Beef Pho

Soups are great meals for maintaining hydration this time of year, and this Beef Pho recipe is an incredibly flavourful version that's simple to make in a hurry.  The relatively high glycemic index of the rice noodles combined with the bovine protein, make it a great meal for right after a workout.  See here for more  info on nutrient timing.

1 litre beef broth
3 cm ginger
1 small shallot
crushed dried chiles
a handful of bean sprouts
100g of beef (cheap round steak is fine)
2 green onions
a small bunch of cilantro, or fresh Thai parsley or Thai basil
sesame oil
soy sauce
a small brick of rice vermicelli (75-100g)


Pour 1 litre of beef broth into a saucepan over maximum heat.  If you have some sake or rice wine vinegar add a shot to the saucepan.  Grate about 3 centimeters of garlic into the broth.  Thinly slice the shallot and add to broth.  Add some crushed dried chilies, and some Thai curry powder or Asian 5-spice blend if possible.  You can also add a spoonful of tamarind sauce if you wish.  Cover and bring to a vigorous boil.

Wash the bean sprouts and place in the bottom of a big bowl. (If you haven’t got a big bowl, you’ll have to eat right out of the pot.)  With an extremely sharp knife, cut the beef into paper-thin strips.  If you have the foresight, partially freezing the steak, maybe for 45 minutes, will help with this process.  Spread the beef slices over the sprouts, and add a few grindings of pepper and salt.  Thinly slice the green onions, and cilantro and place them on top of the beef.  Drizzle some sesame oil and soy sauce over the whole lot.

Assuming it is now boiling vigorously, ladle out about half the broth to freeze it for later use.

Add rice vermicelli to the stock that is boiling away in the saucepan and cook for 60 seconds (or as recommended on the package directions).  Pour the noodles and broth from the saucepan into the serving bowl to cover the onion, beef, and sprouts.  While it cools to eating temperature, stir the soup a few times to separate the beef strips and ensure all surfaces get cooked by the broth.

More Success For The Brothers

It's been a championship month Jarrett and Rylan:

They combined for 11 podium finishes over three meets (two of those meets were Provincial Championships), including 5 gold medals.
Rylan also set a provincial record in the 800m.
Both qualified for the prestigious Hershey's North American Finals.
And their lacrosse team won the league championships.

Way to go, Guys!

Jarrett and Rylan Sweep Podium

A big congratulations to two of Proto Strength and Conditionings young athletes, Jarrett and Rylan, who finished first and second in the 400m, second and first in the 800m, and first in the 1000m relay at the District 6 Middle School Track and Field Championships.  The brothers could not have done any better in their three events!

The final event, the 1000m medley relay, is somewhat unique, and I'm sure many readers are unfamiliar with the race.  Rather than rewarding the teams with the most depth at a particular distance, this is a true evaluation of a team across all sprint distances.  The first leg is 100m, followed by a 200m, then 300m, and a final 400m lap as the anchor leg.  The Hampton Middle School was trailing after the first 300m, before the twins got the baton, at which point they closed the gap and pulled ahead for a comfortable win of nearly 10 seconds.

You can see the full results on the Athletics NB website.

10-minute Beans

olive oil
a small onion
1/2 bell pepper (any colour, and/or use a hot variety)
a carrot
chili powder
cumin powder
a small tomato
a clove of garlic
1/2 can of kidney beans
cilantro
1/2 an avocado (or more)

In a frying pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium-high heat.  Chop up the onion and add to the pan.  Do the same with the pepper(s), carrot, and anything else you wish to add.  Shake in some chili and cumin powders to taste and stir.  Mash the garlic then chop it with the tomato.  Add these to the pan as well, then stir.  Rinse and drain the beans, then dump them into the mixture.  Add a dash of tequila, or lime juice, or orange juice, or all three.  Scrape up any brown bits.  Chop up the cilantro and dice the avocado.  Turn off the heat, toss in these last two ingredients and serve.

Corn Soup with Avocado and Shrimp

handful shrimp
juice from 1/2 a lime
1 shot of tequila (or agave nectar cut with water)
crushed chili flakes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a small onion
1/4 sweet bell pepper
oregano
1 can creamed corn
1/2 an avocado


Peel the shrimp and marinate in a few drops of the lime juice and tequila, along with some salt and pepper, and chili flakes. Set this aside while you mince the garlic and, chop the the onion and bell pepper into tiny bits.

Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium-high then add the garlic, onion, and peppers. to get all the flavours out and blended.  Add all that remains of the lime juice and the shot of tequila, and a pinch of oregano.  Stir, scraping up any brown bits, then add the can of creamed corn.

In a separate frying pan, over high heat add a drop of oil and quickly cook the shrimp, along with any liquid from the marinade.  As soon as one side turns pink, turn off the heat and flip the shrimp so they cook on the other side.

Add the shrimp to the soup which should be heated to serving temperature by now, but not boiling. Garnish with diced or sliced avocado.

Variation:
Replace the shrimp with slices of cured (Spanish) chorizo.  Follow the same directions, replacing the word “pink” with “brown”.

Steak and Pasta Salad

 300-450g grilling steak
steak spice
Pasta or Israeli couscous
1-2 tomatoes
avocado
1/2 bell pepper
small garlic clove
lime juice or red wine vinegar
olive oil
coriander

Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the pasta when it is ready and cook following package directions.

Meanwhile, preheat a broiling pan (in a toaster oven will only take 5 minutes) at 200º C (450ºF).  Chop the tomatoes, pepper, and avocado.  Place them in a large bowl, sprinkle with coriander.  Grate the garlic over top, then toss it all with a bit of lime juice/vinegar and olive oil.

When pan is hot, place the steak upon it, and sprinkle with steak spice.  Broil for 2-3 minutes.  Flip the steak, add more spice, and broil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to 175ºC (350ºF) and cook for 2-5 minutes depending on thickness.  Turn off the heat, open the oven door, and let it rest for few minutes before slicing.

Slice the steak, and add it along with the drained pasta to the bowl. Toss and serve warm.  The leftovers are great cold for tomorrows lunch or supper.

Snacks

The Coaching Association of  Canada recently posted this article.  I prefer to reference materials rather than simply reposting them, but I've already discussed this topic in detail throughout this blog, especially here.  So there's no point in me repeating myself.  Check out some snacking advice courtesy of Coach.ca