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Braised Pork Belly - 红烧肉

This is one of my favourite Chinese dishes and brings back so many great memories from childhood but I’ve always assumed it would be a bit complicated to make so never tried until now. It is SO EASY, a bit time consuming but not complicated at all for a bit of a treat meal.

Ingredients

500 g pork belly, cut into bite size pieces - around an inch

1 tbsp cooking wine - I use shaoxing wine

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 inches ginger, cut into slices

4 spring onions, separate the stalk section from the tender green section, finely chop the green section to garnish

hot water 

1 tbsp oil (optional step)

Method

Bring a pot of water to boil then gently simmer the pork with a couple of slices of ginger for 10 mins, drain and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Optional step - if you want a slightly crispy edge to the pork belly, fry in 1 tbsp of oil for a few minutes and then set aside.

In a deep pot melt the sugar on a medium heat until fully dissolved, be careful to not burn the sugar.

As soon as the sugar has melted be very careful to pour in a good splash of hot water and mix well - be careful of splashing! Then add in the cooking wine, stalks of the spring onion, rest of the ginger, pork, soy sauce and enough hot water to cover the pork by a cm.

Lid on and simmer on a low heat for 1hr.

Lid off and continue to simmer for 15 minutes further to thicken the sauce.

Mix in the finely chopped green part of the spring onion before serving.

ENJOY!

#recipe #cooking #pork #pork belly #Chinese food

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Oat and Cranberry Cookies

These are the most simple cookies to make at home, everything just needs to go into one mixing bowl, and no equipment is needed if you’re prepared to put in a bit of elbow grease.

I’ve given some optional alternatives to make these vegan friendly too and have also included the addition of protein powder because I made them as my pre-gym snacks.

Ingredients

115g butter or vegan butter

115g sugar 

115g plain flour

115g oats

1tsp vanilla extract

1 egg or 1 mashed banana

1tsp cinnamon powder

1/2tsp salt

1tsp baking powder

75g cranberries 

2 scoops of protein powder

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 190o fan assisted and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon powder, salt, baking powder and protein powder. 

In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Then add the egg (or mashed banana) and the vanilla and combine well.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix with a spatula until the flour has just absorbed, do not over mix.

Lastly, fold in the oats and cranberries.

Roll the mixture into golf ball sized heaps and place on the lined parchment paper, leaving about 5cm space in between.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and slightly risen. 

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

#baking #recipe #cookies #protein #snack #foodblog

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Mushroom and Aubergine Lasagne with Spinach béchamel

I stumbled across this recipe slumbered on the sofa watching day time TV whilst fending off a winter cold. At times like these a hearty meal like this, packed full of veggies and nutrients will do you a world of good, but I loved it so much I’ve made a couple of tweaks and definitely intend to make it regularly.

Ingredients:

2 aubergines, sliced and chopped

300g mushrooms, roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 x 400g tin tomatoes

2 peppers -roasted and sliced

70g unsalted butter

80g plain flour

600ml semi-skimmed milk

250g spinach

40g Cheddar cheese, grated

7 lasagne sheets (or enough for 2 layers)

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan. 2. Combine the aubergines, mushrooms and olive oil in a roasting tray and bake for 45mins until golden and soft.   3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat and fry the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.   4. Add the tinned tomatoes and roasted peppers, season with black pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 1–2 minutes then start adding the milk, bit by bit, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. 6. Wilt the spinach in a pan with a small amount of water, drain well to remove any excess moisture then chop finely before stirring into the white sauce.  7. Assemble the lasagna in the following layer order; half of the roast aubergines/mushrooms, half of the tomato/pepper sauce, lasagne sheets, half of the spinach sauce. Repeat the layers – aubergine/mushrooms, then tomato and pepper sauce, lasagne sheets and spinach sauce – and top with the grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, until golden brown, bubbling and cooked through.

Serve with a salad, greens or crispy kale. 

#cooking #recipe #vegetarian #veggie #healthy eating

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Slovenian Wine Feast and Seafood Night at Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen

Earlier this week I went to a Wine Feast event at Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, each month the restaurant’s sommeliers selects an unusual winery and works with their head chef to create a feast menu to accompany the chose wines. This month was the turn of Slovenian wines made by the Puklavec family to shine, with the dinner being hosted by English wine writer Joe Wadsack.

The event felt relatively intimate as we sat in a quieter area of the restaurant tucked away from the main dining area. To kick off the evening we were warmly greeted by the sommelier who happily poured us a glass of the Gomila Traditional Method sparkling wine of Chardonnay - Furmint - Pinot Noir NV. Although the name is slightly lost on me I definitely enjoyed this light sparkling wine which felt smoother and easier to drink than a lot of Champagnes I’ve tried.

Just before the meal started we were joined on our table by the evening’s host and wine expert Joe Wadsack as well as two members of the Biddendum wine distributors - a happy bonus for me as I happily quizzed their wine knowledge throughout the meal!

To eat we had;

Deep fried oysters, bloody mary salsa

Queenies in shell, white wine, crispy garlic

Grilled langoustine, glazed saddleback pork belly

Razor clams, wild garlic butter, toasted brioche crumbs

Accompanied by;

Gomila Puklavec, Pinot Blanc - Furmint 2013

Gomila Puklavec, Sauvignon Blanc - Furmint 2013

These were devine! Each morsel of seafood packed a punch in flavour but delicately contrasted each other, from the sweet and herby scallop, to the pork belly with salty crackling, a fiery salsa which sat with the deep fried oyster and the light garlicky razor clams.

This was followed by;

Whole baked halibut (5kg), parloude clams, mussels, cockles, Dorset crab, sea herbs and chef’s selection of spring vegetables

Accompanied by;

Gomila Puklavec, Sauvignon Blanc Exclusive 2013

Gomila Puklavec Furmint Exclusive 2013

The desserts were;

Sharing platter with BSK classics

With dessert wine;

Gomila Puklavec Traminer Auslese 2011

And to our surprise an additional dessert wine was added to the mix which was the Gomila Puklavec Ice Wine 2009.

#gordon ramsay #joe wadsack #food #wine #food photography #food blog #bread street kitchen #slovenian wine #wine tasting #seafood #restaurants

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ASICS Marathon Challenge - RACE DAY

It’s difficult to know where to start with this post, even though it’s been a few days since I ran my first marathon in Manchester, emotions are still running high and I think I’m still processing it all.

But in short, I can say that on Sunday 7th April something clicked between running and I and it was the first time I truly loved the sport. 

Before setting off for the start line and Nathan’s impressive arm span!

Maybe that’ll come as a surprise. Why would anyone sign up for a marathon if they didn’t love running? Well, I love a challenge and running was always something I enjoyed as part of a wider range of sports. 

Perhaps that’s why I wasn’t particularly phased by having to cross train during a couple of injury spells in this marathon training block. While some runners deign to cross train, I relished in still being able to keep moving with other exercises I enjoyed. 

On the morning of the race I was strangely calm. Excited with waves of nerves but mainly a focused kind of calm. The little injury stints may have been a blessing in disguise after all because it took the pressure off my target time. I was just happy to have made it to the start line after all the dramas and the finish time was much less of a focus. Though of course it was in the back of my mind that 4hr 30 was Plan A target. 

To top of the prep, our marathon challenge group was given access to the VIP area at Manchester Town hall. On a morning like this it really made a difference and took the stress away from bag drop admin and queuing for the glamorous porta-loos. 

Bin bag fashion to the start line

I knew that I had to control my pace at the start of the marathon, this has been my downfall for every single race in the past, I go out too fast, blame it on the adrenaline and burn out before the end. This time though the distance would be twice longer than I had ever raced before so I had to make sure I paced myself correctly. Even as other runners sprinted past me in the first mile I resisted speeding up. 

At mile 2 I spotted Alechia and Sarah on the sidelines, I knew roughly where to expect the cheer squads on the day and was on full scale look out for them for that extra pick me up - years as a spectator on the other side of the barriers had trained my eyes well for this. Waving my arms around they saw me on the approach. Alechia ran along the pavement cheering so loud that my fellow runners began to look and wonder who I was. Brilliant!

Mile 2 and Mile 17

Having done most of my training runs alone I was more than happy to run on my own on race day, especially as I quite enjoy sinking into my own head space. Saying that though - race day is the least “lonely” kind of run. You are surrounded by people striving for the same goal, some will over take you and others you will pass by but once settled into a rhythm I almost always find runners going at the same speed as me, and unbeknown to them, I pick a pacer - yellow vest guy. He was about 5 meters ahead of me, tall, easy to keep an eye on, and held me in a steady pace for the first 10kms until he ran into a park for a toilet break, boooo…! 

At Mile 6 I spotted Conor and Sarah in Sale. It really is a huge morale boost to see familiar faces on the side lines, even when one of them is staring into space and the other busy eating an orange -_- was I running so slowly that they’d given up? Or was I ahead of pace that they weren’t expecting me? I wasn’t sure and didn't want to check my watch but I enjoyed running past them screaming.

After this I knew it wouldn’t be until mile 17 that I’d see anyone again but since my training is all done in the metric system a good amount of time passed trying to convert miles to kms. At this point on the course we were heading down to Altrincham before a U-turn back and it felt like the crowd hadn’t thinned out at all. The Manchester spectators really blew my mind and were definitely some of the most enthusiastic I’d seen.

Mile 17

Mile 17 came round sooner than expected and I see Alechia, Sarah and Conor all waiting on the side of the curb, so I meander my way over and grab a bottle of electrolyte drink that Conor had ready for me and drop off my gloves. 

By now this was the furthest I’d ever ran! I never made it to the 20 mile training mark due to injury and I couldn’t believe that I’d reached this point without stopping to walk. At around mile 21 we were on a B road with fields on either side and no pavement. Cones were laid out in the middle of the road and runners stuck to the right hand side but some people were dipping in and out of the left lane and I joined them for more space. Except, I stayed in the left lane until a fellow runner tapped me on the shoulder and pointed backwards, I was holding up a slow procession of cars - oops.

Soon after that my legs began to noticeably tire but I knew the ASICS cheer zone was coming up at mile 24 so I told myself that that was the next goal, to reach them before considering walking. Laura and the Frontrunners were lined up ready and cheering the runners as I approached dishing out the best high 5’s on the course. I’m certain I was happy to see them but some claim I was wearing a death stare (don’t listen to Alan).

Only 2 and a bit of miles to go and I still hadn’t walked! I was delighted by this and believed that if I’d come this far without walking then I could plod on at the jogging pace I was locked into until the finish - and then the rest of the race is a bit of a blur or I started hallucinating. The same blue vest woman called “Rach” over took me at least 7 times but I don't recall overtaking her once. I don’t remember much else until I was on the approach to the marker for mile 26 and Sarah ran up to me and jogged by my side cheering words of encouragement. The only sentence I could mutter back was “am I nearly done?”, she said yes, the finish straight is just around the corner. 

Thick crowds lined both sides of the road and the finish mark just a few more hundred meters away. 

Conor and Alechia will be in this crowd somewhere, but which side, I’m already feeling delirious there’s no way I was going to spot them, so I kept my eyes locked on the finish line until I shuffled across in the most non-sprint-finish fashion. I AM A MARATHON RUNNER, I finished in my original target time of 4:30:21 and the tears came. Stumbling through the finishers area, I picked up my medal, water and a t-shirt that turned out to be for a man, then sat on the floor in a foil blanket and read all messages of support that’d be coming through during the run. 

The finish!

The feeling of finishing your first marathon is complicated to sum up, elation, exhaustion, dehydration(?) all bundled up into one neat package and hits you right in between the eyes. 

I feel very lucky to have had such a “perfect” first marathon because there’s nothing I’d change about it. The highs out weigh the lows 100 times over, and as I said in the beginning I really felt a genuine love for running. Maybe I already did before this but it took a marathon to show me. 

Sharing this journey as part of the ASICS marathon project has been an unforgettable experience. The ASICS family really adopted us into the mix, championing our goals through their network and expertise. Alechia has been a constant support during the past few months, as a mentor and as an athlete sharing advice and tips from her own experiences. Conor and my friends’ unwavering belief that I could run a marathon spurred me on during times when I doubted myself and Danny’s (ever so slightly drunk) pep talk will resonate with me more than he realises. My fellow mentees have been inspirational in their training and continuously motivated me with my own running - I couldn’t be happier for them in achieving this marathon goal and look forward to seeing what they do next!

Medals Medals Medals

Running a marathon has been one of the hardest and greatest things I’ve done, but what I’ve learnt from the last few months is that you can do anything you set your mind to. But it will take hard work and determination.

My advice for any one considering taking up running or tackling their first marathon is to face your fears, be brave, because there’s no way you’ll regret it.

#running #asics #Manchester Marathon #asicsmarathonchallenge #run #marathon #marathon training #training

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ASICS Marathon Challenge - The Home Stretch

With the Manchester Marathon just around the corner - 10 days away (arrrgh) - I’ve found myself reflecting on how the training and preparation has played out for my first marathon training block.

Photo Cred Carel Du Plessis

Since the suspected stress fracture post The Big Half I was lucky to be able to arrange a MRI scan relatively quickly, and even luckier to get the results I was hoping for - that my worst fears were not going to be the reality, but it was something that a physio can help me with to recover. 

With that, the training plan was ready to take on some more revisions, interval days completed on the bike, steady pace runs replaced with long swims, continuous strength training and stretching, giving myself (and the recovering foot) enough rest from impact in between the important long weekend runs. 

This strategy proved to work unexpectedly well. My general fitness and pace on the long weekend runs didn’t feel like they’d taken on any negative impact, and if anything, I was still noticing improvements in my training sessions. I have made more improvements in my cycling in the last couple of months than I have in the last couple of years, and swam the longest distances I have ever done in my life. All of this contributing to the fact that I feel like I’ve never been a stronger runner - in spite of the challenges along the way. 

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I may not have been able to hit all of my running mileage goals in this training block, but I can be confident in saying that my training has been consistent. If you can’t run there’s almost always another alternative to keep you moving and make sure you can return to running as a stronger person.

I’m looking forward to getting to that start line in Manchester with my fellow ASICS Marathon Challenge trainees, I know everyone’s had their own challenges along the way but I’m sure we’ll all be crossing that finish line on the day!

#running #asics #asics marathon challenge #marathon #manchester marathon

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Roasted Chickpeas

These protein packed chickpeas are a delicious everyday snack option or use them as part of the the filling to a great fijita meal.

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Ingredients

400g can of chickpeas - rinsed and drained

4 tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp cumin

Method

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Preheat oven to 160c (fan assisted).

Mix the olive oil, salt, paprika, chilli powder, cumin in a large mixing bowl.

Add the chickpeas and coat evenly.

Spread the chickpeas on the lined baking tray.

Roast for 45min - 1 hour until golden and crispy. Stir and mix them half way through.

#cooking #chickpeas #vegetarian #eat well #food blog #food blogger

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ASICS Marathon Challenge - 4 Week Countdown

The last week has been a busy one! Since coming back from holiday I’ve been up to Manchester for a day with my fellow marathon trainees, mentors and ASICS team and had my first big race of the year, a well times half marathon for the Manchester marathon preparations - the Big Half in London.

Our day in Manchester with the ASICS team included a session with Stuart Holliday discussing how to mentally get ready for the challenges of running a marathon.

Something that I struggle to prepare for about race day is the unknown latter part of the race, I will not have run the full distance in training - so what will the the elusive miles feel like?

Stuart’s method in dealing with that really resonated me. When some body says “trust the process” I think that can be interpreted in many ways but his analogy of an elastic band was one I’d not heard before, it made a lot of sense and gave me reassurance in the training.

I’ve recreated the idea below;

During the journey of marathon training as most training plans would dictate, the runner gradually builds up their long runs intertwined with shorter runs in between (very simplified explanation). This continuous increase and decrease in distance as time goes on acts like an elastic band being stretched over time. By race day, the band/runner is at the right point in training to reach the full 26.2 miles.

Feeling reassured with this advice I was looking forward to my first half marathon of the year more than ever. Having ran the Big Half last year I had a good idea of what to expect and as the course where I hold my current half marathon PB it was a race I was looking forward to returning to.

However the days leading up to race day were not as smooth sailing as I’d hoped. The day after an 11km run my right foot was feeling particularly cramped up and painful to walk on, so I checked in with Alechia, decided not to panic and took a few days to completely rest. By Sunday (race day) my foot was feeling immensely better and I decided to run the race at an easy pace, to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the day.

Race day was an absolute whirlwind, I loved that so many of my friends were running together - some of them chasing big PBs that they’d been working hard for. The weather was mad, by the time we’d reached the start line from bag drop there’d been rain, chilling winds and sunshine. But this didn’t seem to bother anyone, there was a buzz in the air and a great sense of occasion. 

As per usual I started the race a little faster than my target pace. I’m pretty sure adrenaline is impossible to control at this point so I just go with it and the first half of the course flies by. Before long I was on the approach to Tower Bridge, definitely one of if not the highlight of the course. Especially for someone who lives in London and sees this iconic landmark often, I really appreciated what a rare opportunity it is to run across it. 

The last few miles didn't feel great for me, the cramp in my foot was starting to return so I slowed my pace right down, but in spite of this I was more than pleased with my finishing time. My target pace for this run was 2hr : 10 and the official result has me coming in at 2hr : 09 : 20

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In the days following the race I decided to see a physio to get some expert help with my foot, and that’s when I heard the words that every runner dreads - suspected stress fracture on the 5th metatarsal - my heart sank a little bit. My physio even brought in the clinic’s resident podiatrist for a 2nd opinion but the suspicions were only confirmed and the next step for me is to get an X-Ray to find out for sure. 

Until I know I will not panic...!

#running #run #marathon #training #asics #asicsmarathonchallenge

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ASICS Marathon Challenge - Training Whilst On Holiday

Running whilst on holiday has become a bit of a routine for me in the last couple of years, I love it and it’s a great way to explore a new city, town, just about anywhere really! But I never imagined I would be adding running to an already hectic ski trip...until now!

Hope you enjoy my first foray into vlogging.

#running #run #asics #ski #marathon training

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Red Risotto with Roasted Mediterranean Veg

This is a recipe I was using during our Veganuary month but it’s definitely become one of my firm favourites and go to meals. Risotto rice is naturally rich and creamy when cooked so this tomato based sauce perfectly contrasts the flavours.

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Ingredients

Roasted Veg

1 courgette - sliced

1 red onion - roughly chopped

1 bell pepper - chopped into chunks

Handful of cherry tomatoes or 3 chopped tomatoes

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Risotto 

1 onion - finely chopped

dash of olive oil

4 cloves of garlic - finely chopped

225g Risotto rice

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

250ml passata

250ml veg stock

Salt and pepper

Grated parmesan to serve

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, mix all of the ingredients together for the roasted vegetables and roast for 30 minutes.

Heat a dash of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium to high heat, then sauté the onion and garlic until softened.

Add in the rice and stir to make sure it’s evenly coated in the oil mix, add in the vinegar and combine well.

Add in the passata and veg stock in 3 stages making sure each measure is absorbed before adding the next - stirring well.

When the rice is cooked through mix in the roasted vegetables and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste and serve with grated parmesan on top.

#cooking #food #food blog #risotto #healthy #healthy meals #italian

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ASICS Marathon Challenge - Training Your Mind

Time is flying by and I’m now over the half way point of training for the Manchester Marathon...eek! So there was no better time to check in with running coach/mentor/moral support Alechia and go for a run in the sun.

Photo Cred Carel Du Plessis

As I sat on the train heading further away from smoggy central london I could feel myself beginning to relax a little bit more, my mind leaving behind the stresses of the week and shifting to the run ahead. Of which I knew little about the route and I love that. I always enjoy running in new places and the only thing that makes it even better is when someone else has planned the route!

Luckily for me Alechia had our run all planned out, a gentle warm up followed by intervals around some killer hills (with breaks in between) and a cool down which signalled for brunch. The weather was perfect, Spring just beginning to break through, the air still quite chilly but the sun was out in full force and I was ready to bust out the shorts. 

The run was great fun, even on tired legs from a big training session the day before I was really enjoying myself. We made the decision to reduce the number of planned intervals on account that my knee was still niggling, but for the first time in a while I didn’t let this worry me. 

Having done a lot of cross training recently, I was having doubts about not doing enough “proper” running training but I realise now that was the nerves talking...because no sensible mind would or should discount a 1, 2 or 3 hour cross training session as nothing!

Video Cred Carel Du Plessis

And with that I made a conscious effort to focus more on the positive sides of training and park the worries and doubts. 

But in order to do that I really had to admit to what was causing the worries in the first place, and for me it was the goals that I’d set for myself for this first marathon, the time that I wanted to finish in and how much of an effect the knee injury would have on this.

All of this pressure is put on myself by myself and adding to the already challenging task of just completing a marathon! But the truth is I’m really looking forward to getting to that starting line in Manchester and that should be the main focus! I want to run this marathon so I will.

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A couple of factors has really helped me in preparing my mind for this journey so far. First of which is talking to people who have ran marathons before - this seems obvious but it’s easy to assume that anyone with more running experience than yourself finds the challenge easy, which is hardly ever the case. Everyone has their own battles and chances are they’ve thought and felt all of the emotions you are going through in training, so it’s invaluable to draw upon those experiences and take forward any knowledge that can help you along your own journey.

Secondly is the mini community we have created for ourselves within this ASICS Marathon Challenge. Knowing that all of the other trainees are in the same boat as myself preparing for our first marathon is a comfort in itself and through following each other’s journeys via blogs and social media we have definitely created a little support network of our own.

Onwards and forwards we go!

#running #run #asics #asicsmarathonchallenge #manchester marathon #marathontraining #fitness

[hungryhungrypanda]

ASICS Marathon Challenge - Keep on Moving

The last week of training has been a bit of a turning point, coming back from an injury is both a physical and mental challenge and at times incredibly frustrating. But I feel like I’ve finally found a new rhythm, adopted a new plan and it seems to be working. I also want to mention at this point that I started documenting this journey about 5 weeks into my training plan for the Manchester Marathon, and up until that point everything was great, in fact training couldn’t have been a smoother journey - so it’s not been as injury focused as it may seem.

Photo Cred Carel Du Plessis

One of the main things I’ve had to work out in this recovery process is the limit to which I can run before the pain on the knee comes on and work with that. Then gradually increase the running distances whilst reducing the supplementary cross training. 

Interestingly a 30 minute interval session is just about manageable. This means I can get at least one speed session in per week and be running for it! I think this is because it’s not an extended time of running and the breaks must also be helpful.

I can also run about 5km comfortably without trouble, some times this is more, other times it’s about the limit so at least for now that’s the base and one or two short runs a week sorted!

As for the long runs which I’d really like to be doing on weekends this is currently a combination of running and cardio based cross training. Last weekend I managed 10km of running with some carefully planned stretch breaks followed immediately by a 100 minute cycle work out on the watt bike, which was tough but in a good way! Whilst on the bike I was keeping a close eye on my heart rate, to make sure I was working hard enough and also curious to see how close it could get to my average running rate - which led to a bit of an experiment this week looking at heart rate zone training.

Data geek alert for the below

This is definitely not a scientifically accurate experiment but a gauge for myself to see how other cardio based workouts compare to my running, a bit of fun and a peace of mind to the cross training I’m doing. Each lighter part of the ring shows average heart rate in a 30-45 minute work out and darker part shows threshold heart rate. 

The good

Cross Trainer - By increasing the resistance on the cross trainer (a lot) my heart rate reaches pretty much the same levels as running. This was the biggest win of the week and reassurance.

The not so good

Rowing - I’d had a couple of good rowing workouts where my heart rate was spiking to higher rates but it wasn’t a pace I could consistently row at, so for me this is probably not the most beneficial form of cross training.

The surprise

Stair Stepper - I confess this is a machine in the gym I’ve never used before, it looks a little dull and uninviting, but stick a good play list on or something to watch on the phone and it’s really no different to the treadmill or cross trainer. I found that I was working hard almost immediately on this machine, and on top of the cardio workout it also felt like a decent strength training session on the legs, bonus!

#running #run #runner #marathon #asics #marathon training #fitness

[hungryhungrypanda]

Teriyaki Salmon and Noodle Stir Fry

This is one of my favourite meals to eat and make, everything is done in one pan and with very little difficulty.

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Ingredients to serve 2

2 pieces of salmon

6 tbs teriyaki sauce

300g stir fry rice noodles

1 pack of 300g stir fry veg ( or mixture of crunchy veg such as peppers, mange tout, bean sprouts, cabbage, onions - all thinly sliced)

3 gloves of garlic - roughly cut

4 to 6 tbs soy sauce to taste

Method

Marinade the salmon in the teriyaki sauce for 20 to 30 mins

Prep your veg at this point by cutting them into bite size slices at this point, unless you are using a pre-packed selection.

Heat a medium sized frying pan to a medium heat and cook the salmon with all of the marinade for 12 - 15mins depending on the size of the fillet and the fish become pink throughout.

Take the salmon out and leave to one side.

Keep the rest leftover teriyaki sauce in the pan, add in the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until the aromas are released.

Add in all of the vegetables plus a splash of oil and cook on a high heat for 5 mins.

Add in the noodles, mix well and then add in the soy sauce. Fry for another 5mins. Season to taste.

Serve the noodle/veg stir fry with salmon. Drizzle a bit more teriyaki on top of the salmon if you prefer at this stage.

#cooking #salmon #food #food blog #teriyaki #food blogger

[hungryhungrypanda]

ASICS Marathon Challenge - Why I Run

As I make a slow come back to running this week I was also looking forward to my first race of the year! Although I had every intention of not “racing” this one, the excitement of preparing for race day was still there, the rituals of getting ready, making sure the kit is sorted and the knowledge that I was taking my friend Kiera to her first ever race! That is until our reliably unpredictable weather threw an icy spell which led to the cancellation of the race the night before.

Kiera and I ran anyway...

Earlier this week I saw a physio who diagnosed the cause of my knee pain to be stemming from imbalances around the hips, one side too tight, the other over extending, over and under rotations leading to one angry knee. As much as that’s a problem it’s even more of a relief to get an answer and set up a treatment plan to get it resolved. 

So the cross training continued along with a daily set of exercises provided by the physio which I stuck to like cheese on toast. Trust me, if you pick up injuries as often as I do you’ll also treat the physio’s advice like gospel. My colleagues at work have even indulged in my office furniture rearrangements so that I could ice my knee 3 times a day.

By the middle of the week I was managing a couple of slow, short runs without bother so despite the cancelled weekend race, Kiera and I still went out and did our own run. 

The pace was comfortably easy and the weather turned out to be a perfect crisp winter’s day with the sun beaming down. The only downside was that my knee wasn’t as recovered as I initially thought so the run was cut short slightly. 

It could have been easy at this point to let the worry seep in and to be honest a little bit definitely did (considers putting running mentor Alechia on speed dial at this point), however today mainly reinforced one of my favourite reasons to run in the first place - to be able to share the experience with a friend who is fairly new to running, the social aspect of what can be a solitary sport and to share whatever knowledge I have with her, which feels particularly poignant because...

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One of the main reasons I started running myself is down to the fact that a lot of my friends share the same passion. We are all of different abilities, sometimes we run together, sometimes not and the group is more like a running family than a running club but with them comes invaluable support, a whole lot of beers and a touring cheer squad - even to races abroad. So here’s a shout out to the Hackney Rats, you lovely lot! 

Don’t dwell on the name, we run a lot of commute runs, London, rat race...you get it.

#running #run #run chat #marathon #asics #marathon training #asics marathon challenge #asicsfrontrunner #fun #friends #race

[hungryhungrypanda]

Spicy Wontons

This is one of my all time favourite dishes, and one from my home region of Sichuan in China. It may seem a little daunting to make at home but after you’ve done it once you’ll definitely feel confident to do it again. 

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Ingredients for 2 large or 3 small portions of wontons

40 Wonton wrappers, roughly a 200g pack from Chinese supermarkets

2 Bok choi

For the filling

300g pork mince

Pinch of salt

1 tsp corn flour

1 tbs finely chopped ginger

3 stems finely chopped spring onion (only the green part)

1 egg or 2 tbs water

Splash of toasted sesame oil

Sauce mix - per bowl

6 tbs soy sauce

3 tbs Chinese black vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

Pinch of salt

3 garlic gloves minced

3-4 tsp chilli oil

1 tbs finely chopped spring onions

Small handful of coriander - roughly chopped (optional)

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Method

Mix all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.

At this point I also like to prepare the sauce mix so that it’s ready to go. Combine all of the sauce mix ingredients into 1 bowl per portion.

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

The fun part - begin filling the wonton wrappers and fold them as instructed in the picture above. Be careful not to overfill the wrapper but it should be nice and plump, this may require some experimenting. Fold one corner of the wrapper folds over the filling to a flat edge. Moisten one corner of the newly created triangle (ish) to help seal the wonton, then using your middle finger as a guide wrap the wonton around so that one corner sits over the opposite one - press down to seal.

When all of the wontons are wrapped, cook them in the boiling water for 4-5 mins until the wrapper is translucent. You may have to cook each portion separately if you pan is not big enough. 

Use a ladle to transfer the cooked wontons into the bowl with sauce mix, careful not to pick up too much water. Mix well in the sauce.

Quickly blanche the boy choi leaf for a minute in the boiling water and add to the wonton bowl.

Serve and enjoy!

#cooking #chinese food #chinese new year #wontons #dim sum #yum #foodblog #food blogger

[hungryhungrypanda]

ASICS Marathon Challenge Training Week 6 - Mastering The Art Of Cross Training

After last weekend’s knee gate - I was hopelessly optimistic that this injury would subside in a few days with some foam rolling, stretching and icing. And while my running shoes take a hiatus that doesn’t mean marathon training comes to a grinding halt. In the mean time I've been trying to embrace full time cross training which has little or no impact on the joint, but may have snuck in a sneaky run sooner than my injury was ready for. So here’s what I did this week...

Photo Cred Carel Du Plessis

Monday

Lots of icing on the injured knee, some foam rolling and gentle stretching focusing particularly on hamstrings, glutes and calves. Plus 20 minutes of core exercises which I love.

Tuesday

Cross training on the bike instead of planned intervals. I’m not a regular cyclist and had my reservations about getting the most out of this session so for that extra motivation I booked myself onto an intermediate level spin class. This turned out to be an advanced spin class (booking system fail) but a lot of fun and something I would consider doing more regularly as marathon training ramps up for variety.

Wednesday

Strength training focusing on legs and core. By this point my knee was starting to feel better but I wanted to be cautious not to put too much pressure on it so the exercises were done with reduced weights or none. These included resistant band work, single leg squats, calf raises, single leg deadlifts, planks, jack-knives and lunges. 

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Thursday

The knee pain had reduced considerably and I felt ready to run! An easy pace run at least, and with my trusty GT-2000 runners to make sure I was in safe hands. Maybe it was the fresh air, or maybe it was the runner’s high but I felt great to be moving again. Until that is the pain flared back up with a vengeance. So again I stopped, stretched and walked the rest of the way home to my foam roller and bag of ice!

Friday

Big time rest day while I exercised my right to sulk. 

Saturday

Swimming - not my strongest area of fitness but I do quite enjoy being in the water. This day I did 500m front crawl plus 500m backstroke, the latter of which I could happily do exclusively if the pool ceiling only had some sort of screen playing a movie.

Sunday

On the day I would have done a long run, Alechia pointed me towards a workout app where I could easily follow a cycling routine: Sufferfest, that’s right - Sufferfest. I followed a 100 minute workout designed as an endurance exercise which also included sections of speed work. A video and on screen graphics guided me through exactly what to do along with a playlist which matched the tempo changes throughout the cycle. I was absolutely shattered after this workout but so happy that I was, that I was able to push myself that much on a bike and that it felt like a decent substitute for a long run.

Although I enjoy the exercises which comes along with cross training the inevitable frustration of not being able to run always lingers in the background. Especially now as I was just entering the unknown territories of marathon training. The support I’ve received this week from my friends, coach, and shiny new Asics crew has undoubtedly carried me through the worries and frustrations (though I’m sorry if you were anywhere near me on Friday...!). I’m heading into Week 7 of training with an appointment to see a physio straight away so fingers crossed for a proper recovery and getting back out running. 

#running #runner #fitness #asics #asicsmanchesterchallenge #marathon #training #marathon training #fitfam #fitspo #cross training

[hungryhungrypanda]

Almond, Coconut and Chocolate Protein Balls

Protein/energy balls are a great way to refuel after a workout or run, they’re easy to carry around and is a tasty snack. But they can be far too expensive in the shops so here’s a recipe that only takes 30 minutes to whip up a batch of protein balls for a fraction of the price. If you’re looking to have a nice snack without the extra protein hit feel free to substitute cacao powder for the protein powder.

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Ingredients to make 15 protein balls

150g almonds

350g dates

4 tbs chocolate protein powder (or cacao powder)

3 tbs almond butter

2 tbs of coconut oil (or olive oil)

100g desiccated coconut

Method 

Put all of the almonds in a food processor and blitz until it’s all crushed 

Add in the dates and coconut oil bit by bit and blend until fully mixed

Add in the almond butter and protein powder and mix again until combined

Roll the mixture in the palm of your hand to form balls slightly smaller than a golf ball making about 15 balls

Put the desiccated coconut into a bowl or a plate then cover the protein balls with it

Store in an air tight container in the fridge. These protein balls are also great for freezing and then taking out on the go, by the time you’re finished at the gym or after a run it would have defrosted!

#cooking #baking #protein #snack #food blog #fitness #food #yum