Month: May 2019

Lentil, Seitan, Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie with a twist

If you sift through the Vegan Health & Fitness category on this blog, you’ll find quite a few recipes that use sweet potatoes. I was going through the list the other day, and was thinking how it seems like that’s all I eat. It is a good vegetable, after all; one that is packed with tons of beta-carotene and fiber. It’s also versatile—anything that can be prepared in a number of ways has value, in my opinion.

Now that marathon training is at its peak, it’s so important to replace the calories that have been lost, in order to seal in the endurance you’re building. The last recipe was a curry dish. An excellent blend of sweet and savory flavors, this Shepherd’s Pie here is another twist if you have extra lentils and sweet potatoes lying around. This dish is typically considered a heavy “winter food,” but in this case, the extra nutrients are welcome.

And you’re looking for some extra protein to rebuild those tired muscles after running 20 miles in one go, the seitan packs a punch. Seitan is a meat substitute that is made from vital wheat gluten, so it’s not gluten-free. If you want a gluten-free recipe, try using tempeh (fermented soybean cakes) instead.

You will need:

Seitan or tempeh

  • 1 lb. of seitan, cut into 1-inch chunks. I used this recipe, but you can use store-bought seitan. For a gluten-free option, use tempeh.

Lentils

  • 2 cups of lentils
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • 1 onion

Mashed sweet potato

  • 5 medium sweet potatoes
  • 4 Tbsp. of Earth Balance (vegan margarine)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Optional

  • Steamed kale

How to cook:

Seitan balls which are eventually cut into 1-inch chunks

If you’re going to make the seitan rather than using the store-bought variety, then make the dough first. Set it aside.

Preheat oven to 425˚ F. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, wrap them in aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, dice the onion into quarter-inch pieces. Heat the broth to a boil, and put the lentils and onion in. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, until the lentils have absorbed all of the broth.

If you’re making the seitan as well, cook that at the same time you’re cooking the lentils. Cut them into 1-inch chunks and cook them according to these recipe instructions.

Stir together the cooked lentils and seitan together into a 2-quart baking dish. It’s okay if there’s some left over (the extra can be saved for something else), but remember to leave some room at the top for the mashed sweet potatoes.

When the sweet potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes. They will still be warm, so very carefully peel them into a large bowl; the skin should come right off. Add the Earth Balance, salt, and pepper, and mash them all together into a paste. Spread the mashed sweet potato on top of the lentil and seitan mixture inside the baking dish.

With the oven still heated at 425˚F, put the dish in and bake for 15 minutes. When that’s done, broil for 5 minutes to get a slightly crispy top. After taking it out, cool for an additional 15 minutes.

Bon appetit!

It goes well with steamed kale

It’s a good meal to prep on a Sunday afternoon to have throughout the week. It pairs well with steamed kale or other veggies. Let me know what you think. Bon appetit!

Running at the peak

The marathon is only five weeks away, and I’ve finished the first week of peak training, which entailed running 40 miles this week. Yesterday I did the first of the two 20-mile long runs.

Normally, I stay in Seattle, but I’ve never explored the East Side much on foot. Starting in the Central District, I ran through the I-90 bike tunnel and onto the bridge into Mercer Island. I ran along the I-90 trail into Bellevue. I continued up Bellevue until coming across the 520 bridge; it was my first time on that bridge as a pedestrian. That took me back to Seattle into the Montlake neighborhood. Then I ran up the never-ending hill on 23rd Ave. That challenging hill isn’t so steep as it is long. I finally reached the crest of the hill in Capitol Hill, and ran the home stretch back to the Central District.

There was a bath bomb waiting for me when I finished. It’s like a big alka seltzer for the bath. I soaked in the tub, rubbing off the salt left behind from evaporated sweat. When running that much, the body does weird things like losing a lot of salt and electrolytes, and it must be replaced.

Speaking of electrolytes, I’ve been carrying those Clif shots that taste a lot like strawberry pudding. It’s a good rule of thumb to take one before a long run. Then have another one at Mile 10; the last one is consumed at Mile 14. It’s a good fix when your body has burned through its glycogen stores.

Peak training can feel exhausting, so remember to be extra kind to yourself during this time, especially if it’s your first marathon. You will also be eating a lot extra. Seriously, I’m always thinking about food now. The average person consumes 2,000 calories a day for normal functioning. Running 20 miles burns another 2,000 calories, give or take. On those long run days, your calorie consumption might be around 4,000 calories. I don’t count calories; I just eat until my body feels fulfilled and happy.

Folks ask about weight loss, and marathon training is about gaining endurance, not losing weight. Weight loss might happen as a byproduct of training, but the primary focus should be replacing the calories that have been lost. On the contrary, it’s also possible to gain weight, since you’re eating more and consuming a little more salt, which retains water.

At this point, it might be a challenge to pay attention to other things outside the body. I try not to overcommit outside of work, since rest is so important, especially now. I’m also usually exhausted anyway to do much outside work, art, and marathon commitments. Everything else could wait for just another couple of weeks.

These bath bombs almost look good enough to eat.

The first week of peak training was a total of 40 miles. This week is a “fall back” week, where the mileage is a little less, so that the body has a chance to rest. The week after is another 40 miles. Then the mileage tapers down to a trickle before the actual race. Until then, the peak is that one last hump to go over. Everything else is down hill from there.