Book Review: Born to Run

I'd heard a lot about Christopher McDougall's Born to Run. The book is a talented journalist's account of growing his own amateur athletic career by adopting the running stylings of Mexico's Tarahumara tribesmen. And all the adventures that come along with sticking a bunch of Americans in the depths of isolated canyons in Mexico to brave ultra-marathon distance runs.

While I wasn't moved to run barefoot or take up 100 mile distance running, I did notice a difference over my past few runs in the way I think (or better said, don't think) about my stride. McDougall was encouraged by his coach's study of the Tarahumara's way of running to  run like a kid again, a lesson in both gait and attitude.

The Tarahumara subsist on a close-to vegan diet, with nights spent getting drunk on corn beer--a diet that most of us would assume detrimental to the body and inadequate considering the ultradistances the Tarahumara run every day. Their lifestyle of living off the earth and enjoying multiple uphill marathon runs daily supports minimal rates of injury, great longevity, and a population that knows virtually no chronic disease.

So what exactly do they eat? One passage sums it up better than I ever could, so thought I'd share in case anyone out there feels ready for a dietary experiment:

 "Anything the Tarahumara eat, you can get very easily," Tony told me. "It's mostly pinto beans, squash, chili peppers, wild greens, pinole, and lots of chia." ...the traditional Tarahuma diet exceeds the United Nations' recommended daily [protein] intake by more than 50 percent. As for bone-strengthening calcium, that gets worked into tortillas and pinole with the limestone the Tarahumara women use to soften the corn.


Now I'll just need to remember to register for limestone tortilla flats.

Lamb Burgers with Kale Chips

I love a good burger--nothing satisfies a red meat craving quite like them! Jazzing up a standard burger recipe for company is an affordable and delicious way to impress. Making small patties and serving burgers alongside lots of vegetables can keep your portion of a fattier meat in check and still leave you full and satisfied.

This week I made lamb burgers for a weeknight dinner with friends and served them with whole wheat pita pockets, homemade yogurt lemon dill dressing, and a side of oven-roasted kale chips (a favorite, fast go-to recipe). The yogurt dressing would go great on a salad or as a chicken marinade, so make a big batch since you have to get out the blender anyway!

Lamb Burgers

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5 lbs ground lamb

1 ounce feta, crumbled

3 Tbs chopped kalamata olives

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbs fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 Tbs fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients with lamb until combined. Form into 6 patties and refrigerate ~30 minutes.
2.  Grill on one side until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn and grill additional 3-4 minutes, until sides are browned and inside is pink.
3. Serve with pita, cucumber, tomato, and yogurt dressing. 

Yogurt Lemon Dill Dressing

Makes about 1.5 cups

Ingredients

1 cup Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup chopped fresh dill

¼ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

Blend all ingredients except olive oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil into blender until dressing reaches desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Kale Chips

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed

2 Tbs olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Wash kale and remove stems. Dry leaves well, tear, and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place leaves on cookie sheet and roast about 10 minutes, until crispy. 

Stonebarns Getaway

 Visiting Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns this past weekend was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous fall weather and a friend's birthday. We hopped a train out of the city and got lunch at Blue Hill Cafe. The food at Blue Hill (restaurants in both Tarrytown and Manhattan) is sourced from the Stone Barns farm and a few other local farms. The cafe where we grabbed a picnic lunch was an affordable way to enjoy Blue Hill's delicious and exclusively seasonal food, especially since the main restaurants are pricey, though worth it for what might have been the best meal I've ever had (a blog for another time, if I'm lucky).

Lunch feast complete with iced coffee for one of the last hot days of the year. 

Barbara in front of the veggies

 We shared delicious baked goods, vegetable salad, soup, and frittata and then walked around to check out all the piglets!

Cuddling pigs
toward the end of our hike (read: stroll) we were ready for naptime too!

We all feasted that day.

All in all, a successful day-trip and terrific birthday extravaganza.

 

Fall for Soup

I find myself craving warm comfort foods this time every year. Homemade soup is one of my favorite ways to enjoy autumn produce. It warms the soul without needing to loosen your belt! Soup also stores easily--I made a large batch and will freeze some for quick weeknight dinners over the next couple weeks.

Check out what I doctored up tonight (and served with some toast spread with feta!). Try this creation, but keep in mind that it's easy to mix and match various vegetables, beans, and spices to create a unique dish each time.

Lentil Stew with Squash and Greens

Ingredients

1 Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 Kabocha squash, seeds removed and diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 large parsnips, diced

2 Tbs caraway seeds

2 Tbs dried basil

1 Tbs crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

1/2 lb dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 cups low sodium beef broth + 2 cups water

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn

1 bunch fresh basil

Directions

1. Oil large soup pot and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add squash, carrots, parsnips, and seasonings. Mix together and saute about 3 minutes. 

2. Add lentils, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables and beans are tender, about 20 minutes. 

3. Remove bay leaves and stir in kale and basil until wilted. 

4. Serve or let cool before freezing/refrigerating.