Unrefined Athlete

Daily Bite: Mediterranean Wraps with Homemade Hummus

Q: Dear Unrefined Athlete: You say your fiance spent all of your Vitamix money from your registry on his fancy new D90 Camera. Then why do you have no pictures on your blog of D90 quality?!

A: Fiance did get that camera, and he is very possessive of it. While he is finishing up neuroanatomy I believe I will be stuck with my simple powershot photography. Stay tuned, though, because he's done medical school in one week which means the photos on this blog are going to be Siiickk!

Mediterranean Wraps with Homemade Hummus

Ingredients: 

• Burrito size whole wheat torillas of your choice
• Kalamata olives
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Spring mix
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• 1/4 cup Hummus (you can use any type of store bought hummus too!)

For Hummus:

• 2 large cans of chick peas
• 1/2 cup Tahini paste 
• 5 cloves garlic (or more if you like)
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (again how you like it)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil    
• Paprika for garnish 

 Directions for Hummus:

1. Open up can of chickpeas and drain it.  
2. Add all ingredients to the food processor
3. Process about 5-10 minutes until hummus reaches desired thickness. 
4. Add additional oil and or lemon juice if you want the hummus thinner 
5. Taste the results- does it need more salt? If I'm making it---YES!
6. Keep hummus in tightly closing Tupperware container. Prior to topping with lid, pour olive oil, enough to cover top of hummus to keep it moist and sprinkle paprika on top of hummus until ready to serve.  
7. Put it on a wrap or some grilled Pita bread and go crazy!!! 

Assembling the Wrap: 

1. Spread thick layer of hummus on bottom of wrap
2. Top with veggies, olives, etc. until your heart desires 
3. Add a scoop or two of hummus on top of veggies 
4. Top with an amount of feta that makes you happy 
5. Devour 

 

 

DAILY BITE: Trail Run Fueling = Thai Basil Tofu Stir-Fry

Tonight's dinner was a thai basil tofu stir-fry. After running Friday through today my legs are tired and I have a big, hilly trail run I signed on for with my training partners tomorrow morning. So, I needed some high quality fuel! This hit the spot: 

I used a few different websites such as Foodgawker and Cooking with Erica to adapt a recipe here:

Thai Basil Tofu Stir-Fry

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

Marinade for tofu:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp chili paste (optional)
• 1 container of firm tofu

Vegetables such as the following*:

• Carrots
• Baby Corn
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Red bell peppers
• Sweet Onion
• Scallion
• Zucchini
• Snow Peas
• Green Beans

*For a quick shortcut use a bag of frozen thai veggies

• Peanut oil (recommended) or vegetable oil for stir frying
• 1/2 cup or more fresh basil
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• Rice of your choice (sticky rice, brown rice, etc.)

Sauce:

• 2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp black rice vinegar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, diced or pressed
• 1 tsp fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Dice tofu into small cubes and mix in marinade. Set tofu aside to marinade while you cut up your vegetables.
2. Mix ingredients for sauce together and set aside.
3. Heat the peanut oil in cold wok (or other stir frying pan). Stir-fry tofu and marinade. Once tofu starts to brown, start adding your vegetables.
4. Once tofu is browned and vegetables are cooked add sauce. Continuing cooking for about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add basil leaves. Continue to stir until basil leaves are cooked down. Serve with rice of your choice.

Leftovers suggestion: This is delicious for lunch or dinner the next day if you put it in a wrap with some avocado, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and some light peanut sauce if you have it!

DAILY BITE: Vegetarian BBQ Heaven

More than a Marathon Memorial Day Weekend was a success. I totaled 29.5 miles in the three days with a 12.8; 10.6; and 6.1 miler respectively.  Even though today was the shortest day, I was definitely the hungriest and had trouble waiting for my veggies and bbq tofu to marinate in the fridge. This meant that I drank a few Corona Lights to try to quell my hunger. Probably a bad move for the pre-wedding diet, but it is a holiday right?

I always find that my shorter run days or my rest days are when my body really craves food. Do you have a similar experience? I've been working hard to stop trying to "justify" this and learn to listen to my gut-literally. 

Anyway, I love BBQ and grilling out because of the flexibility to play with the recipes and make things to taste.  Tonight's feast included tons of grilled veggies, which will hopefully result in some leftovers, and BBQ tofu. I also grilled some corn on the cob.  The BBQ tofu in this recipe includes some sugar to give it a nice, crispy taste post-grilling. See below for both recipes! 

BBQ Tofu

4 servings

• ~8 TBSP Annie's Original BBQ sauce
• 1 TBSP Grandma's Molasses
• 1-2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1-2 TBSP ketchup
• 1 package (about 4 servings) firm tofu Directions:
  1. Stir together ingredients in a bowl
  2. Separate tofu into two sandwich size ziploc bags by placing half the package into each page
  3. Spoon in half the mixture to each bag
  4. Refrigerate and marinate for 2-24 hours
  5. Remove and grill until browned
  6. DEVOUR
  
  

  

  Grilled Veggies

  The quantity of ingredients in the marinade really depends on how many veggies you're grilling, so I will leave that up to your capable hands or you can message me if you want details. I used about 1 cup of olive oil and vinegar, a clove of garlic, and two tablespoons of lemon juice, but I grilled two eggplant, two green peppers, an entire bunch of asparagus, and two zucchini. Did I mention I am hungry today?

  • Assortment of sliced and diced veggies for grilling. I included eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, and peppers
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Fresh basil; chopped
  • Garlic; A LOT
  • Lemon zest
  • Salt and pepper

  Possible Additions: 

  • Eggplant and zucchini: top with feta cheese
  • Asparagus: dip in dijion mustard mixed with light mayo

  Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients for the marinade into a mixing bowl
  2. Chop veggies and place in one (or several) tupperware containers)
  3. Coat veggies with the marinade, cover, and shake, shake, shake it
  4. Leave to marinade in the fridge for two to ??? hours
  5. Remove, shake it good, and grill
  6. EAT

DAILY BITE: Seitan and Broccoli Pasta Refuel

It's "More than a Marathon" Memorial Day weekend, which I invented last year while in Moab, Utah. The inspiration was Fiance's drive to mountain bike meaning I was left to my own devices.  That ended up equaling lots of running.  This year, Garmin credited me with a 12.8 miler yesterday and a 10.6 miler today, so tomorrow, I don't have much more to do to get above the 26.2 mark.  Since last year I covered 33 miles over the weekend, I'd like to put a decent run on the books tomorrow. Pre-run today was the usual sprouted wheat bagel with almond butter and of course, Fiance prepared the americanos. I took Jelly Belly sports beans and water out with me on the run.  When I came home I refueled with my celebratory green smoothie and some Macro Vegetarian sushi: 

For dinner I decided to cook up one of my old favorites: Broccoli and Seitan with a "healthy" Caesar Salad on the side. Most of my recipes I just invent by combining ingredients that sound good to me. 

Healthy Caesar Salad: I call my version of Caesar healthy primarily because of the dressing and the incorporation of tomatoes, cucumbers, and some spring greens to the usual romaine and cheese nightmare. Also, I'm a big feta cheese fan, so tonight I had reduced fat feta in place of parmesan for an interesting Mediterranean twist. There are two pre-made Caesar dressings that I absolutely love and both contain only all natural ingredients and no weird chemicals. The World' Best Miso Caeser, coming in at just 28 calories for two tablespoons and Boathouse Farms Caesar Yogurt dressing at just 80 calories for two tablespoons. You can combine 1 tablespoon of each and get the best of both worlds! 

Whole Wheat Rotini with Seitan and Broccoli: This recipe combines onion, garlic, seitan, spinach, and broccoli into an amazing dish that mixes perfectly with rotini, penne, or elbow pasta. It has a great balance of carbs and protein with just the right amount of heart healthy fat (do I sound like a broken record already?). A perfect way to get your green veggies while refueling your body. I prefer to use whole wheat pasta because it makes me feel good about myself.  Happy Refueling!

The Making of:

This was devoured in 5 minutes. Probably because I waited until 9:30 to eat:

Seitan and Broccoli with Whole Wheat Rotini

• 2-4 TBSP olive oil (depending on taste)
• 1/4 cup veggie broth
• 1/2 cup onion; diced
• 2-5 cloves garlic (again, depends on taste)
• 1 package of Seitan (like Whitewave brand) chopped
• 1-2 broccoli florets (fresh or frozen) 
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 2 servings of whole wheat rotini pasta (or more if you're a big carbovore)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Crumbled feta or freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Steam broccoli as desired
3. Heat large skillet and add olive oil and garlic; cook garlic until browned
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add in onion; cook until translucent
5. Add Seitan and more oil to skillet and cook until it starts to brown
6. Reduce heat and add veggie broth, spinach, salt, and pepper to taste
7. Continue to saute until spinach is cooked down
8. In pot containing pasta, mix in steamed broccoli
9. Remove skillet from heat and slowly mix the contents in with the pasta and broccoli
10. Add more salt and pepper if desired while mixing ingredients together
11. Garnish with fresh cheese and enjoy!

DAILY BITE(s): Saturday Long Run

This morning's run was a 12.81 mile (according to Garmin) out and back through the park/trail network down the street from my house. I was happy that after a light day yesterday my body really bounced back from Thursday's run. I was able to through in some good hills and still have energy when I got home.  Thank you Sprouted Wheat Bagels, Almond Butter, and Sports Beans! 

Onto the EATS: 

Pre-Run Breakfast was a staple of mine. Alvarado St. Sprouted Wheat Bagels with Natural Almond Butter and an americano that Fiance made with our newfangled Italian espresso machine. He threw out my old coffee maker to make room for it on the counter, so he is now locked into making me americanos every morning for the rest of his life!  This Earth Balance Almond Butter is awesome, sometimes almond butter isn't my favorite, but I really like this brand.  Some fun variations with this combo are to add banana, honey, cinnamon, or some natural jelly.  Today I kept it plain and simple. 

Post-run was the the usual combination of a green smoothie and a favorite in our house, Huevos Rancheros. My fiance won my heart by introducing me to his recipe for huevos and my life has never been the same!  I make my green smoothies with A LOT of greens and just a little fruit, some spices, and water. That's it. The sugars in the fruit I find make them lightly sweet and very refreshing.  I felt extra happy to be done with my long run so I decided a large margarita glass was a great way to celebrate. No, I didn't spike it, although I was tempted...

 

Green Smoothie ala BoomBoom

• 1/2 or 1/3 frozen banana
• 2-3 frozen strawberries
• 1-2 TBSP frozen blueberries
• 2-3 cups of greens: kale, spinach, collard (as much as you can stomach)
• fresh ginger (optional)
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• cold water

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and fill with cold water until covered
2. BLEND until smooth and ENJOY! 

Huevos Rancheros (serves two)

• 1/2 TBSP Butter or Olive Oil
• 4 eggs; divided
• 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetarian refried beans (depending on taste)
• 2 medium tortillas
• salsa (to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese (depending on taste)
• Optional: lightly sauteed spinach and mushrooms

Directions:

1. Turn broiler on high
2. Add olive oil or butter to a hot skillet and melt
3. Add eggs, two at a time to skillet, and pan fry to cook as desired
4. Using non-stick spray or olive oil; grease a baking sheet
5. Place both tortillas on baking sheet and spread each with half of the refried beans
6. Once eggs are cooked place two on top of each tortilla and refried beans
7. Cover with salsa to taste
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese as desired to cover both tortillas
9. Place spinach and mushroom on top of the Huevos if desired (excellent w/o them too)
10. Place baking sheet in oven and broil for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas are browned
11. Remove and serve

Delicious! This is my absolute favorite post-long run recovery meal. It is a great combination of carbs, proteins, and has just the right amount of fat. Eggs are also a perfect source of amino acids for vegetarians. Check out the article: Eggs Pack Power, Strength, and Energy from the academic journal, Nutrition Today.

DAILY BITE: The Truth about Healthy Fat and Nutrient Absorption

Lunch at work today was the amazing Vegan Eggplant Rollettes with which I am absolutely obsessed.  I recently discovered that the natural foods section at my local Giant carries them. I don't know how they make these so delicious with no cheese and no dairy products, but if you come across a box that looks like this---grab as many as you can! I could easily live on Eggplant Rollettes and Macro Vegetarian meals alone. 

At 350 calories, these plus a light side salad make for a quick, easy lunch or dinner. They do contain 19g of fat, which brings me to the point of this post.   Almost all of the fat is unsaturated and they also come with 12 grams of soy protein and 25% of your daily iron requirement, due to all the spinach they contain. I don't know about you, but I've been seeing tons in the media about the importance of healthy fats in your diet.  I think I tend to get hung up on eating fats because they are calorie dense, but I know I need to get more in my diet.

 So, I did a little digging of my own.  According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition eating your vegetables with a heart healthy fat, like olive oil based dressing or a serving of nuts, helps the nutrients they contain to be absorbed in the body. Actually, according to the AJCN, no carotenoids (the important antioxidants) were absorbed at all when salads with fat- free dressing only were consumed! The Journal of International Sports Nutrition also recently published a study that showed women runners who get more fat in their diet weigh the same as their low fat diet counterparts, but are less likely to get injured.  More than enough reason for me to consider getting my daily quota of healthy fat. So add those healthy fats to your vegetables! That 25% of my DV for iron should certainly be absorbed, then right?  But no, I really don't advocate eating these rollettes every single day, although I sure wish I could... 

Bottom Line: A+ I just can't get enough!

DAILY BITE: Lazy Dogs and Veggie Burgers

Well the six-mile planned run turned into a 4-miler and not much else was accomplished athletically today. A change in the weather left me feeling like my trusty running partner looks here: 

After some challenging runs this week, I'm looking forward to a morning off tomorrow! For lunch today I had some delectable Thai Veggie Chicken, along with my usual salad:

Dinner for Fiance and I included a Corona Light, salad, and Gardenburger GardenVegan veggie patties on Food for Life sprouted grains bread prepared using the "Different Breed O'Veggie Burger Sandwich" Recipe below. 

Ok, onto the review. The Food for Life Sprouted Grain Bread is very good. I love that it's made with all sprouted grains. Reading the back of the package makes me feel great about myself: sprouted organic millet, sprouted organic barley, etc. There are a few details you should be aware of when using it: First, it tastes best when it's toasted lightly. If you toast it too dark it gets really hard fast. It needs to be kept in the freezer and eaten right after toasting since it's got only sprouted grains, water, and some yeast as ingredients.  Also, it isn't the sturdiest bread ever, so you can't load it up with tons of toppings and expect it to hold up.  This is great for portion control but bad for adding heaps of veggies. The bread is good with a veggie burger, but honestly, I absolutely love it in the morning pre-workout with a smear of natural peanut butter or almond butter.Yum! Depending on which kind you buy (there's 7-grain, Genesis, etc. versions) it has 80-90 calories per slice, 3-4 grams of fiber, and 4-5 grams of protein. Bottom Line: B+ Not the best bread ever, but it's still tasty and SO good for you!

The Gardenburger GardenVegan patty was much loved by me, but not so much by Fiance. I think he just wanted them to be bigger, since he normally picks out Amy's 1/4 pounder veggie burgers when left to his own devices. I love the fact that you can actually see the veggies and rice in these pattys and they don't taste like processed soy (which is how I think boca burgers taste). Also, at only 80 calories and 10 grams of protein they pack a nutritional punch for such a small package. You have to be careful with veggie burgers if you're looking to them for a source of protein. The Gardenburger Original patty only has 5 grams of protein. Bottom Line: Another B+ my favorite veggie burger, but, it is just a veggie burger...

A Different Breed O'Veggie Burger Sandwich: 

• 2 slices of Food for Life Bread (or any favorite alternative) 
• 1 Veggie Burger Patty (your choice of brand) 
• 1/4 Ripe Avocado
• 1-2 TBSP Hummus (your choice of flavor)  
• Feta Cheese (as much as you desire)    
• Handful of chopped, fresh Romaine Lettuce  
• Diced Tomato 

Directions: 

1) Lightly toast bread in toaster oven or regular toaster

2) Cook veggie burger according to package directions 

3) After toasting, remove bread and spread with hummus and avocado; place cooked veggie patty on one piece of bread, leaving the sandwich open-faced

4) Sprinkle feta cheese on both halves of the sandwich

5) Place sandwich on small griddle on stovetop either open or closed-faced until feta cheese starts to   melt (you can also microwave if you prefer)  

6) Here's the messy part, but what fun is cooking if you can't get your hands dirty? add in the romaine lettuce and tomato however you can get it to fit! 

7) ENJOY! Serve with a small side salad, soy chips, or some oven-baked french fries 

DAILY BITE: Greek Yogurt + Creamy Vanilla Protein = AMAZING

Another staple in my diet is the combination of 0% plain, Greek yogurt, such as Stonyfield Farm's Oikos or Total's plain 0% with a large scoop of Jarrow Formulas Glycemic Balance Protein Powder in Creamy Vanilla (a vegan protein powder option). I buy Stonfield's brand the most because it has the most live, active cultures and I like to get my probiotics! I mix them together in a small tupperware with a liberal sprinkle of ground cinnamon and allow them to sit in the fridge for a few hours. What emerges is a thick, creamy, protein-filled part of a complete breakfast or a great mid-morning snack in itself that really combats hunger and satisfies cravings. It contains only about 160 calories and has 26 grams of protein. It's also full of calcium, good for you probiotics, and known hunger fighters such as glucomannan and chromium. Cinnamon is also supposed to be a craving-fighter and it adds to the sweetness of the taste. If you have a hard time believing me, give it a try and let me know what you think of my concoction!

Yo! tein:

• 1 Stonyfield Farm Oikos Yogurt in Plain
• 1 large scoop of Jarrow Forumals Creamy Vanilla Glycemic Balance protein powder 
• Cinnamon, to taste (option: you can add in nutmeg and powdered ginger if you like spices)     

Directions:

1. Empty yogurt container into a small tupperware or bowl
2. Stir in protein powder, cinnamon, and other spices to taste until smooth; sprinkle some additional cinnamon on top if you like
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour; best if left for one hour or more
4. Enjoy the thick, creamy goodness

Bottom Line: Is this fair to rate since I invented it? Probably not, but I give it an A+ since I eat it everyday!

DAILY BITE*: Macro Vegetarian Saved My Life and My Waistline

*Each day I will write a post about a food item that it part of my weekly diet plan.  I will write about old standbys, review products, and share recipes.  

If you check out the weekly diet plan you'll see that everyday for lunch I eat a Macro Vegetarian meal from onestopnatural.  I incorporated them into my diet and exercise plan as a high-protein, vegetarian option when I decided I needed to lose weight, but still wanted to train for a marathon.  Within 8 weeks of eating Macro Vegetarian meals everyday for lunch or dinner and following an otherwise healthy diet, I dropped 20 pounds.  Even more important, I  felt satiated and had more energy.  The meals are delicious, loaded with healthy, organic ingredients, and most importantly, I really look forward to eating them. In fact, I crave them. So much so that I hoard them from my fiance by keeping them in the fridge at work or hiding them under produce in our refrigerator at home--sorry, hun, working on my honesty in our relationship...  

I had been on other diets plans before, but never had a food option that was so helpful in getting me through the day until I found these meals. For the first time I was able to stay on my reduced calorie diet as a vegetarian, meet my protein requirements, enjoy my food, AND pick up my training volume without getting injured.  Although I am not 100% vegan, I try to eat many of my meals vegan, so this is also a great option for vegans who need their protein.  

Check out this retailers page for retailers close to you, and if you can't find anyone who sells them, then ask at your local store and give them the site information. They can contact the distributor for you (I have had to do this in the past when I moved).  

The meals are made with 6 or 7 simple, organic ingredients.  Some of the products I regularly eat are the Soytein with Spinach, Thai Veggie Chicken, and Veggie Turkey.  They have 280-300 calories, and are loaded with healthy veggies and 35-42 grams of protein.  Plus, when you dump out the container it seems like a huge portion size and you get to eat the WHOLE thing! You can eat them hot or cold. I usually heat them in the microwave and then enjoy them straight.

I also eat the Macro Sushi.  It's awesome.  It comes in at about 270 calories and 18g of protein. It has wild rice, carrots, kale,and seitan.  Since it's full of healthy carbs, sometimes I even eat it before a long run or afterwards to recover.  

Bottom Line: A+ Nothing has helped me stick to a diet plan and given me the stamina to run and train like these foods have!  

Disclaimer: I do not work for Macro Vegetarian, but I probably should...