5 easy, energy-boosting recipes for triathletes in training

Salmon Burger with Green Bean Quinoa

My salmon burgers will provide you with a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats whilst also giving your brain a boost of omega-3 fatty acids. Read through this recipe and make more than you need to put yourself ahead of the game with leftovers for lunch in the coming days…

Prep Time: 15 minutes (Store for 20 minutes)

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

3 Salmon Fillets
3 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Red Onion
Handful of Coriander
Thumb sized piece Ginger
1/4 cup Quinoa (Per Person Per Portion)
1 Organic Chicken Or Vegetable Stock Cube
Handful Green Beans (Per Person Per Portion)
1 ½ Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Natural Yoghurt – (Per Person to serve)
Lemon – to serve
1 Handful Fresh Coriander

Method

1. Chop 3 large sweet potatoes into cubes, keeping the skins on, and put to boil until soft (around 8-10 minutes).
2. Skin 2 salmon fillets and cut into small pieces, taking care not to break up too much, and set to one side.
3. Finely slice then chop 1 red onion and a large handful of coriander along with a thumb sized piece ginger, which you’ll need to peel first. Then add all of this to a dish with 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. Mash the sweet potato and mix all ingredients together, folding gently as to not break up the salmon.
5. Form into patties (around 10) by taking a palm sized portion of the mixture and shaping in your hands, then place on greaseproof paper and leave to set in fridge for 20 minutes.
6. Set your oven to 180°C.
7. Finely slice the green beans – do enough to create meals for the coming days too. Rinse the quinoa and add to a pan with enough water to cover by around 1cm, along with the stock cube.
8. Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer for around 15-18 minutes ensuring you mix to break up the stock cube.
9. Place your salmon burgers in the oven on 180° C for around 15-18 minutes, flip after 10 minutes using a spatula, being careful not to break up your burgers.
10. Place your finely sliced green beans into a steamer and cook for around 10 minutes. Add flavour to the quinoa by mixing through a handful of fresh chopped coriander before serving.

When cooked serve 2 salmon burgers with your quinoa & green beans along with natural yoghurt and squeeze of lemon.

Parsnip, Apple and Walnut Soup

Soups are one of my favourite go to meals when short on time and trying to manage a busy schedule. It’s a simple way of providing the body with plenty of nutrients to satisfy hunger whilst also being quick and easy to make, freeze and have on hand as a backup plan.

Prep Time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3 Parsnips
1 Potato (Medium Sized)
1/2 Onion
2 Apples
1.2 Litres Organic Vegetable Stock (2 cubes)
Walnuts (Large Handful)
Butter (1 1/2 knobs)
Fresh Rosemary (2 Sprigs)
Unrefined Rock Salt (1/2 tsp)
Black Pepper (1 tsp)

Method

For this recipe you’ll need 1 large deep sided pan.

1. Chop your parsnips, potatoes, apples and onion into small pieces.
2. Add a knob of butter to the pan and place it onto the hob at a medium heat. As your butter melts add the onion, potato & parsnips.
3. Leave them to soften for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick or burn. While this is cooking add 2 organic vegetable stock cubes to 1.2 litres of boiling water, mixing for a short while.
4. As the vegetables are still softening finely chop your rosemary and walnuts, and set them aside.
5. After the vegetables have been softening for 10 minutes add the chopped apples and rosemary to the pan before gently pouring in the vegetable stock. Give it all a good mix then bring the heat to a gentle simmer, placing a lid onto the pan and leaving for around 20 minutes.
6. During the last 10 minutes of cooking time put 1/2 knob of butter into a frying pan and place on the hob over a gentle heat. As the butter melts add your chopped walnuts and toast them slightly until a golden-brown colour is reached. When done remove from the heat and empty the walnuts onto a kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil.
7. Now your soup should be ready to blend together. Using either a handheld stick blender or ladle your mix into a worktop blender and mix until a smooth consistency is reached.
8. Serve your soup with a sprinkling of toasted walnuts. This recipe should make around 4 portions so works as a great option for lunch the following day. To make more simply increase the ingredient quantities appropriately.

• More nutritious soup recipes

Jumbo Oat, Date & Cranberry Bars

When you’re looking for a quick pick me up it’s all too easy to give in and opt for the bar of chocolate or head to the biscuit barrel, which is exactly why I created these unrefined energy bars. Although they still

contain a certain level of sugar there should also be sufficient fibre and protein to offset the speed at which your blood sugars react.

Try making them at the weekend and they’ll last around 3-4 days if wrapped in cling film ready and stored in the fridge for when you need a little sweet kick later in the day.

Prep Time: 10-12 minutes

Storage Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

3/4 cup Jumbo Rolled Oats

1 1/2 Oranges

1 cup Dates

1 cup Dried Cranberries

Method:

1. Put your oats in a bowl.

2. Slice the oranges into 1/4 segments then, after removing any pips, squeeze over your oats. Give it a good mix and leave to absorb for 10 minutes.

3. While your oats are absorbing the orange juice add your dates and cranberries to a blender and give it all a good blitz.

4. Add your dates & cranberries to the oats and mix it all together. If you notice the mix is a little dry simply add a little more squeezed orange and keep mixing, or if it is a little wet then add a little more oats.

5. Place the mixture into a Tupperware and compact down. Leave in the fridge for 2 hours.

• Four homemade energy balls
• Christmas energy balls recipe

Avocado & Basil Courgetti

It’s time to give your poor insulin receptors a rest and get inventive in the kitchen.

Prep Time: 10/15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (this recipe will make 4 portions)
4 Large Courgettes
2 Ripe Avocados
1 Lemon
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Handful Fresh Basil
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tsp Coconut Oil Or Butter

Method:

1. If you have Spiralizer, spiralize your courgettes. If you don’t have this kitchen accessory I’m afraid prep time is a little longer. Start by topping and tailing your courgette before slicing in half. Then lay the Courgette flat side down and slice into 0.5 cm thick lengths, put the Courgette flat side down again and continue to slice until you get spaghetti-like courgette (Courgetti).

2. Slice and peel both avocados and put them into the blender, with the fresh basil. Cut the lemon into quarters, removing pips, before squeezing the juice into the blender mix. Finally peel and chop your garlic and add to the blender. Then give it all a good blitz for around 1-2 minutes and leave to one side.

3. Using a large pan on a medium heat melt the coconut oil or butter and add your pine nuts, leaving them to roast slightly for around 5 minutes.

4. When the pine nuts are lightly browned it’s time for the courgetti to go into the pan and give everything a good mix before turning off the heat and leaving to stand for 2 minutes. This is all the cooking time those Courgettes will need.

5. Add your avocado and basil mix to the pan, give everything a good stir and serve straight away.

Homemade Granola

An everyday essential for us at Real Food Function…. Batch cook this recipe to save yourself time. Packed full of protein and good quality natural fats to keep you going throughout the morning this homemade nut granola is sure to be a winner with all the family. Serve with Natural Yoghurt for a little hit of gut friendly probiotics and set yourself up for the busy day ahead.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:

100g Walnuts
100g Hazelnuts
100g Almonds
100g Jumbo Oats
1 large cup dried Cranberries
1 large cup Coconut Flakes
5 tsp Coconut Oil
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Ginger
½ tsp Nutmeg

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 160°C.

2.Take 100g walnuts, 100g hazelnuts, 100g almonds (or almond flakes) and chop to your desired consistency.

3. Heat 5 tsp coconut oil in a large pan and add 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg before gently heating them for 1 minute. Then add the nuts and toast until they begin to brown slightly.

4. Remove from the heat before adding the oats and mixing through. Add your granola mixture to a lined oven tray and cook in oven for around 10 minutes.

5. Remove and cool on kitchen towel. When cooled mix in your dried cranberries and coconut flakes. Store in airtight container ready for the week ahead.