Morgan’s Favorite Recipes
Hi! This is Morgan again from Team Birkie with a couple of my favorite recipes that I like to make to fuel myself throughout training.
Recipe 1: Shalane Flanagan’s Pesto
I cannot take credit for this recipe, but ever since I found it in Shalane Flanagan’s (4x American Olympic distance runner and 2008 Olympic 10k silver medalist) and Elyse Kopecky’s endurance-athlete-focused cook book Run Fast Eat Slow, I have been hooked, as I make this every week to pack for lunch. It is super easy to make (20-30 minutes) and keeps very well. It typically serves 8 normal people and 6 very hungry people.
Ingredients
2 cups toasted walnuts or cashews (I prefer walnuts, but either are good)
2 packed cups of greens (I usually use arugula, kale, and/or basil)
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice (typically this is equal to 1-2 lemons depending on their size)
2-3 tsp miso paste
5 tsp minced garlic (This is not in the original recipe, but I like to add this in because I love garlic and because it is good for immune health).
Pasta
Steps
Boil a pot of water for pasta.
Toast 2 cups of walnuts. I normally do this in a pan because it is faster, but it can be done in the oven as well.
Juice lemon(s) so that you have 1⁄3 a cup.
Mix all the ingredients besides the pasta in a food processor until smooth. FYI-the pesto is thick in consistency, but once you mix it with warm pasta it becomes more saucelike.
Put the pasta in the boiling water and strain when done.
Mix the pesto in the warm pasta and eat!
Optional Other Ingredients and Ideas
Veggies: I will often sauté mushrooms to mix in with the pesto and pasta to get extra veggies and nutrients, but you can mix in any veggies you like.
Protein: If there is leftover chicken or salmon I will often have it with the pesto pasta to get extra protein.
Recipe 2: Super Simple Granola
This granola can be made super simple or can be altered to include other ingredients to spice it up. I typically make the simplest version, but add in chocolate chips after it is baked. I make this recipe at least one a week, often a couple times a week. This granola is great with milk, yogurt, or just by itself!
Ingredients
4 cups of old fashioned oats
1⁄2 cup coconut oil
1⁄2 cup honey
Other toppings (i.e. nuts, dried fruit, coconut flakes, chocolate chips)*
*If you are adding toppings that will go in before baking (i.e. toppings that don’t melt), you should add less oats. For example, if you add 1⁄4 cup of toppings that don’t melt, you should add only 3.75 cups of oats instead of 4.
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the coconut oil and honey in a microwave.
Mix the oats, honey, coconut oil, and toppings that don’t melt in a large mixing bowl.
Place the granola mixture on a pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown (the time will vary depending on the oven).
Break apart the granola into smaller pieces.
Mix in any toppings that you did not mix in before baking (i.e chocolate chips).
I hope you get a chance to try and enjoy these recipes, and thanks for reading!