Risotto is a fantastic dish, but the effort of adding stock a ladle at a time and stirring constantly is simply too much for a midweek meal, especially for the active amongst who train in the evening.

This is a ‘hands off’ risotto that can be whipped up in 40 minutes from start to finish and it’s my own go-to dish after a Tuesday evening grass session.

Divide the preparation tasks between two and it makes for an even speedier dinner – while also allowing time for a quick shower. This is a vegetarian dish but if you want to increase the protein content I would recommend serving with a chicken breast seasoned with lemon zest, black pepper, and salt.

As an added bonus it also makes a great left-over lunch, simply make a double batch and chill rapidly in the fridge. The recipe below calls for a large butternut squash, you don’t need all of this for the meal. I usually cook it all and either use in a salad or freeze for another meal. Indulgent. Nourishing. Easy.

Below is a quick video that will show you how easy this dish is to cook.

Prep time: 5 minutes – cooking time: 35 minutes – serves: 2

Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp light olive oil (Or fat of choice e.g. coconut/rapeseed)
700ml water
2 ‘Kallo’ vegetable stock
Pinch Saffron (optional)
1 large butternut squash
100g frozen peas
100g courgette, grated
50g parmesan (or vegan/vegetarian alternative)
200g arborio/risotto rice
Salt and pepper

Top tip: to reduce cooking time use frozen pre-prepared butternut squash and pre-cook onion and garlic.

Directions
Begin by preheating your oven to 220ᵒC.

Peel the butternut squash, cut in half horizontally and then vertically. Scoop out the seeds and cut into bite-sized chunks. A smaller chunk size will cook faster if you are in a hurry – I would recommend doing this!

Place on a baking tray. Spray or drizzle with a bit of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a high shelf in the oven for 35 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, turn over squash using a fish slice.

Pre-heat a large lidded frying pan over a medium-high heat. Quickly peel and chop the onion and garlic. Add 2 tbsp oil to the pan, followed by the onion and garlic. This may sound like a lot of oil but onions need oil to cook properly! If you want to use less you can add a tbsp of water halfway through cooking.

Turn down the onions and garlic to a medium heat and put the lid on. Cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir occasionally to ensure they don’t burn or stick.

While the onions are cooking prepare the other ingredients. Boil the kettle and prepare your hot stock in a jug and mix in the saffron (if using). Then grate courgette and cheese. Take peas out of the freezer and put into a bowl.

Add the rice and stir to coat the rice grains. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and saffron. Season with salt and pepper and bring back to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cover with the lid. Cook for 20 minutes. Ensure to stir the risotto occasionally to stop it from sticking and achieve that perfect creamy texture.

After 20 minutes check the rice is cooked. Add the peas, parmesan and courgette and stir. Cook for a further two minutes.

Serve the risotto with the roasted butternut squash and more grated parmesan if you like.

Nutrition – per portion (2.5 portions of vegetables): 476 (kcal), protein 18g, carbohydrates 65g, fat 16g.

About the Author
Katie Kirk is a Northern Irish two time commonwealth games athlete, chef and food science student.

The post Butternut squash & pea risotto by Katie Kirk appeared first on Fast Running.

I always like to create recipes that are entirely customisable and have provided several vegetable and protein combinations. This is also the perfect leftover lunch. A good tip for athletes and anyone with limited time in the evenings, is to cook extra for convenience and tasty lunch boxes.

This recipe should provide dinner and lunch for two, but will depend on your appetite. My favourite combination is with salmon, mushrooms, and lots of gochujang sauce. Once the rice is cooked (or skip that step for a faster meal!) I put the salmon fillets in the oven for 13 minutes and all other components are prepared and cooked in this time.

The preparation is faster with two, so divide the jobs and work quickly. You do not need to have amazing cooking skills or equipment to make this, but try to be creative and make personal changes if there is something you aren’t keen on.

Kimchi is a wonderful addition, it is a gut bacteria boosting fermented food but also very much an acquired taste. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chilli paste that is available from Asian supermarkets or online.

4 portions (or 2 dinner + 2 lunch)
Total cook time: 25 minutes
Hands on time : 13 minutes

BASE – Choose 1
1) 240g Basmati brown rice
2) 240g Basmati white rice
3) 2x 250g precooked pouches of rice

VEGETABLES – Choose 3 or 4
1) 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2) 100g beansprouts
3) 150g spinach
4) 1 large courgette, cut into ‘moon shapes’
5) 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
6) 120g frozen peas
7) Soy sauce or Tamari

PROTEIN – Choose 1
1) 2 salmon fillets – cook on a foil-lined baking tray @ 200ᵒC for 13mins
2) 200g rump steak – very thinly sliced to allow fast cooking time
3) 400g chicken thighs – season and grill on highest temperature for 13mins
4) 1 tin of black beans
5) Extra egg per person

THE ESSENTIAL EGG – 2 large eggs

TOPPINGS – choose as many as you like
1) Sesame seeds
2) Spicy sauce of choice e.g. Gochujang, sriracha, peri peri.
3) Spring onion – sliced
4) Sesame oil
5) Kimchi

BRINGING IT TOGETHER – The Steps
Start by cooking the rice. Rinse the rice in a sieve and cook in a large pan of boiling water for 25 mins, or according to package instructions.

If required preheat the oven.

Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat.

Prepare chosen vegetables.

You can either stir-fry each vegetable separately or add them to the pan at intervals. Add 1tsp oil to the pan and add your first vegetable and allow to cook until softened and warm. Lightly season each with a drizzle of soy sauce or tamari. Cook vegetables in this order; Mushrooms, courgette, carrots, bean sprouts, peas, spinach. For courgettes and mushrooms try and get some colour, try not to stir too much.

If cooking vegetables separately – put them in a large bowl like a wheel and put in the oven to keep warm until ready.

If cooking together – add vegetables to the pan according to the order above and cook together, season with soy sauce.

If having beef or beans – On a high heat, add 1tsp oil to the same pan as used for vegetables, add chosen protein. Stirfry until cooked to your liking or warmed though. Season with soy sauce and set aside until ready.

On a high heat, Add another tsp of oil to the pan, swirl around. Crack your eggs into a small ramekin and gently pour into the pan.

Turn down to a medium high heat, put a lid on and allow to cook for 2 minutes or until white is set and yolk runny.

While the eggs are cooking get a bowl and put ¼ of the rice in the bottom. Arrange vegetables and meat sound the bowl as shown in the picture. Once the egg is cooked place on top of the rice bowl.

Add toppings.

The Korean way is to break the yolk and mix everything together. The runny yolk coats the rice grains and vegetables, making a delicious dish that is best enjoyed with a spoon.

About the Author
Katie Kirk is a Northern Irish two time commonwealth games athlete, chef and food science student.

The post Korean Rice Bowl (Bibimbap) by Katie Kirk appeared first on Fast Running.

They are naturally sweetened, high in protein, packed with omega-3 fatty acids, unprocessed and full of fibre.

Nutrition per serving / piece: kcal: 120, fat: 4g, saturates: 1g, carbs: 10g, sugars: 4g, fibre: 3g, protein: 3g

Ingredients

120g porridge oats
40g pecan nuts
30g chia seeds
75g pumpkin seeds
75g cup dried apricots – approximately 8 dried apricots
75g cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
200ml almond or coconut milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a food processor blend the porridge oats, pecan nuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, cranberries and apricots.
3. Once well blended, pour into a large bowl.
4. Now add in the honey, almond or coconut milk, cinnamon and mix together.
5. Using a spoon, transfer the mixture into the baking tray.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until edges are golden and centre is no longer soft.
7. Set to the side or put in the fridge to cool before cutting into pieces.

The post Cranberry and chia seed energy bars appeared first on Fast Running.

The chia seeds and almond butter add texture and depth to the recipe and the very subtle zest from the lemon brings it all together.

What are chia seeds?

Chia seeds are small black seeds from the Salvia hispanica plant, traditionally found in South and Central America.

Nutritional benefits of chia seeds

Don’t be fooled by their size. For a seed so small, chia seeds contain some vital nutrients. A 25g portion of chia seeds contains approximately 9g of fibre and 4g of protein. Chia seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, known for anti-inflammatory and heart health benefits.

The combination of fat, protein and fibre found in chia seeds will provide long, slow releasing energy to keep blood-sugar levels in check and kick-start that recovery.

Ingredients

– 180g of dried pitted dates
– 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
– 2 generous tablespoons of almond butter
– 1 banana
– Juice of 1/3 lemon
– 2 tablespoons of agave syrup
– 30g of rolled oats

Directions

– First, preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
– Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and evenly spread out the oats.
– Put in the oven for wait for 5-7 minutes or until the oats are golden brown.
– While the oats are toasting, chop the dates finely and slice the banana and mix until it becomes a paste-like consistency.
– Next, mix together the dates and banana paste with the chia seeds, almond butter, and agave syrup.
– Finally, mix in the toasted oats and the fresh lemon juice.
– Roll the mixture together into ball shapes and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

The post Chia Seed, Almond Butter and Lemon Protein Balls appeared first on Fast Running.

There are many additional benefits to blending food, such as the extraction of the maximum number of nutrients from food.

Nutrient-packed smoothies are not just a great way for runners or athletes to refuel, every person can benefit by giving them a try. In a matter of minutes, a nutrient-packed smoothie can be made with everything you need protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits. Not forgetting there is no prep work, no cooking and minimal cleanup.

All the ingredients in these smoothie recipes are vegan-friendly.

Here are 3 delicious smoothie recipes that will help aid your recovery after a tough run.

Strawberry, Spinach & Banana Super Smoothie

Give this favourite protein smoothie a boost by adding flax seed and spinach, which will provide you with heart-healthy omega-3 fats, an iron boost and extra dietary fibre.

Ingredients
14 oz. / 400ml water or almond milk
1 handful of cashew nuts
1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseeds
1 bananas
1 cup of frozen strawberries
1 cup of spinach

Nutrition Information
500 calories, 50g protein, 8g fat, 50g carbs, 12g fibre.

Beetroot & Carrot Smoothie

Dark coloured fruits and vegetables like beetroot, carrot and strawberries are full of nutrients that can help boost the athletic performance of runners and help aid muscle recovery.

Ingredients
14 oz. / 400ml water
1 cup chopped raw beetroot
1 cup strawberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 chopped carrot
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 small handful of hazelnuts

Nutrition Information
340 calories, 30g protein, 6g fat, 50g carbs, 12g fibre

Sliced Orange & Nuts Smoothie

This smoothie provides a healthy serving of vitamin C, a shot of healthy omega-3 fats and extra dietary fibre. Additionally, oranges are a good source of B vitamins including vitamin B1, folate as well as vitamin A and potassium.

Ingredients
14 oz. / 400ml water or almond milk
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. walnuts or hazelnuts
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
2 large oranges
1 chopped apple
¼ orange peel

The post 3 Superfood Smoothie Recipes for Runners appeared first on Fast Running.