Recipes: Marathon Fuel
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Strawberry-Stuffed French Toast
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Strawberry-Stuffed French Toast
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This easy breakfast dish offers good post-run nutrition for those early-morning endurance workouts. The dairy ingredients include protein to help heal and rebuild muscle; the fruit and bread add carbs to help re-energize and rebuild glycogen storage for your next run; and the whole wheat adds fiber.
-- Gretchen McKay
- 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, more for garnish
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dash of salt
- 8 slices whole wheat bread
- Syrup or strawberry jam for topping
Mix cream cheese, sugar and strawberries in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together eggs, milk, vanilla and salt.
Spread1/4 of the filling mixture on one slice of whole wheat bread and top with a second slice of bread and gently press together.
Dip into the egg batter and put on hot griddle or a pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray.
Brown about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve with syrup or strawberry jam. Top with sliced strawberries, if desired.
Serves 4.
-- Audrey Burgoon
Note: You can substitute fresh blueberries for the strawberries and add a little lemon zest to the cream cheese filling, or mix diced peaches and toasted almonds to the cream cheese mix, along with a dash of almond extract.
Lentil Casserole
This high protein source is a hit with vegetarians and can be a meal when accompanied by a salad and a loaf of crusty bread. Others can enjoy it as a side dish with a meat entree. -- Gretchen McKay
- 1 1/4 cups uncooked dried brown, red or green lentils (or some of each for "confetti" lentil casserole) sorted, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces fresh shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup diced cooked carrots
- 1 1/2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 2 to 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place lentils in medium saucepan; cover with enough water to come 1 inch above lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes until lentils are barely tender; drain.
While lentils are cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 10 minutes or until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are tender.
Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; stir well. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in carrots, broth, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and parsley. Cook and stir until mixture is thick and bubbly.
Grease 1 1/2-quart casserole. Stir lentils into mushroom mixture. Spread evenly in prepared casserole. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven and top with diced tomatoes and remaining shaved parmesan. If desired, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Makes 4 main-dish servings or 8 side-dish servings.
-- Audrey Burgoon
Hash Brown Casserole
Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source. This oh-so-easy recipe is chock full of them. And yes, you can substitute frozen shredded potatoes for fresh to save time.
-- Gretchen McKay
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and shredded
- 8 ounces light sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup shredded sharp low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1 cup dried bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted margarine
Mix together potatoes, sour cream, onion, soup and cheddar cheese. Spread into greased 9-by-13-inch dish.
Mix together bread crumbs and melted margarine and sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Serves 8.
-- Audrey Burgoon
Post-Workout Tuna Salad
Lean protein, such as canned tuna, helps the body rebuild muscle tissue that is broken down during a long workout. It also helps improve muscle hydration.
-- Gretchen McKay
- 1 apple, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 can (4 ounces) low-sodium chunk white tuna packed in water, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons raisins or dried cranberries
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 slices whole grain bread
Chop one of the apple wedges. Set the remaining wedges aside. Put the tuna in a small bowl and break it apart with a fork.
Add the honey mustard, vinegar, raisins, pepper, and chopped apple. Stir well to mix.
Sandwich half of the tuna salad between the bread slices. Serve with the remaining apple wedges.
Makes 2 servings.
-- Runner's World
Lemon Cloud Rice Pudding
This slightly nutty pudding is full of complex carbs, which will help replace depleted glycogen stores.
-- Gretchen McKay
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, combine 2 cups water with rice and butter. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir again, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not lift the lid while rice is cooking. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside.
In another saucepan, heat milk over medium heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Watch carefully and do not let the milk boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sugar and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk in about 2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the yolks. Keep whisking in about half of the hot milk, in small amounts, until the yolks are warmed through.
Scrape yolks into remaining hot milk and stir well. Whisk in lemon zest and juice. Transfer to prepared dish.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over top and beat. Keep beating whites, gradually adding all of the remaining sugar, until whites are stiff and glossy.
Stir rice into milk mixture in the dish. Fold in egg whites. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6.
-- "The Vegetarian Cook's Bible," by Pat Crocker (Robert Rose, 2007)
First Published April 9, 2009 12:00 am
