a recovery salad, I won't be eating this too close before or after a workout due to all the roughage in the salad but it's a filling, crisp and flavorful meal option to bump up the nutrients in your diet, perfect for lunch time. Plus, how colorful is this salad? It will definitely be a show-stopper at a party/event or when you bring your lunch to work.

Ingredients1 cup quinoa
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups loosely packed, finely chopped kale, stems removed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Jalapeno chili pepper, finely chopped, wear plastic gloves when handling (I removed this since I was bringing this to a party)

1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup lime juice (I used 1/4 cup lime juice and the rest fresh squeezed lemon juice)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup olive oil)
1 avocado, sliced (I didn't have a ripe avocado :(
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (it called for toasted and I used sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup grated Cotija, crumbled feta or chopped olives (I omitted the cheese since we were having lots of cheese on our pizza)

Directions1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the quinoa, 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool. 

2. Once cool, add the kale, red bell pepper, chile pepper, onion, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt to the quinoa and toss to combine. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, top with the avocado slices, pumpkin seeds and the cheese or olives.

Healthy, delicious homemade banana bread

I love bananas. Karel calls me a monkey.
I certainly didn't take after my mom who has a slight banana allergy but instead, my dad just loved his daily banana (or two).

It's no surprise that I would love banana bread simple because it contains bananas. Plus, I hate wasting food so when my yellow bananas turn spotty, throwing them in the freezer for a future smoothie is a great option but I can't go wrong with making them the star ingredient in banana bread.

I'm still having so much fun with my Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook and I was literally waiting all week for my bananas to turn very ripe so that I could make the Spelt banana bread recipe on pg. 183 of the book. 

To learn more about Spelt, you can read more here. 

Spelt is an ancient form of wheat (cultivated since 5000 BC) and contains much less gluten than wheat so it may be tolerable for those who are gluten intolerant (but it should be avoided by those who have Celiac disease). 

Like many other grains, spelt contains fiber and protein, along with iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, selenium, B vitamins and folic acid.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. It is super moist and satisfying with just enough sweetness to excite your taste buds.
I adapted the recipe from the cookbook and modified the ingredients just slightly. 

Spelt Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or gluten free flour)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 stick salted butter (Plugra or Kerrygold are our favorite butter brands)
1/4 cup brown sugar (yep - that's it!)
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas (mashed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Handful of unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray to grease a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (or use butter).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter and sugar on low until combined. Add the eggs and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add the bananas and vanilla and beat just until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the nuts.
5. Pour into the loaf pan and shake the pan to spread out the batter evenly. Sprinkle the top with coconut if using.  Bake in the center of the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (about 50-60 minutes). 

6. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use a knife around the edges to loosen and to carefully remove the loaf.

ENJOY!!! 

Weekend recap: FOOD (from Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook)

Karel and I take our eating just as seriously as our training.

In other words, without counting calories, measuring food or recording/logging what we eat, we make a conscious effort every day to use food for nourishment, disease prevention and for fuel, while timing our nutrition with our training to best adapt to training stress. We do not have an off-limit food list, we never feel deprived, stuffed or guilty when eating, processed food IS consumed and we even eat gluten, dairy and sugar.  

What a refreshing statement seeing that so many athletes struggle with developing a healthy relationship with food and the body.

Having said all this, like any human being, creating a sustainable, enjoyable and healthy style of eating is always a work on progress. A typical week of eating for me is very different than how I ate 10 years ago and how I ate when I was a teenager. Even though I have been a vegetarian for almost 25 years, my definition of "healthy" eating has changed every year and it continues to evolve based on my love of cooking and trying new food creations. 

As someone who gets inspired by food pictures but feels overwhelmed and stressed when looking at a list of ingredients and instructions to follow, I have never been one to follow a recipe in a cookbook. That is, until I was given the Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook by Trimarni athlete Adam and his wife Taylor as a gift. As a Board Certified RD, health conscious individual and 11 year endurance triathlete, I am not only enjoying reading this cookbook but following the recipes (I still tweak the recipes a bit :)

I feel like this cookbook is a game changer for any athlete who wants to eat a more real food, varied diet. Why? Because the recipes are not only delicious but the ingredients are versatile. This cookbook does not prescribe to any diet fads but instead, includes a variety of starches, grains, oils, vegetables and proteins with plenty of gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy free options depending on your dietary needs. 

I am having so much fun in the kitchen with this cook book and absolutely loving incorporating even more real food into our diet. For any athlete who feels like your eating strategies are based on calories, dietary trends, isolated food groups or restriction, I feel that this book will inspire you to eat in a more nourishing way, tasting food, eating mindfully and intuitively and above all, enjoying the fruits of your labor in the kitchen. 

And above all, I encourage you to eat a more varied, real food diet and to reduce the amount of convenient and heavily processed food in your typical eating regime. Spend more time in the kitchen with yourself, your kids or your spouse.

Need some real food inspiration?

Here are a few recipes that we enjoyed this past weekend.

(Note, I copied the recipes from the book but also omitted what I did/didn't do/use and added my notes. For example, many of the recipes call for toasted nuts or coconut and I did not toast the nuts before using them in the recipe). 

Moroccan Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Couscous

Pg. 96

Ingredients: 

1 cup dried green lentils, sorted and rinsed

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3 medium carrots, peeled and grated

2 cups loosely packed chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 cup chopped pistachios or almonds

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup pitted, chopped kalamata olives (I don't care for olives so I left this out)

1 tbsp ras el hanout, Moroccan spice blend (1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp cumin + 1/4 tsp ground black pepper)

5 cups cauliflower couscous

Dressing: Maple-Dijon Apple Cider vinaigrette

Instructions: 

1. Place the lentils in medium pot, add salt and cover with 2 inches of water (my leftover tip: Double this portion of lentils). Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, but not mushy, 25-30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. 

2. Place the carrots, kale, nuts, apricots, olives and spice in a large bowl. 

3. Add the cauliflower couscous (see recipe below) and lentils and toss until evenly combined.

4. Add 2/3rds of the dressing (see recipe below), toss and taste. Add more dressing to taste, if needed. 

5. Cover the salad and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. 

To make cauliflower couscous (pg 156)

1 large head cauliflower (1.5-2 lbs)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Quarter the cauliflower head and cut off the individual florets. In a food processor (I use the Ninja Master Food Prep), place the florets, filling only halfway and pulse several times until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and continue with the remaining florets until all resemble couscous size granules.

2. In large skillet set over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the cauliflower, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continuously until cauliflower is soft but still crisp (about 3 minutes). 

To make Maple-Dijon Apple Cider Vinaigrette (pg 173)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 shallot, minced

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the oil, vinegar, syrup, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.

For a creamy vinaigrette, omit the syrup and instead, add 2 tbsp tahini.

The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the oil solidified, briefly microwave on low until melted. 

Cashew Pesto
Pg. 67
(Original recipe was an arugula cashew pesto but since I eat so much arugula in my daily diet, I omitted the arugula and just made the cashew pesto instead. The recipe called for 2 cups tightly packed arugula)

Ingredients

1 cup cashews or walnuts (I used cashews)

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 or 2 cloves garlic (I used 2 and it was very garlicky - which we like!)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp white miso paste (I couldn't find this at the grocery so I omitted it)

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions1. In a food processor, combine the nuts, (arugula), Parmesan an garlic. Process until coarsely chopped. Add the oil, miso, lemon juice and zest. Process until desired consistency is reached.

2. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

3. To make a sauce (thinner consistency) just add more olive oil, broth or water.

You can add this to a sandwich, wrap or pita, toss in a salad or add on top of boiled potatoes. 

Giddy-up Energy Bites
Pg. 57

Ingredients

12 large Medjool dates, pitted

1 cup dried unsweetened cherries (I used dried apricots)

1 cup raw chopped walnuts

1/4 cup unsalted almond butter

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp finely ground coffee beans

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt when I cook as it contains iodine)

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

1. In a food processor, combine the dates, cherries, walnuts, almond butter, cocoa powder, coffee and salt. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients and then process on high speed for 1-2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beneath the blade with a spatula. Process until the ingredients clump together. 

2. Empty the contents into a medium bowl. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 24-walnut-size balls and roll each ball in the coconut (I combined the coconut into the blender and omitted this step of rolling the balls in the coconut).

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month or in freezer for 6 months. 

A great snack before an early morning workout. Just be mindful of how well (or not so well) dried fruit digests in your belly before a workout). 

Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Scones
Pg. 59 - Karel's new favorite pre-workout snack!

Ingredients1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 /2 tsp fine sea salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (I used 0% Greek yogurt as it was what I had in the fridge)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup frozen blueberries

Instructions
1. Position rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it's the size of peas.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries. The dough will be thick and sticky.
5. Drop the batter in large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet in the shape of a triangle. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Bake until lightly browns on bottoms, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. 

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Double Chocolate Teff Cookies

pg. 187 (I didn't have Teff flour so I used gluten-free all purpose flour)

These are SO good. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. Vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

3/4 cup teff flour  (I used GF flour)

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 60% Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (I used pink H. salt)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (I used canola oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla and stir just until combined. For a more tender cookie, cover the batter and refrigerate overnight prior to baking (I didn't do this last step - Karel was anxious to try these cookies!).

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Drop the batter by heaping tbsp 1 inch apart on the baking sheet (our cookies were a little bigger :)

5. Bake in the center of the oven until the bottoms are lightly brown. 12 minutes. Let the cookies cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

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I am excited to try out more recipes next weekend. Except for the scones - Karel is asking for more ASAP! I think this time I will change up the ingredients and make cranberry orange scones.

For now, we have a lot of leftovers to enjoy (the best part about cooking!).