“Cooking For The 6 and 10 Day Races, 2013” by Nipura
(or, “My cooking secrets revealed”)
Most of the time the days were cold and crisp. Great running weather and also meaning that the runners needed a lot of food.
We were a great team made up from several different countries. The menu was made up from as far north as Russia, Germany and Poland, to as far south as Australia and New Zealand – a Global menu for a global race.
On day 1 we started with a whole variety of snacks from hummus on rice cakes, to soy bacon and cheese toasties. We had a standard miso-tofu-vegetarian soup which changed daily depending on what we had handy and also another vegetable soup – sometimes borscht, lentil and vegetable of Thai carrot and ginger, to mention a few.
The meals were varied, as the runners not only needed carbohydrates and protein but also fresh, raw salads, smoothies and fruit. For instance we had on day 3 for lunch baked black bean and soy sausage with quinoa and kasha with a spinach, carrot cucumber and fresh mint salad. For dinner we had a seasoned tofu and assorted vegetable stir-fry served with soba noddles and an Asian cabbage slaw.
Breakfasts were amazing! Served every morning at 6 am, it consisted of scrambled eggs, soy sausages, cooked oats and either pancakes or French toast – yum!
Don’t worry though – I have left the best until last, dessert. Well it would start at about 10 am and go until the early hours of the next morning. Desserts included divine tripple chocolate brownies, quinoa and coconut puddings, cakes, peach upside down cakes and Maria’s delectable apple strudel.
Everyday was a myriad of all sorts of different ingredients – what to cook, how to make sure everything would be welcomed by the runners, making sure that everyone remained kind to each other (as everyone did with flying colors) and also to have lots of laughs, as we all did! Wow, what an amazing event this was, all thanks to our teacher Sri Chinmoy’s vision and grace. Gratitude. Gratitude. Gratitude.
Here are a few of the recipes we used this year for the race:
Brown rice and black bean patties served with a fresh tomato sauce:
Patties for home
2-3 cups of brown rice, cooked
1x444 ml can of cooked black beans
1 onion, finally chopped
½ cup chopped fresh coriander, including stalks but not roots
½ tsp. ground cumin and paprika
½ cup gated cheese
1 egg, cracked open and beaten
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sautéing
oil spray for oven pad
For race
64 cups of cooked brown rice
2x2400 ml cans cooked black beans
10 large onions, finally chopped
6 cups chopped fresh coriander, concluding stalks but not roots
3 tbs. ground cumin and paprika
12 cups grated cheese
15 eggs, cracked open and beaten
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sautéing
oil spray for oven pads
Start by sautéing onions until golden and adding cumin and paprika. Cool until fragrant and then switch off. Add fresh coriander. In a bowl mix cooked rice and drained black beans, adding onions, spice mix, cheese and eggs, adding seasoning to taste. Mix until gloopy and then spray oven tray and form mix into patties. Place side by side on oven tray and then spray. Flip over and bake 10 – 15 minutes more. Serve with fresh tomato sauce.
Fresh Tomato Sauce.
For Home
4 or 5 tomatoes
1 stalk spring onion
1 jar good quality pasta sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper
olive oil
For Race
4 kg tomatoes
3 bunches spring onion
6 jars good quality pasta sauce
2 tbsp. dried basil
salt and pepper
olive oil
In a saucepan or pot, sauté both tomatoes and spring onion. Add pasta sauce and basil. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Cook until there is a nice thick texture, stirring regularly. Season to taste and serve.
Thai Carrot and Ginger Soup
For Home
1 lb. carrots, peeled and grated
1 large sweet potato
1 inch of root ginger, peeled and chopped
2 stalks spring onions
½ tsp. ginger powder
½ gallon good vegetable stock
½ cup coconut cream
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil to sauté vegetables
For Race
1 tbsp. ginger powder
2-3 gallons good vegetable stock
2 cans (444 ml) coconut cream
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil to sauté vegetables
In soup pot sauté carrots, spring onions, ginger root and ginger powder in cooking oil. Once vegetable mix is soft and smelling fragrant, pour in stock, bring to boil and then simmer. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until soft. Add coconut cream and seasonings. Stir until mixed and then turn off. Cool slightly and then blend until smooth. Reheat, check flavor and serve.
