Tuesday, December 4, 2007

A little about me

Hi everyone! I'm Corey of Running-Crazy. A long time vegetarian (13 years) and 3 year vegan I've just recently taken up the sport of triathlon. Although I've been a runner for quiet some time. I work in the food industry so I'm always cooking up some vegan dish. I tend to focus on whole foods over processed but that is just a personal preference. There are a lot of tasty faux meats on the market that meet many nutritional needs.

Being vegan and an endurance athlete go hand in hand. The high carbohydrate diet lends itself well to performance. Most of the people I speak with ask about protein. Do I get enough? What do I eat? Surely I must eat dairy! Protein is such an easy component to integrate into your diet. There are a variety of delicious vegan protein bars, soy/hemp protein shakes, mock meats, in addition to the traditional plant proteins: beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and nuts. If you think about it, most things we consume have a little bit of protein in them. Toss some cannelloni beans on a salad, spread some hummus on a bagel, or dress your stir-fry with a peanut sauce. Easy and delicious. Here's one of my favorite post-hard workout meals (a great combination of complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats)

Quinoa & Tempeh Tabouli

For the Braising Liquid:
4 cups vegetable stock
1 piece kombu
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. crushed black peppercorns

1 package tempeh, cut on a bias into bite sized pieces
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. malt vinegar
1/2-1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

· Combine all of the ingredients for the braising liquid in a medium stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the tempeh and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Remove from heat.
· Put the quinoa in a fine sieve and place under cold running water, gently rubbing with your hands, for a few minutes or until the water runs clear.
· In a small pot combine the quinoa, water and 1/2 cup of the braising liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is translucent and all of the liquid is absorbed.
· In a large bowl combine the quinoa, tempeh, vegetables, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

Makes 4-6 servings

3 comments:

Jen said...

C- I'm already mentally going through what's in my fridge & pantry to figure out when I can make this. Sounds delicious and so hearty! Not that I'm exactly doing any hard workouts at the moment :-(

KleoPatra said...

Hi Corey... i'm a big fan of quinoa, and always looking for something new to do with/to it.

i dig what you write about the protein thing... very true, all of it.

CCP said...

The best part about this meal is you can eat it anytime. It isn't too heavy and has the added benefit of complex carbs + protien for a great recovery meal:)