APRÉS RUN

Pumpkin Pecan Oat Scones with Maple-Almond Butter Glaze (gf, df, v)

November 1, 2018November 1, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

I will preface this by saying I was not a scone person (before making these). I think I liked the idea of scones more than I actually liked scones — which I used to associate with being super dry, flaky, and not all that flavorful. If I was going to have something sweet, a scone was not going to be my first choice.

But the idea of scones…

Am I the only one who feels like when you’re eating a scone, you need to also be sipping coffee in one of those well-lit, white-washed “Instagram kitchens”, curled up in a chunky knit sweater with perfectly “I-didn’t-just-wake-up-like-this” hair? Or maybe you’re a fashionable upper-class woman who stops at the cafe every morning to sip espresso and eat a ~scone~ before work.

Scones are definitely the cool-girls of pastries.

I decided to give them a fair try, and tweaked and played with a few existing scone recipes to create this one — which is inspired by My New Roots and Cookie & Kate. My scone recipe is gluten- and dairy-free, as well as vegan. And I can confidently say it is the complete opposite of everything I used to hate about scones, plus everything I had hoped they would be.

These scones are crispy on the outside, but are wonderfully moist and soft on the inside. When you take a bite, you immediately get a great, creamy, pumpkin middle. The glaze, as well, is to-die-for, and I think a huge part of what makes this dish. I created my own glaze recipe from scratch, because I didn’t like that most scone glazes are primarily powdered sugar. Mine is refined-sugar-free, and just the right amount of sweetness. The trick is to pour the glaze over the scones while they’re only a few minutes out of the oven. They will soak it right up, and the glaze will fill every wonderful nook and crack in the scones.

Also – be generous. You’ll have excess glaze that will spill off the scones and onto the pan, but that’s ok. It lets the glaze seep into all sides of the scone, which makes it really delicious and fun to eat!

Pumpkin Pecan Oat Scones

1 cup raw pecans
2 cups oat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup solid coconut oil
¾ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple-Almond Butter Glaze

1/4 cup natural almond butter (drippy is best)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425º F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread your 1 cup of pecans on top, and toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Keep a careful eye on them, as nuts do burn quickly. Once slightly cooled, chop the nuts into fine pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, 3/4 of the chopped nuts, baking powder, coconut sugar, and spices. Whisk together.
Next, use either a pastry cutter or a fork to “cut” your solid coconut oil into your dry ingredients. Mix well.
Stir in your pumpkin puree, almond milk, and vanilla extract. It should take a while to get everything incorporated, and your dough should be fairly dense and stiff. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to knead the last bits of the dough together.
Form your dough into a circle that is about an inch tall all the way around. Cut into 8 even slices (like a pizza), and then place on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly browned on the outside.
While the scones are in the oven, prepare your glaze by whisking all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
After you take the scones out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and then generously pour your glaze on top. Really let the glaze seep into all sides and cracks of the scone. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle your remaining pecan pieces on top.

Nutrition, Recipes

Sunday Comfort Food: Lemon Aglio e Oglio Pasta with Homemade Garlic Breadcrumbs (vegan, gf)

October 14, 2018October 14, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

Last weekend I went home to New Jersey to visit my family. I go back at least 3-4 times a year (more in the summer)… if not for anything else, to get an appointment with the only colorist I let touch my hair (#Jerseygirlproblems?). It was great to see my parents and brother and get to run on all my favorite routes I grew up on, and get to visit some of my old favorite restaurants.

On Sunday, I cooked dinner for my parents. I made the Lemon Aglio e Oglio Spaghetti I had teased on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. Here it is — the full recipe!

I used Banza spaghetti, made from chickpea flour, which is my go-to gluten-free pasta brand. It’s really easy to find in stores, not too expensive, and as tasty as it is nutritious. With 8 grams of fiber, and 14 grams of protein, it is, quite literally, power pasta. My one tip with Banza — always cook it less than it says on the box! It says to cook it 8-10 minutes… we usually cook ours around 6. Test it often while cooking to see when it reaches al dente.

Serves 4 very generous-sized bowls, or 6 more normal-sized portions

Ingredients

For the lemon aglio e oglio sauce:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper

For the garlic breadcrumbs:

2-3 slices hearty whole grain bread (I used Happy Campers’ Seedy Buckwheat Molasses). Stale bread works great for homemade breadcrumbs, but you can also use fresh bread, toasted.
2-3 tsp minced garlic
Generous drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

For the pasta:

8 oz. Banza Spaghetti (or 2 boxes)
More salt and pepper, to serve
Nutritional yeast, to serve
Lemon zest (optional), to serve

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with salted water, cover it, and bring it to a rolling boil.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare your breadcrumbs. If using fresh bread, toast it first, then pop it in a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse until it’s reached a fine, breadcrumb-like consistency. If using stale bread, you can skip the toasting step, and pulse it right away.

3. Pour the breadcrumbs into an oven-safe skillet, toss with olive oil and garlic, and turn on your oven’s broiler setting. Broil for a minute or two, until crispy. Very important (!) — be sure to keep an eye on it the whole time. It will toast very quickly, and you do not want your breadcrumbs to burn!! Take out of the oven once toasted and crispy, and let cool.

4. Once pasta water has come to a boil, remove lid, add your spaghetti, stir, and set your timer for 6 minutes. You can use this time to prepare the aglio e oglio sauce, or wait to do that afterwards. Once pasta has cooked through (be sure to test a strand to see if it’s al dente), ladle a cup or so of pasta water into a small bowl, then drain it and let it cool.

5. Prepare your aglio e oglio sauce by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl. Add 1/2 – a full cup of pasta water into the sauce, and pour over your pasta.

6. Top with the breadcrumbs, a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast (for a nice, cheesy flavor), more salt and pepper, lemon zest (optional), and serve! Enjoy.

Nutrition, Recipes

Ricotta Turkey Meatball Subs

October 10, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

I say it all the time, but it has been amazing to see how far gluten- and dairy-free products have come… not only in the past 10-20 years, but even as recently as the past 5-6! I first started experimenting with gluten- and dairy-free products in high school 10 years ago. There wasn’t a whole lot out there, but everyone told me it was so much better than 10 years before that.

Then, my freshman year of college, I was getting sick all the time and had chronic stomach upset and bloating. I went to a doctor who ran some tests, put me on an elimination diet, and I found out I had bona fide wheat and milk allergies. Since then I’ve been obsessive about researching and keeping up-to-date on every new product on the market. Anything that could make my life easier. I hated that most of the gluten-free products out there were super refined (basically the equivalent of white bread), and nutrient-poor. I hated that most of the vegan cheeses out there had a 20-something ingredient list with lots of words I couldn’t pronounce, and tasted rubbery and artificial.

But again… we’ve come a long way! I want to do a round-up of my favorite gluten- and dairy-free products on the blog soon. In the meantime, here’s a product I recently discovered and can’t get enough of: Kite Hill’s new almond milk ricotta. Last week, I used it in a chicken sausage, tomato, and ricotta frittata. This week, I made homemade Ricotta Turkey Meatball subs. You’ve got to add these to your dinner rotation STAT!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. lean ground turkey (I like Trader Joe’s 99% lean, but I’d recommend anything upwards of 80/20)
3/4 cup Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta
2 egg yolks
5 tbsp. almond flour (use unblanched for the most fiber and nutrients)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, plus more for topping
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
32 oz. marinara sauce
6 small rolls, or 4 larger ones – Sliced in half lengthwise and toasted
Optional: Nutritional yeast for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 450º F.
In a large bowl, mix with your hands all ingredients except the marinara sauce and rolls.
Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Roll the batter into meatballs and place on the baking sheet. You should get 12-16 balls, depending on how large you make them. I found the ricotta gives the meatballs a great consistency and helps them bind nicely. But if yours are not staying together, cover your bowl and place the batter in the refrigerator for 20 minutes – 1 hour. Take out, and try rolling them again.
Bake the meatballs for 7-10 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the outside when they come out. The higher fat content of the ground turkey you chose, the more color they’ll get (and vice versa).
Use tongs to transfer your meatballs to a large pot. Pour marinara sauce on top, cover with a lid, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice and toast your rolls. Once the meatballs are done on the stove, assemble your subs, making sure to spoon out some extra sauce for on top. Dress with extra dried oregano and (optional) nutritional yeast.

Nutrition, Recipes

The BEST Gluten Free Buckwheat Banana Bread

October 6, 2018October 6, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

A couple of years ago, I started testing and tweaking banana bread recipes to create a gluten-free loaf I could pack as a daily work snack. My criteria: I wanted a really tasty banana bread recipe that is low in sugar, used whole grain flours as a BASE (not just an additive), and was something I could feel good about eating on a daily basis. This recipe was the result, which I kept track of in a Word document titled “The BEST Gluten-Free Buckwheat Banana Bread.”

Since then, I’ve made amazing banana breads with oat, almond, even chickpea flour, but when I want the nutty, hearty taste of buckwheat, I always go back to this recipe. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups buckwheat flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Melt your coconut oil, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine all your dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all your wet ingredients (including the coconut oil). Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Do not over-mix!
Grease a loaf pan, and pour in your banana bread mixture.
Place into the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Keep an eye on the loaf, and be careful not to overcook. The bread should keep some of its moisture when fully baked.

Nutrition, Recipes

A Week of Meals: Buffalo Chicken, Loaded Nachos, Waffles, and More

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

A WEEK OF EATS

I always tell my fiancé — anyone who thinks healthy eating is boring should come spend a week with me. I firmly believe the best thing you can do for your health (and your running and/or fitness routine…) is learn how to cook. Cooking opens you up to so many fun, creative ways to combine foods, and trust me – there are SO many ways to eat healthy outside of just steamed veggies and chicken (AKA what most people think of when they think of eating healthy).

This week I wanted to share a week’s worth of meals for Ryan and I. We have gotten really smart about the way we plan our dinners, how we cook once to eat twice (or sometimes three times). We have been enjoying our food way more than ever before, saving money and wasting way less food, and feeling better than ever (in our workouts and daily life in general).

The trick to making all of this happen is just a little planning and prep work. I’ll start brainstorming meals and looking at recipes on Saturday of the week before, and on Sunday we’ll write our grocery list for the week and go to Trader Joe’s for one big grocery haul. But going into shopping, I always know exactly what our lunches and dinners are going to look like for each day.

I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen, so we have fun mixing it up and trying new recipes each week. The recipes I choose always: (1) are low in refined sugar, (2) use real, whole foods (100% corn chips are about as refined as we get), and (3) have some kind of veggie and healthy protein. We love to treat ourselves once or twice a week, but I make sure our main meals are always packed with nourishing, good-for-you ingredients.

For breakfast, I tend to eat the same thing every morning. I go through cycles depending on what I’ve been feeling lately. For a while I was doing oatmeal every morning. Lately, my go-to breakfast has been two slices of avocado toast with two fried eggs, and two slices of turkey bacon on the side.

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What a Full Week of Eats Looks Like for Us

Sunday was the start of the NFL season (my fiancé is a huge football fan), so I made Paleomg’s Buffalo Chicken Casserole for us with corn chips and homemade Chili Sweet Potato Wedges. The casserole serves four, and I purposefully made a big batch of sweet potato wedges so we wouldn’t have to worry about lunch the next day. The Buffalo Chicken Casserole was out of this world, and we both agreed if you placed it in front of someone without saying anything, they wouldn’t believe it was healthy. In reality, though, it is packed with veggies — onions, red peppers, and a base made out of spaghetti squash! The ground chicken also gives it lots of filling protein.

Monday lunch: Leftover Buffalo Chicken Casserole + Chili Sweet Potatoes

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Monday dinner: A Fall-Themed Power Salad

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Trader Joe’s mixed greens blend, grilled chicken breast, quinoa, dried cherries (unsweetened), and pecans, tossed in a homemade Maple-Dijon Dressing

To make, all we had to do was cut a few chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, roast them on a baking sheet for ~20 minutes at 400°. While that was in the oven, we made a BIG batch of quinoa (enough for a big salad + quinoa bowls tomorrow night). Quinoa cooks up in 15 minutes. We combined the dressing ingredients in a mason jar, shook it up, tossed all the salad ingredients together, and poured the dressing over the salad. Voila… a little over half an hour start to finish. Again, we made way more than we needed for two people… this gave us four large, meal-sized salads (two for dinner tonight, two for lunch tomorrow).

Tuesday lunch: Leftover Fall Power Salad

Tuesday dinner: Deliciously Ella’s Mexican Quinoa Bowls (from her cookbook, but you can also find the recipe online here)

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I put a pound or two of chicken breasts and a little chicken stock in the crock pot in the morning. They slow-cooked for eight hours, until they were super tender, and when Ryan got home from work we shredded them with a fork. The quinoa was already made the night before, and Ryan and I tag-teamed the rest of the ingredients – the cashew cream which blended up in <5 minutes, the guacamole which came together in <5 minutes, and the tomato salsa which also came together in <5 minutes. The recipe serves four people, which meant we had extras of all the ingredients (except the quinoa) for the next day.

Wednesday lunch: Mexican Chicken Salad

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We made salads out of the leftover ingredients from last night.

Wednesday dinner: Take-out from a Thai restaurant around the corner. I got the stir-fried broccoli, carrot, garlic, and chicken in one of their lighter, healthier sauces. Served over rice.

Thursday lunch: Big green smoothie bowl – Mint Matcha Chip (recipe coming soon). I used protein powder in it to make it more satiating.

Thursday dinner: Homemade turkey burgers (unpictured). I ate mine as sliders, and Ryan ate his on Trader Joes’ whole-wheat buns.

Friday lunch: A big “kitchen sink” salad, with mixed greens, extra chicken from the week, and pre-cut veggies I had bought for exactly these kinds of days.

Friday dinner: Dinner at my future in-laws’ house

Saturday lunch: Take-out from By Chloe… a healthy vegan “fast food” restaurant and one of my all-time favorite places.

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I got their Kale Caesar salad with shredded kale, chopped romaine, shiitake bacon, avocado, almond parmesan, sunflower seeds, and caesar dressing. Air-fried sweet potato fries, and coconut water (straight out of the coconut) on the side.

Saturday dinner: Loaded Vegan Nachos and Homemade Salted Watermelon Margaritas

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Perfect for Saturday date-night-in (AKA movie night). The Loaded Nachos are made with corn chips, black beans, a homemade vegan queso sauce (which was out of this world), pico de gallo, sliced black olives, homemade guacamole, and fresh cilantro. The recipe is from the Minimalist Baker cookbook… my newest obsession. (Every recipe in there is gold.)

Sunday brunch: Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Waffles from Minimalist Baker (recipe is also from her cookbook)

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The stats:

I went grocery shopping once. (Because I had a plan… this is key!)
I cooked only six times for twelve lunches and dinners, and one brunch.
I ate out twice.
I saved a lot of money.
I had no cravings. (Because the food I eat satisfies me, and I genuinely love what I’m eating!)
And health and happiness are both very high.

Running, Strength Training

5-Minute Running Warm-Up Routine

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

It used to be that people just talked about preventing injuries when touting the importance of warming up before running. Now the conversation has switched to “activation”, which explains the underlying mechanisms of why warm-ups work.

When your muscles are “activated” properly prior to running, not only will you prevent injuries, but you’ll also be able to run more powerfully and efficiently because the muscles that give you the most power are turned on and engaged. Sitting at a desk all day, for example, “turns off” your glute muscles… your butt essentially becomes lazy and half-functioning. (Google “dead butt syndrome.”)

By going through an activation series prior to running, you’re waking up those muscles, getting them re-firing, and priming them for movement. Don’t believe me? Give this warm-up a try before your next run, and see if you notice a difference.

(Note: If you have more chronic/systemic activation issues, you’ll want to get with a good PT to address this.)

This quick 5-minute warm-up routine is what works for me. It’s short, but sweet, and it does everything I need it to – it gets blood flowing, activates my hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and takes me through some range-of-motion work.

The seven moves I do before every run (shown in the video above):

(Note: You’ll need a miniband, which you can buy here. They are super affordable and will last you forever!)

10-12 banded squats
5-10 each side banded hip abductions
5-10 each side banded glute kickbacks
5-10 steps each side banded lateral low walks
5-10 steps each side banded monster walks
8-10 each side leg swings
8-10 each side cross-body leg swings

Body Image, Nutrition, Philosophy, Running

4 Better Questions Than “What Do I Weigh?”

August 29, 2018August 29, 2018by APRÉS RUNLeave a Comment

See disclaimer in my sidebar: I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or PT — but I have worked with lots of doctors, nutritionists, PTs, and strength training professionals over my career. These are just my experiences and informed opinions from 12+ years in the sport.

If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll find no shortage of resources. Every blog, magazine, and book out there will tell you about “the next big thing” and “what worked for me.” Diet culture is pervasive and contagious, and there are many, many companies out there that profit on the contingency of women hating their bodies.

In my bio I talk about how running changed my life 12 years ago. When I started viewing myself as an athlete, I started viewing my workouts as “training” vs. ways to get “skinny” or “toned”. I started looking at my body for what it can do — like running longer than I ever have before, setting new PRs, nailing a tough lift — vs. just what it looks like. This in turn totally changed the way I viewed myself, my body, and what I eat.

In the past six years, I’ve maybe weighed myself a handful of times. Why? Because I feel there are more important questions to answer than “What do I weigh?”.

What if, the next time you’re tempted to fixate on your weight, you asked yourself:

1. Do I feel strong and competitive in workouts and races? Do you feel like you’re fully present in workouts and races, or do you feel like you’re just slogging along and going through the motions? Do you feel like you attack hills, or like every hill defeats you? Do you feel like you have a strong kick at the end of races? Before focusing on fixing your body, try focusing on fixing your training (and your mental game). Ask yourself: Am I doing all the little things I need to do to succeed? Am I fully present in my training when I’m training, or am I constantly distracted? Am I neglecting certain types of workouts or doing too little/too much mileage? Sometimes you need to refocus, sometimes you need to be working harder, and sometimes you just need to change it up.

2. Does my training bring me joy? Do you view training as a challenge, as a way to hone in on your competitive spirit, as a way to push and understand yourself better? Or do you view training as a chore? If you’re not loving what you’re doing, it’s going to show – in everything from your training logs to your performance results to your personal relationships, sleeping habits, and the food choices you make.

3. Does what I’m eating make me feel good and energized? If you’re eating lots of sugar, processed foods, and too few vegetables or quality protein, you’re going to feel like crap all the time, and your body isn’t going to be functioning optimally. Plain and simple. Conversely, if you’re eating too little or trying to go vegan/paleo/fat-free just because everyone on Instagram is doing it, your body is going to respond accordingly and you’re going to be tired all the time, your hormone function is going to become suppressed, your recovery is going to slow, and your skin, hair, and nails will weaken. Your diet should be working for you, not the other way around. It takes a lot of experimentation to find what works best for you, but put blinders on, stop looking at what everyone else is doing, and focus on what foods and in what amounts make YOU feel happy, strong, and energized. When you eat what makes you feel good, eat intuitively, and train hard, I’m a firm believer that your body will find the weight it’s supposed to be at.

Hint: Make sure you’ve got the fundamentals down. Eat often enough to avoid blood sugar crashes or big dips in energy. Make sure you get vegetables (especially leafy green ones) in with at least two meals a day. Make sure you’re getting some kind of protein in consistently, so your body can keep repairing and recovering. Make sure you’re eating enough healthy fats for hormone function (especially important for females), and make sure you’re drinking lots of water consistently throughout the day. Eery system in your body depends on hydration, and it is especially important for digestion – which plays a big part in how you feel day-to-day. Avoid regularly eating foods that make you feel sluggish, give you brain fog, give you a stomach ache and/or compromise your digestion, and avoid foods that make you bloated.

4. Are you enjoying the foods you’re eating? If you’re eating plain steamed vegetables and grilled chicken every day because that’s what’s “healthy”, you’re probably not enjoying what you’re eating. (But if you are, that’s ok too.) There are so many different amazingly healthy foods out there, and so many different ways to cook them, combine them, and make them more interesting. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring (see my Instagram for recipe ideas). And any healthy diet should have plenty of variety — not just to make sure you’re getting all the macro- and micronutrients you need, but also for your psychological health and sanity.

Also – barring any allergies, there is a place for all foods in a healthy, balanced diet. An A- or B+ diet is always better than an A+ diet, because an A-/B+ diet is one you can sustain for the rest of your life, and an A+ diet is not. (Lauren Fleshman has great insight on this.) And furthermore, you simply don’t need an A+ diet to reach your goals. You can absolutely achieve and maintain your happiest, healthiest, fittest weight with a B+ diet… it just comes down to consistency.

Feature photo courtesy of Ocean State Multisport.