Skratch Recipe of the Week; Sweet Cream Grits

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked grits
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cream of Wheat is a great alternative to grits, but it does contain gluten

Method

• Lightly coat a muffin tin or ramekins with nonstick cooking spray
• Bring water with a dash of salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat
• Add grits, stirring frequently for 3– 4 minutes
• Remove from heat to add egg yolks
• Return to heat and simmer on low until mixture thickens, then stir in raw sugar and vanilla
• Pour cooked grits into muffin cups or ramekins and let set for 10– 15 minutes to firm up
• TIP Serve up your grits like crème brûlée: top with additional raw sugar and place under the broiler until the sugar turns brown. Let cool before handling, this makes them uber yummy!

 

They are roughly 110 calories each! Be careful they are a little slippery and can be easily dropped when on the bike! That will make you sad…and hungry!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Peaches and Coconut Rice Cakes

Another easy recipe, the truth is they are all pretty simple and that’s one of the joys of them!

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked sticky rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon coarse cane sugar
• ½ cup peeled peaches (canned/tinned or fresh)
• ½ canned coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt

Method

• Heat oven to 350f
• Combine the water and rice in a rice cooker with a dash of salt and let cook
• While the rice is cooking mince the remaining ingredients, (I mis-read this and simply chopped up the peaches)
• Lightly coat a backing sheet with nonstick cooking spray or use parchment paper
• When the rice has finished cooking mix with other ingredients
• Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and press rice into shape. From experience you can press pretty hard was you want it to stick together and keep its shape
• Remove from plastic and place on baking sheet
• Bake for 10 – 15 minutes
• Let cool and wrap

Chopping the peaches meant there was really not enough peach spread through the mix and also that it was ultimately quite delicate. Next time I will definitely make sure I mince them. That said the taste was great, very light coconut with a sweet hint of peach!

Over to you!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Raspberry & Chocolate Rice Cakes

I’ve missed a week or two but this is a good one to catch up with!

Ingredients;

• 3 cups uncooked sticky rice
• 4.5 cups water
• 0.75 cup canned coconut milk (this is the canned version not the one you have on cereal)
• Juice of one lemon (or other citrus fruit)
• 1.5 teaspoons of coarse salt or to taste
• 6 ounces semi sweet choc chips
• 1 pint raspberries

Method;

• Combine rice, water, dash of salt in rice cooker and let cook
• When the rice is finished cooking transfer it to a large bowl and add the coconut milk. Begin adding the sugar. It should taste slightly sweet to you palate.
• Add the lemon juice to give it some zing
• Add the salt to taste
• Once the rice has mostly cooled, spread half across a 9” x 12” baking pan and press flat, sprinkle in the Raspberries and Choc chips. Gently press the remaining rice onto the berries to create second layer
• Let it set up, cut and wrap

I have made this a couple of times now and here are some thoughts.

• Don’t overdo the coconut milk otherwise it never sets
• Use whole coconut milk not “Lite”
• Putting in the fridge for 30 minutes makes it easier to set and cut
• Don’t make the rice layers too thick
• Choc Chips are optional, it’s actually sweet and sharp enough without them

Ok your go…

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Skratch Cookie Mix

This is not so much a defined recipe but more of a base set of ingredients that you can add to to create your favorite cookies or bars!

Ingredients;

• Skratch Cookie Mix
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter
• Optional…anything! That said I used fresh raspberries in a mid layer

Method;

• Preheat oven to 350f
• Mix the ingredients until they form a ball. I started with a hand mixer and ended up using my hands
• Halve the mix and spread evenly across a 9” square dish, lined with Parchment Paper for easy removal
• Throw in the raspberries and spread evenly, don’t squash! 
• Add the second half of the mix, I actually rolled this out using Parchment Paper and rolling pin so I didn’t squash the raspberries
• Cook for about 30 minutes, until knife comes out clean, I ended up under-cooking these a little but the end result is a super yummy sweet (and a little salty) gooey cookie!
• Wait till cool, cut into squares and wrap

Obviously unlike other recipes the key ingredient here is the Cookie mix. Don’t panic! You can buy this directly from Skratch themselves, you can buy it over Amazon and you should be able to find it in local stores (think running/biking) rather than grocery.

The joy of this is that you can make it pretty much what you want it to be. Don’t like raspberries but prefer chocolate chip…no problem, howabout date and walnut; you betcha, cherry and coconut; easy peasy, green peas…well maybe not but they are a great source of protein! Anyway you get it…pretty much the sky is the limit!

Here is Chef Lentine showing you how it’s done…

Do these work? Can you eat cookies and run…well yes you can! I ran 18 miles at the weekend fueled on these and with French Toast Bars (recipe to follow) no problem!

So now over to you…your turn!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Baked Eggs

This is super easy and super yummy…who doesn’t like eggs and bacon!

This is one of those things you can cook while you working on something else in the kitchen!

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• Bacon, chopped and cooked, it has to be cut up small enough to sit on the egg
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 350f
• Coat 6 cups of muffin tin with something nonstick, personally I use a strip of kitchen towel (Bounty), I wipe it over the butter and then wipe that in the cups
• Crack an egg into each cup
• Place the tin in the center of the oven and rotate every 5 minutes so the eggs cook evenly
• Once the egg whites turn white remove and set on side, sprinkle with salt, pepper and cheese
• Top of with the bacon, I actually found that if you add the bacon before the whites harden the bacon sinks into them and is less likely to fall off
• Give them a wiggle with a small spatula so they don’t set to the tin
• Allow to cool, wrap and store

Roughly 80-100 calories each these are a definite improvement on you memory of a hard boiled egg!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Quick Crusts

Ok this one is super quick and easy…clue is in the name I guess!

• Pre heat oven to 350f.
• Start with 2 slices of bread, I used Brioche which is super thick cut so I sliced it through.
• Add a tea spoonful of filling, I went with a knob of butter, peanut butter and jam.
• Add the second slice to the top, dampen the edges, this will help seal it.
• Cut around crusts to press them together using a wine glass…I don’t like wine so I used a bourbon tumbler!
• Brush the pies with melted butter or olive oil.
• Bake in the oven at 350f till browned.
• Wrap and store and you’re good to go.

As a picture is worth a 1000 words…here’s 6000 worth!

Based on my ingredients they round up to around 250 calories a piece.

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Mushroom & Swiss Frittata

Another one from the Portables book. I whisked up a batch of these last Sunday and they are proving to be a good go to after an early swim or when you walk in the door and you’re famished!

Ingredients

• 2 cup chopped mushrooms
• ½ cup diced onion
• ¼ cup coarse chopped parsley
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 eggs lightly beaten
• ½ Swiss cheese grated
• 1 teaspoon of celery salt
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• Dash of salt and pepper

Method

• Heat oven to 350f
• In sauté pan heat teaspoon of olive oil
• Over medium-high heat sauté onion, mushroom and parsley
• Remove from heat and drain any excess oil
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowel
• Stir in onion and mushroom mix
• Lightly grease muffin tin
• Add mushroom slice and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top (my step)
• Bake for 15 minutes or until center firm (I baked them a little less, this makes them moister, but more fragile)

Wrap and refrigerate…assuming you don’t eat them all in the next 30 minutes!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Crispy Rice Omelet

This one is from the Skratch Labs Portables cook book. As with all the recipes this is very simple to make. If you’re planning to cook from either of the books it’s well worth investing in a rice cooker.

This is a handy recipe that can be used a snack or a side. Savory and flavorful and easy to cook and eat.

Ingredients

• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 6 eggs
• 1.5 teaspoons grated parmesan
• Coarse salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 350f
• Liberally coat skillet with oil and heat
• Add rice and spread evenly. Cook until crisp.
• Lightly beat eggs and pour over rice. Lift edges to allow egg to run under rice
• Cover and cook until egg is firm in middle
• Add cheese, salt and pepper
• Finish in oven for 5 minutes

Voila…cut, share and eat!

Skratch Labs Recipe of the Week; Leftover Rice Pudding

As written about last month I became a Skratch Labs Taste Agent. As part of that I wanted to share some recipes as I make them from the FeedZone and Portables cook books. To kick that off I am going start with Leftover Rice Pudding. This is actually a well-worn staple in our house. I am a big fan of rice and having a rice cooker makes it so easy!

It’s something I have used as a pre-race breakfast but it’s also something that most of the kids will eat too…well you can’t please all the people all the time! It’s also something that can be flavored to taste and even used as a dessert!

Ingredients;

• 2cups milk (any)
• 3 eggs yolks
• 2 cups rice (cooked and cooled)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional

• 2 tablespoons dried nuts/fruit
• Ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice)
• ¼ cup ground pumpkin or applesauce or jam
• Becca makes an awesome Raspberry coulis!

Method;

• Combine the milk and egg yolks in medium saucepan, gently bring to boil and simmer
• Add rice, brown sugar and vanilla, stir and simmer till thickens
• Add optional ingredients
• Serve and eat!

Yup that’s it super simple and super yummy! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Review; Racing Weight Cookbook by Matt Fitzgerald

If you follow my Instagram account it probably is no surprise that I like food, well to be honest I like to cook. I grew up hanging off my Mom’s apron-strings so I am a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen. One thing my Mum told me though which has stuck with me is “the only thing you need to be able to cook, is to read”. What this means really means is just follow the recipe and typically that’s all I do. I have a few cook books at home, nothing too fancy as Trader Joes and Fresh & Easy do a pretty good job of putting food on the table! But it’s nice to actually get to the source of your food and there are sometimes just too many things that you can’t pronounce in that long list of ingredients on that package of premade meatloaf!

So with that all said I pre-ordered a Racing Weight, which hit the shelves at the end of January, from Amazon. I’ll be honest and say that this review is in lieu of one of FeedZone which was sent to me by the Publishers ages ago but around the time I was moving house and it sat in a box for a while and then it was too late to do a new book review so hopefully this will put me in good graces at VeloPress! I do have several shelves of their books at home!

 Gratuitous VeloPress “Shelfie”!

Anyway on with the review. Racing Weight Cookbook: Lean, Light Recipes for Athletes is the fourth book in the Racing Weight  Series, by Matt Fitzgerald and Georgie Fear. I own the first one (2009) which goes into how to identify your optimum weight and body composition and how to get there, the second book (2011) is a Quick Start guide, the third (2012) a revised version of the 2009 book and now the fourth is the Cook Book.  

The book is divided into two main sections; Technical Info and Recipes, the Recipes section is them subdivided into sections depending on your level of comfort in the kitchen; Doesn’t Cook, Can Cook, Loves to Cook!

The Technical Info covers topics such as; The Six Point Racing Weight System, What to eat before a workout, Recovery foods, Food Quality, How to Shop and The Gift of Leftovers! There is some repetition from the preceding books but there is a lot of quality information that was either new to me or forgotten by me! It’s all good stuff and find myself referring back to it even though when I got the book I jumped straight into the recipes. All points lead to the bottom line which is that every extra pound you are carrying impacts your performance!

So now for the recipes and food, I cooked the following;

pg75 Homemade Minestrone Soup

pg78 Turkey (sub for Pork but also cooked with Pork at later date) and Peppers Pasta Sauce

pg 138 Marinated Flank Steak w/ Charred Corn Salsa

pg149 Flaxseed & Herb Crusted Chicken w/ Spaghetti Squash

pg151 Grilled Cashew Crusted Salmon w/ Corn

pg179 Veggie Frittata 

Well six out of six…these really tasted as good as they looked and the kids love the Turkey and Peppers Pasta Sauce! The also tucked into the Steak and the Chicken, they were a bit meh on the Salmon mostly because of the nuts but it tasted good to me.

These seem to be going down pretty well with Matt himself as he was favoriting my Tweets with the pictures

As mention the Recipes are laid out in sections and they are really easy to follow, yup just follow the recipes. In my opinion a cook book that doesn’t have a picture of the end result and has pages of text is a bad thing and this book has easy to follow instructions and nicely taken but not overly staged pictures. Check out the page image below, I don’t think that picture looks much better than my own above. What is nice is that no special tools are needed, just your regular old pots, pans, oven, grill etc. I found that 99% of all the ingredients were available locally I had to hunt for a couple of things in a couple of different stores but I found everything that I needed. There is noting more annoying than discovering that you need an can of “Handpicked Tuscan olive oil and rosemary infused cannellini beans” which is only available at one store 50 miles away! Some of the recipes call for a bit of planning, as an example of the above I cooked the steak needed marinating overnight. It’s best to check the first few steps of the recipe to not fall foul of that.

All in all I found this book to be informative, the technical info allows you to get a good understanding of what your optimal weight should be and provides you a good structure to get there. This book takes you further along that journey than the others with actual recipes that you can use on a day to day basis. As noted above the kids in the house (4 of them ranging from 6-11 y/o) also enjoyed them, there is not much pandering to kids diets in the house ands the fact that they were happy to chow down on these meals makes life a lot easier in the kitchen! I had hoped to make some of the bars listed but I need with over a 100+ recipes getting the review out took priority over cooking “just one more thing”!

Should you buy this book, well in my opinion yes, here’s why;

• It provides information on why and how you can reach the optimal weight to facilitate your best performance
• The information is well written and structured, there are many books on sports nutrition that zig-zag all over the page
• The recipes are easy to follow with easy to locate ingredients
• The food is tasty and healthy
• If you are nervous in the kitchen there are some basic recipes that will allow you to build up your confidence
• Cooking is fun!
• Impress your partner!
• You get to drink beer with every meal…ok  I made that one up!
• It’s less that $20, that’s three fancy Venti Starbucks…well maybe four but I always add an extra shot or two in mine!

For the record if I apply the the Racing Weight formula to myself I get the following;

Step 1. Calculate your body fat mass – multiple your current weight (177lb) by your body fat (20%), I use my Tanita BC1000 to derive the body fat percentage

• 177 x 20% = 33.63 (rounded to 34)

Step 2. Calculate you lean body mass – subtract you fat mass from your current weight

• 177 – 34 = 143lb

Step 3. Calculate you goal weight – find you goal lean body mass percentage (86% or .86. this is 14% body fat, a reduction of 6% and well with a healthy range for my age and gender). To find your goal weight divide your current lean body mass by your goal lean body mass percentage

• 143 / .86 = 166.28lb

So as you can see my goal of sub 170lb is realistic and in line with the my expectations, now I have to temper this with my own knowledge that when I get to the mid 160’s it’s a knife edge to walk along so I dial it back up to the 168-169LB range and that’s just better for me…hey we are all an experiment of one!

There you go, the kitchen is that way!

This product was purchased by me. See previous gear reviews in the Reviews tab above. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com.

20/20 Challenge Week 2

Another week another weigh in and a new leader. Bootchez takes the lead, congratulations, a monster week for her. I had a pretty good week as did Velma. It looks like it’s been a tough week for some with status quo being maintained and few folks have slipped back into negative territory! Still there’s another 9 weeks to go yet.

Bootchez nominate whose $20 you’re claiming and don’t let it burn a hole in your pocket!

I picked Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance during the week, well it arrived from Amazon on Friday, it makes for an interesting read for sure, I’ll keep you in the loop on it as I read through it. Personally I am starting to see some benefits of the weight loss, I had a killer 8 miler on Saturday and nailed my 10k split in 42 and change see the last post where I blow my trumpet all about that; well somebody has to, right!

I also posted on Twitter about the making of some protein bars during the weekend, several people asked for the recipe. It’s an ongoing debate in our household about giving the kids healthy snacks and actually finding something where there second ingredient (and sometimes the third and fourth and fifth) are not sugar or a syrup of some kind can be tricky and you know they’re not going to always want fruit.

I found this recipe in a freebie magazine and gave it a go, I am still tweaking it, the most recent tweaks are in parenthesis, it’s not bad.

• 1 c. quinoa flour (wholegrain flour)
• 2 oz. whey protein
• 1 oz. apple pectin powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ c. sundried cranberries (raisins)
• 3 dates (dried apricots)
• 2 oz ground pistachios (or sunflowers) (tried with and without)
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 oz brown rice syrup (tried agave syrup and honey)
• 1 oz ground flax
• 1 oz unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp of soy nut butter
• 2 tbsp of egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350°

2. Combine dry ingredients, dried fruit and ground pistachios in a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and stir well. Pour onto dry ingredients.

4. Spray 9” cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

5. Bake for 25–30 minutes.

6. Cool and cut.

I have been using a 1½” square as a mid morning and afternoon snack, it’s amazingly dense and really fills you up. Once you have nailed the ingredients (Whole Foods) give it a whirl, it’s pretty good stuff!

20/20 Challenge Week 1

Well the votes, are in, well they are not votes but you know what I mean! It seems the weather, travel and a some status quo have all taken their toll.

It’s ok we have another 10 weeks to go and this is early days. All things being equal not a bad week for the first one and especially as I seem to have won…er not quite the point here folks! Still all is not lost as this means I get to claim the $20 RRS Gift Certificate from, well, me! So that was easy and painless, next week someone will need to put their hand in their pocket, you can follow who has here.

I got a couple of emails asking how this exactly will work, so think of it like a pool and each week the winner claims from it; RRS allows you to send a Gift Certificate to someone else, so starting next week the winner will claim from the pool proper, no more claiming your own!

Ok moving on. Today I posted on Twitter that I was making Mac-n-Cheat and someone asked for the recipe. so here you go. it’s a dead easy recipe, and is way healthier than your typical Mac –n-Cheese. You will need:

6-8 medium to large carrots, box of pasta, half block of good cheese, I prefer cheddar, the quality of the cheese offsets the lack of quantity. Ratio the carrots to cheese at 2:1.

Boil the carrots until they are soft enough to puree and them, well, puree them. Using the same water boil up the pasta, drain and then mix in the puree and the cheese and voila. Significantly less calories then your typical version and for fellow parents it’s an easy way to get one portion of veggies inside picky kids, and if I say so myself it’s really tasty too!

Here starts Week 2, let’s get it on, off!