Until recently, I
was not a runner. I did not enjoy it. The few times I went out for a run I came
back with the frustration caused by pain and boredom rather than the
satisfaction induced by physical exercise.
Then
one day everything changed. About this time last year, I received a Team in
Training flier in the mail. They were offering to fully train me, the helpless
runner, to become a marathoner. In return I was to fundraise for the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society of Canada. This came at a time when I was looking for a
personal project and a way to give back to the community. So I decided
to give it a chance. I went to an information session, and since then I have
been hooked.
I
started off slowly. Last September I ran the half marathon in Montreal and fundraised
for the Society. Then I continued my involvement with Team in Training as a
fundraising mentor for the spring 2010 season, where participants were training for
the BMO Vancouver Marathon and the Paris Marathon. In two weeks time I will
start my training for the Nike Women’s Marathon which will take place in
October in San Francisco.
Yep,
the whole thing.
42.2
km.
26.2
miles.
A
few hills.
In order to supply my body with the necessary nutrients during the training period I will have to tweak my diet a little. Carbohydrates (a.k.a. pasta), for instance, will be an important component of it. I will make sure to keep you updated on my dietary adventures and supply you with different runner friendly recipes.
In
the meantime, here is a Team in Training related savory muffin recipe. Last
weekend was the final group training session for those going to Vancouver and a potluck was organised after the long run. I brought these
muffins. The corn flour, feta cheese, dill and parsley bring in a nice little Mediterranean
twist to the everyday breakfast muffin.
Savory
Muffins with Feta Cheese, Parsley and Dill
Makes 12
1
cup plain white flour
2
cups corn flour
1
heaped teaspoon baking powder
4
eggs
½
cup vegetable oil (this time I used grape seed oil but other vegetable oils
will be fine too. If you want a more accentuated taste substitute ¼ cup
vegetable oil with olive oil)
2
cups yogurt (could be low fat)
200
gr. feta cheese, crumbled (get the hard type)
½
a bunch parsley, picked and finely chopped
½
a bunch dill, picked and finely chopped
1
tablespoon sweet paprika (more according to taste)
2
tablespoons ground dried tomatoes (more according to taste - see note at the
end)
1
teaspoon white vinegar
1
teaspoon baking soda
Preheat
the oven to 375°F (190°C). Unless you are using paper cases, grease your muffin
tins very lightly with vegetable oil.
Whisk
the white flour, corn flour, baking powder, paprika and ground dried tomatoes
in a medium size bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs by hand, and blend in the
oil and yogurt. Mix until well combined.
Slowly
add the flour mixture into the eggs. It’s pretty easy to this by hand. The
batter is supposed to be slightly less liquid than a normal muffin batter. If
you think your batter is too dry, add in more yogurt. Add in the feta, dill and
parsley. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Wait until it
fizzes out and add it to the batter. Mix until everything is well combined, but
try not to overmix the batter, otherwise your muffins will come out too hard.
Spoon
out the batter in the muffin tins, filling them almost to the rim. Bake in the
preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. They are ready when a wooden tooth pick
inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Voila!!!
Note:
I am not a big fan of dried tomatoes, especially the kind sold in oil. I find
that they have too strong of a taste that overwhelms everything else in a dish.
But last year my aunt gave me a bag of dried ground tomatoes that she had
purchased from a farmers market in Anamur on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey,
where my maternal grandmother is from. They are a nice addition to any Mediterranean
inspired dish. You can recreate them at home simply by grounding roughly dried
tomatoes (not the ones sold in oil) in your food processor.
