One of the best things about exercising is how super-excellent food tastes afterwards. After a good bike ride or when I’m marathon training, the volume on my dinner turned up to eleven (Sorry, I just saw This Is Spinal Tap for the first time). It’s impossible to worry about anything when you’re wonderfully, atavistically focussed on your food.
When lovely little Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr was asked about why he runs marathons, his answer was “It helps to keep me fit, mentally stable, and above all it makes me hungry!” Having something delicious ready pronto when you finish a hard session of exercise is like watching the Bolshoi with 20/20 vision.
Before I went on my first big ride on my road bike last weekend, I took some of our Ultimate Veggie Burgers out from the freezer, and mixed up some of this coleslaw with Asian flavours. I knew the nuts and seeds in both would provide good protein for repairing my muscles, and that I’d have a full meal in well under ten minutes. Next time I’m invited to a barbeque, I’m going to make a massive bowl of this and wait for the applause.
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Makes a big bowlful, keep well for a couple of days, covered in the fridge
For the slaw:
Half a red cabbage, sliced as thinly as you can
Quarter of a white cabbage, the same
1 large or 2 medium carrots, matchsticked
3 heaping tbsp plump raisins
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp unsalted cashews, chopped
handful of coriander, chopped finely
For the sauce:
Juice of half a lime
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp cashew butter (sub other nut butter or tahini if you don’t have it)
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 clove minced garlic
1 tsp brown sugar or agave
2 tbsp olive oil
warm water, to slacken
There’s not really a recipe here. Just put the first list in a bowl (feel free to omit and substitute ingredients), then mix the other list in a jar with enough warm water to give a nice pouring consistency, between single and double cream. If possible, let sit for an hour so the dressing can soften the veg.
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