Vegetable Stock & Other Necessities

Before I get to actual recipes, I want to go over some items that every runner, especially those who have rejected animal flesh as a source of sustenance, should have in their pantry.

Vegetable Stock

Veggie stock is a staple of my cooking. Almost every recipe that I share on this blog calls for it. You can buy cartons of it at the store, but even Whole Foods sells salty, sodium-laden versions. It's easy to make it yourself, and satisfying to know that you're not wasting any vegetable material.

From now on, whenever you cut up vegetables, SAVE all of the scrap that you would normally throw away. All the onion peels and broccoli stalks and zucchini ends that you don't actually want to eat should go in the freezer in an airtight bag. When the bag is full (it doesn't take long), dump it into a good-size pot, add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer as long as possible, up to 12 hours. If you need to leave the house, kill the heat, cover it, and turn it back on when you get home. Periodically take a potato masher to it to really churn all available nutrients into the liquid.

Let the pot cool a bit. Put a pasta strainer over a large bowl, and empty the pot. Continue using the potato masher to get all the liquid out of the (now completely waterlogged and mushy) vegetables. You should have a bowl full of orange-green liquid. Let it get to room temperature, and pour some into a jar for refrigeration and near-future use. Pour the rest into ice cube trays, freeze, and then pop out into a freezer bag. Now you have a whole bag full of single-use stock.

I use these little guys for everything. Lentil stew drying out too fast? Add some stock cubes. Making soup? Add a whole bunch of stock cubes to create broth. Eventually, you'll find yourself reaching for these instead of butter or oil when a recipe needs moisture. And since they're nothing but pure vegetable juice, you'll be adding 100% Healthy Awesomeness to your dish every time.


Protein Powder

You know how vegetarians tend to be stereotyped as weaklings? It probably has to do with the fact that the number-one vegetarian concern is protein intake. And protein is the stuff that allows muscularity to happen. While I'm very much of the belief that protein supplements should be exactly that - SUPPLEMENTS to a diet of legumes, beans, protein-rich fruits and vegetables, etc. - I'm also pretty reliant on Whole Foods brand whey protein powder. While you definitely don't want to just stir it into some water, as the package suggests (trust me on this), you can make a great recovery smoothie with this stuff as the final ingredient. I recommend the vanilla flavor (though I wish they sold a "plain" version).

Post-Run/Workout Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Plan Nonfat Yogurt
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
4 Baby Carrots, chopped
1/2 Cup Juice (I use Odwalla Superfood OR Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness)
1 Scoop Whole Foods Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 Egg (optional)

Blend all ingredients except last two. If mixture seems to thick, add juice. Turn blender to low and add protein powder. If you're feeling adventurous, crack a raw egg into it. Tell people you did this. They'll think you're hardcore.


Tofu

Tofu gets a bad rap, but it's tremendously versatile. Softer tofus can be blended into soups and sauces, and firm tofu can be cooked just like meat (although tempeh, which is basically the same soy-based product, only fermented, is more satisfying for this purpose). Basically, tofu has no inherent flavor of its own; it absorbs and highlights whatever flavor you cook it in. Some people just can't get past the texture; but it can be managed. My favorite technique is to braise it in small chunks, freeze them, and break them out for any recipe that needs a protein boost.

Braised Balsamic Tofu Recipe
Preheat oven to 375.

Start with a block of Extra Firm tofu. Cut it into rectangular hunks. I find the ideal size pieces are produced when the whole block is cut in a 5x7 grid.

Lightly oil a skillet and put over medium heat. Lay the tofu pieces in a single layer. Liberally season to taste. I prefer sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, and oregano.

Sear tofu pieces for 5 minutes and flip. The underside should be lightly browned. Sear another 5 minutes.

N.B. The heat may squeeze milky liquid soy out of the tofu, which interferes with the braise. Carefully pour this liquid into a bowl, let it cool, then add it to your vegetable stock bag.

Put the skillet in the oven and let cook for 25 minutes. Remove, flip tofu pieces, and cook another 10 minutes. By now they should be crisp and dark. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes.

Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Put in an airtight bag to freeze. Now you can add a few protein-rich pieces to salads, rice dishes, curries, pizza, and anything else whenever you please. The cooking process leaves them flavorful and crispy (as opposed to the bland mush that is tofu's cross to bear).


As long as my freezer has braised tofu and veggie stock, and there's a canister of whey protein powder in the cupboard, I feel confident that I can get the protein and vitamins necessary for a long run.