POLENTA WITH PEAS, PECORINO AND ALMONDS

This is a classic Italian flavour combination. There’s something comforting
about a big bowl of creamy polenta and sometimes after a long run that’s just what you need! Polenta is rich in dietary fibre and a good source of gluten-free carbohydrates; also, the forty-five minutes of stirring is good strength training for your arms.

SERVES 4

150ml milk
600ml water, plus about 3 tbsp
1⁄2 tsp salt
150g coarse polenta
50g butter
75g Pecorino cheese, grated
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
200g fresh podded peas (or use frozen)
a handful of pea shoots
a few fresh mint sprigs, chopped 80g almonds, coarsely chopped freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the milk, 600ml water and salt to the boil. When boiling, add the polenta, whisking continuously. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until it thickens. Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 35–45 minutes, stirring well every 4–5 minutes to prevent sticking, until the polenta begins to come away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the butter and one-third of the Pecorino cheese.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate saucepan over a low heat, add the shallot and sweat for 2 minutes, then add the peas along with about 3 tablespoons water. Bring to the boil and cook until the water has almost evaporated. The peas should be just cooked and glazed with the remaining liquid.

3. Serve the polenta on a large serving dish or individual plates, topped with the peas, pea shoots, chopped mint and almonds. Finish with plenty of the remaining grated Pecorino and a grinding of black pepper.

BLUEBERRY AND HONEY FROZEN YOGURT WITH MINT AND FRESH BLUEBERRIES

This is a quick dessert or a nice treat for yourself after a weekly long run –
I always have a version of this in the freezer. Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and honey is a good sugar substitute. You can, of course, replace the blueberries with any berry you like.

SERVES 4

400g full-fat Greek yogurt
150g fresh or frozen blueberries 4 tbsp honey

TO SERVE:
150g fresh blueberries
a few mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1. Put the ingredients into a bowl and mash together with the back of a spoon until smooth (or lightly combine with a hand-held stick blender). Pour the mixture into a suitable freezerproof container and freeze for 4 hours, or until solid.

2. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, so that it softens a little. Enjoy sprinkled with fresh berries and some chopped mint.

DEVILLED CHICKEN LIVERS AND SPINACH ON TOAST

This is one of my favourites. Liver is one of the greatest sources of iron that we can eat, as is spinach; combined, you have a meal that is a real recovery boost.

SERVES 4

3 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp English mustard powder

600g chicken livers, cleaned and trimmed

3 tbsp butter

300g spinach, picked and washed

4 large slices of Sourdough Bread (see p.185)

a hearty splash of Worcestershire sauce

50ml chicken stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cayenne pepper and mustard with a big pinch of salt and quite a lot of pepper. Roll the chicken livers in the seasoned flour until evenly coated, then shake off any excess flour in a sieve.

2. Heat a frying pan over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, then add the spinach. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted and any liquid has evaporated.

3. Meanwhile, toast the bread, then divide the spinach among the 4 waiting pieces of toast.

4. Wipe out the frying pan and place back over
a high heat. Add another 1 tablespoon of butter
to the pan and, when foaming, place the chicken livers in the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the Worcestershire sauce along with the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Remove the livers to the slices of toast.

5. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan and reduce the stock until you get a thick sauce. Pour the sauce over the livers, spinach and toast, and serve immediately.

BEETROOT BORANI WITH FLATBREADS

SERVES 4

300g cooked and peeled beetroot 300g full-fat Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

a few dill sprigs, chopped, plus extra to garnish

100g feta cheese, crumbled

50g chopped toasted almonds

sea salt, to taste

wholewheat flatbreads or pitta, toasted, to serve

1. Blend the beetroot to a coarse purée in a food processor – you want some texture so don’t overblend. Transfer to a bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, vinegar, oil, dill and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.

2. Spread the beetroot purée on a serving plate and sprinkle over the feta, almonds and extra dill sprigs, then drizzle with
a little olive oil. Serve with the toasted flatbreads or pitta on the side for dipping.

For the flatbreads, you can either buy them ready-made or use
a half-size batch of the pizza dough (see p.95). Roll out discs

to about the size of a side plate and bake at 220°C/gas mark 7 for 5–8 minutes until the bread is cooked through, then brush with a little extra-virgin olive oil before serving.