Beginning in March, Run Oregon bloggers were provided the “Racing Weight Cookbook: Light Recipes for Athletes” by Matt Fitzgerald. This series showcases our attempts at making some of the healthy and (hopefully) delicious recipes within the book’s pages.

Joe’s attempt at Pork & Pepper Sauce Over Rotini was a delicious and filling success!
Name of Recipe: Pork & Pepper Sauce Over Rotini
How it went: I’m a big pasta fan, so the first recipe to catch my eye when I opened the book was this spicy dish. The fact that it was in Section 1: Recipes For The Athlete Who Doesn’t Cook was a nice bonus. At the supermarket, I ventured into a couple new aisles to round up some of the ingredients, with red pepper flakes being the most elusive (and important, because I like spicy food – I added a pinch more than the recipe’s default amount, as recommended for spice lovers). But I returned home with everything I needed, and set aside an evening for the culinary adventure.
I’m not an expert stirrer, so it took awhile to cook the ground pork thoroughly, but in the end I was successful. In fact, except for running, I’m pretty methodical (i.e., “slow”) at a lot of other things, and cooking is one of them. For one thing, I hate splatter, and I always have to pause to clean up drips and minor messes before I resume the stirring.
But it all went surprisingly well, despite taking methodical me roughly three times as long as the book’s 25-minute estimated preparation time. And only one (uncooked) rotini rolled under the stove! By the time the pasta was cooked, the sauce simmered, and the two combined, I had an extremely delicious and filling dinner. It was so good, I was a little more stuffed than usual. (My only small quibble was that the red pepper strips were a little tough. I’ve always preferred pepper chunks over strips anyway, so I may make that slight change to the recipe next time.) I was proud of the finished product, and (as with racing) I’m sure I can get my times down with increased training.
Cooking Expertise: With a very quick metabolism and a small stomach, I’m a big snacker, but a relatively light (and slow) eater. I’m also a little impatient when it comes to meal preparation, in that I don’t like to spend a lot of time producing a meal (kind of like how I prefer racing to actual training) 😉 In short, my freezer and microwave get a pretty regular workout in my kitchen.
Running & Athletic Expertise: I am a long-time runner and racer (35 years), and I’ve also done my share of soccer and pick-up basketball, among various other individual and team sports. I currently play indoor soccer once a week against players half my age, though recently my running has lagged a bit.
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“Racing Weight Cookbook: Lean, Light Recipes for Athletes” delivers more than 100 flavorful, easy recipes that will help athletes hit their ideal weight without compromising performance. The book is the third in the best-selling Racing Weight Series™ and is now available in bookstores; bike, tri, and running shops; and online. Preview the book and try recipes at www.racingweightcookbook.com.