Fruity Recovery Smoothie

Recovery from what, you ask?  Due to the content of this blog, you might not guess that I'm a marathoner.  But hey, I run and then I get tasty treats, so it's really the perfect system.  Anyway, I recently finished a race and thought I'd share a super tasty smoothie that I use for my and the husband's training.

I'd made a version of this smoothie for a long time, but recently have perfected it with some inspiration from Scott Jurek's book, Eat and Run.  He's an amazing ultramarathoner, an inspiration of mine, and he happens to be a great chef as well.  With his crazy mileage, he would know a thing or two about recovery.  Anyway, he had some great tips to amp up my post-run smoothie to not only taste great, but be extra beneficial as well.

There is a lot of flexibility in this smoothie - use your favorite fruits!  Fresh fruits work well, of course, but if you want the smoothie to be more icy (perfect on a hot day), then use frozen fruits.  Additionally, this smoothie could easily be made vegan by taking out the yogurt.

Some nutritional reasons to love this smoothie:
-Refueling within the first 30 minutes post-workout is ideal (fuel is most efficiently absorbed within that timeframe), and a smoothie is an easy and quick way to refuel.  It might be particularly helpful if you don't feel like eating solid food post-workout.
-Potassium from the banana helps maintain the mineral balance in your body and can combat muscle cramping.
-All of the fruit provides quick carbohydrates to restore glycogen to depleted muscles as well as essential vitamins and antioxidants that defend against free radical damage to muscle tissues.
-Protein from the yogurt and protein powder promote muscle repair.
-The miso replaces the salt and electrolytes lost in sweat.
-Flax and chia seeds provide omega 3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory, and may reduce joint pain intensity.
-Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties as well, and may prevent delayed onset muscle soreness.

And, it's simply very tasty!  Perfect for recovery, whether from an intense workout at the gym, chasing your kid around the park, or just a yummy treat on a hot day.

Fruity Recovery Smoothie
(My recipe, with inspiration from Scott Jurek's book, Eat and Run)
Makes ~3 cups - 1 large, or 2 medium sized servings

1 ripe banana (sliced and frozen is great, as well)
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen berries (I used a mix of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but blueberries are wonderful too!)
4 oz. yogurt (We love Noosa, but definitely use one that has probiotics in it)
2 tsp mellow miso
1 Tbsp flax seeds, ground
1 Tbsp chia seeds (or just double the flax seeds)
3 Tbsp protein powder (I love the brown rice protein powder)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or if you like, 1/2 - 1 inch fresh ginger, minced)
1/4 cup Pom juice
1/2 cup Almond milk

Puree all ingredients in blender.  Add more almond milk if it's too thick.  Pour into glasses, and drink up!

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

Weekend mornings just beg for a special breakfast.  Something tasty to serve with a good cup of coffee while listening to NPR radio shows (or is this just us?)  I had a few bananas past their prime, and although I love making the always amazing Banana-Blueberry Muffins, I wanted to try something new. 

Also, we'd only used our snazzy, wedding-gift waffle-maker once.  I wasn't overly impressed with the first recipe we had tried, so I wanted to give it another go with a new recipe.  This one came together very quickly.  And I had some berries in the fridge, so I had a ready-made topping for them.

A tip to avoid the waffles losing their crispiness by sitting piled up on a plate: put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  After a pair of waffles is done, place them on the cooling rack-cookie sheet in the oven to keep them warm and crispy while you finish up with the rest of the batter.

While I was plating up the waffles with fresh fruit I noticed the husband was making French press coffee (a departure from his typical Keurig cup) and I commented that he was going fancy.  "A fancy breakfast requires a fancy drink!"  I'm not sure this is ready for the Queen, but it sure is tasty and will make your breakfast companions happy!

The verdict: A yummy indulgent breakfast! The whole wheat lends a subtle nutty flavor that goes well with the sweetness of the bananas and fresh fruit.
The husband's thoughts: They were exceptional.
Changes for next time: I'd like to try applesauce in place of the oil, to lighten them a bit. Maybe even some blueberries in the batter?
Difficulty: Easy

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles
(adapted from Lauren's Latest)
Makes 6-8 waffles

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tbsp flax seeds, ground
1 cup skim milk
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
1 very ripe banana, mashed

Strawberries, blueberries, and maple syrup (optional)

In large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in milk, egg yolk, vanilla, oil and mashed banana. Stir together until just combined. Whip egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whites into batter.

Pour a heaping 1/3 cup into hot, greased waffle maker and cook by your wafflemaker's instructions.  Keep warm and crispy on a cooling rack-cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven until ready to eat.  Serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and maple syrup (or your topping of choice).

Enjoy!