 Mincemeat and Orange Flapjacks
by Kate Percy 'Go Faster Food' An unusual combination of mincemeat and orange zest that really works and is perfect for the Christmas season! You need: a shallow 23cm x 33cm swiss roll tin, lightly greased 175g butter 280g golden syrup 225g mincemeat grated zest of 2 oranges large handful of raisins 425g unrefined porridge oats Preheat the oven to 170ºC/Gas Mark 3. Melt the butter and syrup on a low heat. Add the mincemeat, raisins, orange zest and porridge oats. Mix together really well. If the mixture seems a bit sloppy, add another handful of oats. Put the mixture into the tin and press it down with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool slightly then mark into fingers or squares with a sharp knife. Remove the flapjacks from the tin when they are cool and firm.  Success all round for runnyknows at the Calvia Half
Marathon in Magaluf this morning. George, Johanna and Miguel all won trophies for finishing first in their categories. Way to go!:)))  This warming and spicy soup from Kate Percy's book, Go Faster Food, makes a hearty lunch on a cold day or a quick and easy supper served with some crusty granary bread. Chickpeas are a great source of minerals and fibre and provide a virtually fat-free source of
protein, the fresh ginger is fantastic to use in training diets as an anti-inflammatory and spinach is brimming with nutrients including iron, other important minerals and vitamin C. For 4 people, you will need: 2tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (peeled and finely sliced), 1 large sweet potato (peeled and cut into small cubes), 2 cloves garlic (crushed), 2cm piece of root ginger (peeled and grated), 1tsp cumin seeds (dry fried for 1 minute and crushed in a pestle and mortar), half tsp cinnamon, quarter tsp cayenne pepper, quarter tsp English mustard powder, 1 x 400g can/jar chickpeas, 2 tomatoes (chopped), 1tsp honey, 1 litre veg or chicken stock, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 200g fresh spinach leaves Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potato, garlic and ginger and fry for a further minute or two. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and mustard powder and cook for 30 seconds, gently stirring all the time. Stir in the chickpeas, the tomatoes and the honey and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Return the soup to the pan, stir in the spinach leaves and cook for a further minute or two until the spinach is wilted. Serve in warmed soup bowls. I was lucky enough to meet athlete, writer and cook, Kate Percy, at the Running Show recently. Kate was answering questions on nutrition and providing active people with practical advice on how to eat for better athletic performance.
I bought a copy of her book, Go Faster Food, published by Vermilion. It is available in all good bookshops, on Amazon and on her website: www.gofasterfood.com I have already tried out several of her recipes, which are indeed nutritious and delicious!  Look out for a new 14km run on the agenda, On Cloud 9. We had great fun discovering this exhilirating route which took us along winding country roads lined with fruit trees, farm animals and homely fincas and up to a mountain top popular with hang gliders. The views and sensations were spectacular. We returned via a different route through the bustling town of Alcudia to our destination.
 After a recent documentary about the shocking amount
of sugar and general rubbish in sports drinks, I was interested to find out about a natural alternative at the Running Show last weekend. CherryActive comes as a concentrate and in capsules and is made of 100% antioxidant-rich, Montmorency cherries. It has been shown to speed up recovery after workouts and training sessions, helping muscles recuperate, mopping up damaging free radicals and helping to maintain a healthy sleep pattern due to the melatonin content. The concentrate comes in 30ml pouches which you dilute in 250ml-500ml water or add to your preferred post-exercise drink straight after exercise.  A bright and colourful stand caught my eye at the Running Show last Saturday and a bubbly lady bounced over to me and handed me a pink sticker which read, 'Some girls chase boys. I pass 'em!'. I think I'll stick it on my back in my next race!
The lady was selling running skirts. The Running Skirts brand was developed in the USA by twin sisters, Christy and Cindy, who were seeking comfortable technical wear for women but with an emphasis on making it fun and colourful. The skirts come with briefs, shorts or tights attached. Check out www.runningskirtsuk.com |
Author'runnyknows' is a friendly team of experienced runners offering guided runs of varying distances at your pace in and around Puerto Pollensa in North Majorca, Spain. Archives
June 2017
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