Westside LA Team In Training - Winter 2009 Marathon & Half Marathon Team

Posts Tagged ‘cooking’

I was comfortable in the kitchen long before I was comfortable in running shoes, so I’m excited to share some healthy recipes and tips to keep you fit and fueled during this race season. I’m not a professional chef or dietitian, but I’m sharing foods that give me energy and that I like to eat when I’m training. Many of you are probably starting to feel the voracious hunger that comes with running, and it’s not that uncommon for some runners to actually gain weight during the season. Luckily, with a few bits of food knowledge, it’s easy to stay on track and meet all of your fitness goals. I have some basic tips for those of you just getting acquainted with your kitchen, but let’s start with a recipe:

Mary’s 20-Mile Veggie Frittata (serves 4)
I made this frittata last season on the Saturday afternoon before our 20-mile long run (though you don’t have to run 20 to enjoy it).  The long distances were making me ravenous, but afterward I was too tired to stand on my feet at the stove and cook something nutritious. It resulted in me eating more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches than I care to count, so for the 20 miler I decided to plan ahead. This is a great weekend recipe because you can throw in all of the vegetables sitting in your fridge leftover from the week. The eggs give you tons of protein, the veggies provide nutrients and gorgeous color, and whole grain rice or pasta adds the volume to really make it a satisfying lunch. Feel free to substitute any vegetables you have handy, I just chose the ones that are in my kitchen right now. I use a mix of eggs and egg whites because it gives the flavor of egg yolks without all of the calories. But if you’re happy eating all egg whites then go for it!

Ingredients:
4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites
1/2 cup brown rice or whole grain penne, cooked according to instructions
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium sized yellow onion (about 1/2 cup), chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (any variety)
1 handful of spinach
1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream
1 tsp salt plus extra for vegetables
1 tsp pepper
2 Tb basil (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an oven-safe dish (I use a 9″ glass pie dish) with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook the pasta or rice according to package instructions, and let it cool.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. When the oil is hot, add onions, red bell pepper, and salt (about 2 shakes from a shaker). Cook for about 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally, then add the zucchini and mushrooms. Cook for another 6 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, add the spinach, and let cool for about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables cool, whisk together the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt or sour cream, salt, and pepper. Once cool, stir in the vegetables and pasta (Note: if you add them too soon, the hot ingredients can scramble your eggs and you’ll lose the texture you want). Once all ingredients are incorporated, pour the mixture into your greased baking dish.

(Before)

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the frittata is firm around the edges. It may be slightly runny in the center, but that’s ok! Remove from the frittata from the oven, and turn on the broiler. Broil for about 2 minutes, until the whole frittata is cooked through and the top is golden brown. Top with chopped basil, and serve. Or refrigerate overnight, and serve the next day!

Tip: Do NOT walk away from your broiler when the frittata is inside. I’ve burned many a promising meal by losing track of time while broiling. It really only needs about 2 minutes. You can also leave the door open about an inch to lower the heat.

Happy eating everyone!!!