For game-day watch parties this football season, Agate is highlighting some delicious, healthy recipes from Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance by Angie Asche. As a sports dietician and owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition, Angie has worked with athletes of all kinds, from high school and college sports, to players in the MLB, NHL, and NFL. Her kitchen-tested, athlete-approved recipes focus on tasty, nutritious ingredients for easy-to-make meals and snacks. And what’s more—most of the recipes can be made in 30 minutes and can be easily modified for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan eaters. Whether you’re a football fanatic, or you’re just in it for the food, while you’re cheering on your favorite athletes this season, you can eat like them too!
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
NF
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 (12-inch) whole-wheat pizza crust
⅓ cup marinara sauce
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup shredded spinach or kale
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon buffalo sauce, such as The New Primal
Preheat the oven to 400°F to 450°F, or according to the pizza crust’s package directions.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly.
Using two forks, shred the chicken into very small pieces.
Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet (unless the package directions say to bake it directly on the oven rack).
Spread the marinara sauce on the crust. Add the shredded chicken, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, and onion.
Bake until the cheese is bubbly and brown, 12 to 15 minutes or according to the pizza crust’s package directions.
Meanwhile, combine the yogurt and buffalo sauce in a small bowl. When the pizza is done, drizzle the sauce on top, cut the pizza into slices, and serve.
Cooking Tip: If you are short on time, use leftover Shredded Buffalo Chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Anti-Inflammatory Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
DF | GF | VEG | 30 | NK | OP
Makes 4 servings
6 cups chopped kale
1 cucumber, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 apple, cored and sliced
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
½ cup chopped walnuts
Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows), for serving
In a large serving bowl, toss together the kale, cucumber, celery, blueberries, apple, avocado, and walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.
Performance Tip: To boost the carbohydrate content of this salad, add ½ cup cold cooked quinoa. I like to make a large batch of quinoa or rice on the weekend and keep it in my fridge to sprinkle on top of salads throughout the week. For additional protein, top the salad with Roasted Chickpeas, two hard-boiled eggs, a handful of edamame, or a slice of leftover Simple Baked Salmon.
Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
DF | GF | NF | VEG | 30 | NK | OP
Makes ¼ cup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Blueberry-Lemon Tarts
Gluten-free, vegetarian
MAKES 12 TARTS
1 cup pecans
½ cup cashews
½ cup pitted Medjool dates
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
1½ tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup fresh blueberries
Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with parchment or silicone cupcake liners.
In a food processor, pulse the pecans, cashews, dates, cinnamon, and salt until crumbly. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Freeze for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (The firmer the better, as the crust softens quickly.)
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Gently remove the liners from the muffin tin and transfer them to a plate. Scoop a small spoonful of the yogurt filling on top of the crust in each cup.
Top each with a few blueberries.
Store in the freezer for up to 1 week. Allow to thaw for a few minutes before enjoying.
Reprinted with permission from Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance by Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, Agate, May 2021.