Broccoli slaw tahini stir fry - batch cooking

Batch cooking is a life saver.
If you are an athlete, you know the feeling post-workout when you are hungry and two thoughts come to mind: You think about what you should eat to refuel and nourish your body and then you think about the time it will take to prepare the meal, cook the meal and eventually eat the meal.

We all know that a bowl of cereal can be "made" in less than 5 minutes but so can leftovers - heated in the microwave.

Healthy eating takes effort but when you are an athlete, you have to be dedicated to nourishing your body. The added stress from training makes the body more vulnerable to sickness, injury and fatigue. Food is your medicine and your fuel.
Although you may feel like the extra time in your life that could be devoted to meal prep is taken up by training, sorry - your excuse is invalid... you still have to make the time to cook.

Every now and then the stars will align and you jump with  joy that you have the free time to cook a home cooked meal or two. But of course, you need the energy and desire to use your time wisely for meal prep.

I recommend to spend 1-2 days a week to cook a few meals OR prep foods that may need a little more work so that when it comes to meal time, you see it not only as healthy time but a very easy process. You may find that at first you are spending 4 hours on meal prep but guess what, if you can spend 1 less hour a day during your busiest 4 days during the week, wouldn't you feel happy that you took the time (when you had the time) to devote several hours to meal prepping?

The nice thing about batch cooking is that you don't always have to be a slave to the kitchen. Use your oven, microwave, crock pot and stove top to prepare several items at once. Making food options ahead of time (like proteins, grains, chopping produce) is a life-saver.

When you are tired from working all day, after waking up at 4:30am for your morning workout and then sitting in traffic for an hour and maybe squeezing in an evening workout (or other extracurricular with friends/family), you will find it incredibly easy to whip together a meal when you have all the food options ready and all you have to do is heat or combine. 

To help you stay consistent with your wholesome diet, here is a simple dish that was prepared with the use of my wok that will help you boost your veggie intake for the next few days.

Broccoli Slaw Tahini stir fry

1 bag broccoli slaw 

1 bag broccoli and cauliflower (steamed first) 

1 small red bell pepper chopped 

1 small purple onion shopped 

1 large container pre washed mushrooms 

1 package tempeh chopped 

1 can chickpeas 

2 tbsp tahini paste 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1. Mix all ingredients together in wok and cook on low-medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2. Store 1-2 cup servings in containers for easy meal prep.
(You can substitute your choice of animal protein for the tempeh)

Batch cooking ideas: 
Bean and lentil dishes
Rice and whole grain dishes
Potato and veggie dishes
Quiche and egg dishes
Casseroles
Lasagna
Stuffed peppers
Stew and soup
Root veggie dishes
Meat loaf or vegetarian loaf

Easy meal prep foods to have at home: 
Chopped/fresh fruit
Chopped/fresh veggies
Cooked raw  beans/lentils
Frozen veggies
Cooked grains
10-minute cooking grains
Deli meat/cooked meat
Cooked tofu/tempeh
Large container yogurt and cottage cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Tuna fish
Overnight oats

Broccoli and tempeh ginger stir-fry

It's no fun coming home hungry after a long day/commute, evening workout or late meetings and feeling the pressure to cook. 

We all have crammed-packed schedules but even if you want more hours in the day to get everything done, you'd likely fill-up those hours as well. Rather then beating yourself up that you are failing on certain areas of you life that may improve your overall health, remind yourself that regardless if you find the time or make the time, you do have time that you may not be using wisely and nothing is more important to your busy life than keeping your body in good health.

You know a home cooked meal will make you feel great inside and with you in control of the portions, ingredients and timing, there is a lot to benefit from when it comes to preparing food at home.  So the hope is that when you make small changes with your diet and keep them up, you will feel the effects of those changes and not only form new healthy habits but you may also feel so good that you are even more motivated to change other areas of your life to feel even better.  

The next time you are about to sit down at home to relax, watch TV, fold laundry, clean, get on the computer, call your family or do anything that my take 30 min or longer, STOP before you get going on whatever you are about to do and head to the kitchen. 

One of the best investments to your health is having a plan when it comes to eating real food. But in order to implement that plan, you have to have food at home to prep for upcoming meals. 

Here are some options: chop, cook, grill, steam, bake.  

Whatever you can do in 30 min, consider it 30 min that you don't have to spend on food prep later that day (or next day). 

A few options: 
-Cook 2 types of whole grains per week (I recommend plan 1 cup dry of each grain so you have enough to last for a few meals) on your stove top
-Chop veggies and fruit so you have a salad bar of tupperware in your refrigerator
-Buy frozen veggies for easy steaming or microwaving
-Bake proteins in the oven which require no attendance until they are finished cooking
-Use your crock pot for stews/soups/chili's (large) or oatmeal, beans, lentils (small)
-Hard boil eggs (1 for each day)
-Have go-to options for a quick, easy meal when you feel overwhelmed with life (Ex. yogurt, fruit and granola parfait or potato w/ Greek yogurt and steamed veggies drizzled with olive oil) or bagged lettuce with cottage cheese, fruit and pumpkin seeds on top)


                            

Broccoli and tempeh ginger stir-fry

3 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen) - steam until cooked
1 package tempeh (chopped)
2 small baked potatoes (cooked in microwave and then chopped)

1 leek (washed and chopped)
1/8 cup peanuts
Olive oil (2 tbsp olive oil)
1 tbsp ginger (chopped, skin removed)
Rice vinegar (2-4 tbsp)
Water
Wok
Turmeric, pepper
Optional: top with greek yogurt, salsa or shredded cheese.

1. On medium heat, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cooked tempeh until golden brown (5-8 minutes) - toss as needed. 

2. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and add potatoes, broccoli, leek and ginger. 

3. Turn heat to low and add 2 tbsp rice vinegar (may want to turn on your vent on your stove at this time). Stir to combine. 

4. Add 2-3 tbsp water and additional olive oil/rice vinegar as needed if creation starts to stick to bottom of your pan. 

5. Toss well, add seasonings of your choice and cover for 5 minutes. 

6. Add peanuts, toss and serve. 

Leg burning trainer workout and fueling the triathlete

Trimarni lifestyle change tip: 

If you have between 10-30 min when you come home from work before an evening workout or meeting/event, start your dinner prep and finish as much as possible so you don't come home starving and convince yourself that you can't wait the time to cook a real food, balanced meal. 

Here's a creation that I prepared in 25 minutes before our evening swim practice on 1/15 (I planned for leftovers):
Tempeh, mushrooms, frozen veggie mix (corn, peas, carrots), onions, garlic, balsamic, olive oil, kale, turmeric, pinch of salt, chili pepper, slivered almonds. Also, 1 pot of quinoa (1/2 cup dry to 1 cup boiling water). 

The final creation!

Swim workout Main set (at the very end of our 75 minute practice):
3xs (with fins):
3x100s fast swim on 1:30
3x50s fast kick on 1 minute
Continue 2 more rounds.
Total yards: 3800

After my morning fuel (8 ounce skim milk + 1 spoonful chia seeds + 1/2 cup cheerios - a new creation I have been using for the past few weeks which seems to be working really well for energy and recovery. I tweak for longer workouts over 90 minutes. + water and cup of coffee.) and dynamic stretching/foam rolling, it was time to break a sweat....and wow o wow, did I ever!

Thanks Karel for the leg burning workout!

Our Bike Trainer: 

CycleOps PowerBeam Pro - I will let DC Rainmaker give the details about this awesome trainer with specific wattage resistance control.  

WU (warm-up): 30 min, including 10 min of one leg drills to wake up my glute medius
Main set:
5 x 30 sec ON/OFF @ Z4 watts  (cadence 90+ rpm)
2 min EZ spin
5 x 1 min ON/OFF @ Z4 watts (cadence 90+ rpm)
2 min EZ spin
5 x 90 sec ON/OFF @ Z4 watts  (cadence 90+ rpm)

5 min EZ spin 

5 x 2 min ON/OFF @ Z3 mid to upper watts (cadence 90+ rpm)
Rest of the ride is just EZ spin.

This was one challenging set - the intervals are short but you really have to stay focused for each interval during that time. Because I can adjust my watts on the trainer, I use the resistance control to put in the watts I want to hold as a minimum and then I am forced to hold those watts for each part of the set. No cheating on the trainer when you train with power.
This is also a great set to use RPE if you do not have a power meter. HR training will not be a valuable tool in this set because the HR will not rise to specific zones in that short of time with the recommended effort. Focus on a high cadence but strong pedal stroke and you will gain a lot from this workout. 

If you can't get through the entire set due to fatigue, that is OK. The goal is not to nail every workout but to give your best effort and get excited for the next go around.
I recommend 20-25g carbohydrate sport drink during this workout w/ electrolytes + additional water as needed.

After this workout I did a short brick run (3.77 miles):
10 min warm-up run
Main set: 

5 x 2 min @ 7:30 min/mile w/ 1 min walk in between
Cool down

Post workout I had 1/2 cup greek yogurt + cherries, apples and banana slices on top + 1 slice bakery bread (nuts, raisins inside) + Smucker natural PB (A good smear) + water and coffee. 

Tempeh stir-fry with Basmati rice

There's food inspiration everywhere and depending on your creativity in the kitchen, the possibilities are endless.

I recently received my first every wok from my brother and his new wife and I couldn't wait to put it to good use.

When I was reading a recent issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, I came across this page on stir-fry recipes.

 

Instant Trimarni Motivation!!

 

One of my favorite proteins in my plant strong diet is Tempeh. Actually, Karel is the one that turned me to LOVE tempeh after he had a wrap from Nathttp://nativesunjax.com/ with Tempeh inside of it.

I am a big fan of soy (in it's whole form) because it is a complete protein and contains all essential amino acids. So, not only is this ancient fermented soybean food great for my health but tempeh is also protein packed (20g per 4 ounce serving) which makes for a great fuel in my active lifestyle.

 

 

With the following ingredients in my kitchen, it was time to get to work with my wok and make something beautiful for my belly.

 

Rice Vinegar
Olive Oil
Paprika
Iodized salt
Edamame
Zuchini
Onions (white)
White beans
Tempeh
Sweet peppers (yellow, orange, red)
Almonds
Basmati rice (cooked)
Parmesean

 

 

 

Heat your wok to low heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add:
Edamame
Zuchini (chopped)
Onions (white) - chopped
White beans (rinsed and drained)
Tempeh (chopped, 4 ounces or 1/2 package per person)
Sweet peppers (yellow, orange, red) - chopped

 

 

Stir occasionally and add additional oil and a splash of water to prevent overbrowning or sticking. Season with paprika, a pinch of salt and any other seasonings.

After veggies begin to soften, add 2-3 capfuls rice vinegar and stir.

 

After 15-20 minutes of letting veggies and tempeh cook, add a small handful chopped almonds and give it a final stir.

 

In a shallow bowl, spoon a few ladels full of veggie mixture and top with  1/2 - 1 cup basmatic rice (or your choice of rice/whole grains - or you can use any type of small cooked potato, chopped). Then mix together.

 

Top with Parmesean cheese and yum your way through your meal.

 

 

And in other yummy news....

 

My recent find at the Bartram Farmers Market....oh my yumminess. The BEST bread I have ever had.

 

A little about the baker from Boutique Du Pain:

"Nana (Chef/Baker) is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute (NYC) and has a worked

 

for Dean and Deluca (the beloved retailer known for its curated selection of artisanally

 

made gourmet products) in NYC. With her knowledge and expertise, she brings to your

 

table breads that are simply irresistible and wholesome."

And her breads:

Boutique Du Pain gives you the opportunity to enjoy a great selection of breads

 preservative-free and additive-free. All Breads are rustic, flavorful and artisanally made

 

from start to finish with French technique.

 

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf, White Sandwich Loaf, Bagels, Baguettes, Old Fashioned

 

French Sourdough, Ciabatta, Challah, Brioche, Donuts, Oatmeal Blueberry Walnut

 

 

Also - if you are local in the Jacksonville area, check out Mina's Bakery and her holiday special. There's nothing we love more than our yearly shippment of Czech cookies from Karel's mom in December, but now everyone in our area can enjoy the many traditional types of European cookies.

 

50 homemade European cookies for $20!!!

To order: 904-463-3752