Run Oregon Test Kitchen: “Run Fast, Cook Fast, East Slow”

Cooking is probably one of my favorite things to do. Thankfully it’s also very practical, so I get to do it daily! And I’m in the fortunate situation that at least two of my three family members will eat just about anything and will let me try out new things on them. Naturally I was very excited to give Shalane Flanagan’s new cookbook “Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow” a try! This is the second book for which runner Shalane Flanagan has partnered with nutritionist Elyse Kopecky to create a cookbook that contains delicious meals that are easy to prepare and nutritionally valuable to an athlete.

Leafing through the book, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful pictures. Most recipes have photographs next to the instructions, and I quickly added bookmarks to the pages I wanted to try. In addition to the recipes, the book starts with teaching about the philosophy behind the eating plan, some simple tips how to get your kitchen ready for some easy yet delicious and nutritious cooking, and even offers meal plans for spring/summer and for winter/fall to take advantage of fruits and vegetable seasons.

My first meal from the book was the Pulled Pork Burrito Power Bowl (page 123), which consists of several recipes: slow cooker pulled pork, purple cabbage slaw, and garlicky guac. The recipes are straightforward and clear, and in this case I had all ingredients on hand already. I served the pork, slaw, and guac over rice, and it all disappeared so quickly that I didn’t even get a picture! Next, I planned for a rainy day meal and made the Chicken Cannellini Soup (page 116). I improvised slightly based on family preferences and added some more vegetables, and everybody devoured it gladly.

Next, my eyes are on the baked goods, and I will start with the Apple Carrot Superhero Muffins (which can easily be prepared gluten-free), and the Coconut Banana Breakfast Cookies will be next. Some of the recipes are pretty basic (the baked vegetable recipe just asks for vegetables to be tossed with oil and baked), but I really like the fact that all recipes for several meals are right in one spot. The book is great for anybody who is just starting to learn cooking healthy foods themselves, but also hold enough interesting new combinations and ways of preparing foods to catch the interest of more experienced cooks.

Items: Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow

Available at Amazon and other booksellers.

Thank you to Rodale Books for providing us with this book. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.