Triathlon Energy

It's finally triathlon season!  After doing all the mental preparation (reading "Triathlons for Dummies", one issue of Triathlete magazine) I decided I was really going to start training for the Sprint Triathlons this summer.  

So what better way to train than to just register for a race and do it?

While my time was a painfully slow 2 hours one minute, I did surprisingly well in both transitions (between the swim and the bike, and between the bike and the run).  Most notable was the fact that I wasn't remotely sore the next day.

For this, I credit Brendan Brazier and all my nutrition reading.

The day before the race I drank lots and LOTS of water so my muscles were hydrated even before I started.  No amount of water during a race will compensate for being dehydrated when you start.

Gave up wine.  Sad, but true.

The night before I had some seriously crispy gluten-free crackers and some cashew cream cheese.  Lots of slow burning carbs, great fats and protein.

The morning of (that's 4 am!) I had a half cup of Red River Cereal - full of serious whole grains which burn slow and fuel long!

While driving to the race I had a blueberry, roasted beet, chocolate almond milk, flax smoothie.  Purple and delicious.

During the race I had my favourite fruit gummies (Florida's Naturals) which were taped to my bike and literally all that kept me going during the against-the-current 750m swim.

Power bar during the bike leg was made of raw cashews, raw chocolate, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, coconut, dates, lemon zest and agave.  Sticky but fuelling.

Finally, after the race I made a high energy recovery gel from dates, lime and lemon zest, agave and arame (a seaweed) for iron.  Squished it into my mouth after surviving the run.  

Lots of water always, a high colour meal afterwards (sweet potatoes, spinach, avocado, tomato) and even a few of my dreaded nemesis - Salt and Vinegar Miss Vickies chips.

Can't believe I finished & can't wait to see where I can go next with some actual training!!

Shrex Appeal : Ogres are like Onions

Because they stink?

No.

Because they make you cry?

No.

Because you leave 'em out in the sun and they start sprouting little white hairs?

NO!

L A Y E R S!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When my son was younger, my favourite Mom moment, BAR NONE, was sitting on the couch watching Shrek.  Pure boy joy.

I adore this movie - the adult humour mingled with the kid humour.  I love the character development.  I love the juxtaposition of royalty and ogres.  But most of all, I love the food talk.  "Parfaits?  Everybody loves parfaits.  Parfaits is delicious!!"

And hence, my Shrekilicious reference to layers.

Mushroom pasta is like ogres.  The layers make it great.

To some (my friend Scott comes to mind immediately), mushrooms are a vile fungus unworthy of edibility.

To others, they are a meaty, flavourful delicacy.  But in order to coax the best out of mushrooms, you must MUST layer the flavours to maximize their sex appeal.

Mrs. Q.  :  Any mushroom dish is enriched by truffles.   Truffle oil.  Truffle Paste.  Truffle Salt.  Truffles are mushroom royalty.

Charming:  Dijon anything.  Grainy mustard AND smooth dijon mustard will add an indescribable uniqueness which the dish would be the poorer for.  You should always have dijon in your fridge or pantry.  

Sir Shrek:  When you pull them out of the ground, wash off the dirt and peel back the layers - ogres are like onions.  So use them - in the form of onions, chives or leeks (my personal fave).

Princess Fiona:  About a quarter cup of wine - table wine if that's all you have, and fine, complex wine if that's what's going.

Pinocchio, Gingy and the Big Bad Wolf?  Who can forget this supporting cast of thong wearing, huge-girlfriend stalked, piggy porn reading gems?  This group is your steak spice - perfect, even if you add just a dash or two.

Donkey?  Yep!  You guessed it.  The stinky, annoying, never goes away interference of garlic.  Mushroom dishes just aren't the same without it and are better because of it.

Puss in Boots?  Every movie needs an iconic, villanous hero.  Something which in large doses are unbearable, but appropriately used are just perfect enhancements to a dish.  Mushrooms LOVE toasted sesame oil, even if the position of annoying talking sidekick has already been filled:)  lol.

A few other supports?  Miso (mysterious and exotic), Soy Sauce or Tamari (salty and briny) and last but never least - pepper.  Don't leave it out.

This combination of layers will have you coming back for every sequel.

     

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Veggie burgers are showing up on menus everywhere, and make me feel like a normal eater.  But rarer is the downright decadence of a bacon cheeseburger.  Few restaurants have a vegan cheese and fewer still - I mean NONE - have coconut bacon to be added.

Seriously, coconut bacon has revolutionized my life lately.  That smoky, salty crispy deliciousness is getting added back into our menus in so many ways.

Today's was a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf!

There are some really good ground beef substitutes out there for the vegetarians who might want to indulge in a sumptuous, beefy burger every now and then.  Even though the crumbles are a processed food, I usually buy a bag once a month to add some "ground beef" to either a pasta sauce, or a shepherd's pie, or a stew.

President's Choice makes a great ground beef crumble, but many brands including Gardein are great also.

I took some leftover lentils and rice in a large bowl and mixed in 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard.  I loathe the taste of ketchup, but since it's the world's most popular condiment, you could add some here as well to give the rice a burger flavour.

I browned the 'ground beef' in a pan, and added in some chopped garlic and onions.  When it was cooked, I incorporated it into the rice.  It mixed into a nice consistency, which I put into a bread loaf pan to make a meatloaf.  As I was about to put the loaf into the oven, I had a stroke of bacon cheesburger genius.

I had some coconut bacon in the fridge, and some daiya cheddar in the freezer.

I took about half the mixture out of the pan and layered in the cheddar and the bacon.  Then I topped it off with the rest of the ground beef.

Baked it for about 40 minutes at 350, along with some sweet potato crinkle cut fries.

When the smell of a bacon cheeseburger wafted through the house - I could tell it was done.  And it was smoky, rich, cheesy, and hearty.

Slices of this cheeseburger loaf would make a fabulous snack wrap.  Just add a thick slice to the centre of a tortilla, squirt a little mustard, ketchup, relish or dijon on top and roll up for lunch or for the freezer, when you need a quick burger fix.

Coconut bacon is opening up my world again, and I can't contain my excitement!