Runner's Recipe of the Week

My wife finally got around to giving me the runner's recipe of the week. This week I present to you Peanut Butter Sesame Noodles. This is one of my favorites because it combines two runner's superfoods, pasta and peanut butter. It is a fuel-filled combination of peanut butter and noodles. Yet another noodle recipe, you say? Don't be deceived by the noodle base of a recipe, the additional ingredients that make up a recipe can push the glycemic index up, the carbohydrate load up, the fat content (which increases satiety) up, and suddenly you have a totally different nutritional content. It is important to realize that, during training, satiety factor is very important. Your hunger is great (as you very well know from experience) but you must fuel yourself with nutrient-rich hunger stoppers. Peanut butter is one of those foods. It is a runner's friend. Full of B-vitamins to fight off illness and give you energy. Full of healthy mono-unsaturated oil to keep you full. And, a good source of protein. The additional noodles, of course, help with carbohydrate loading and replenishing your glycogen stores. Lastly, the addition of some sweet peppers, kicks the recipe up a notch and makes it a very good source of Vitamin C.



Truth be told, this works better as a good snack. Who wants peanut butter and crackers? That is for people who go to the gym and run 30 minutes on the treadmill. We need real food for real mileage. Take a cup of this recipe--eat it slowly with a piece of fruit to add additional fiber, vitamins, and carbohydrates and, voila! You have a perfect 460 calorie snack. Think that sounds like a large amount? Absolutely not! When you are running the miles that you are running--that is the minimum.


Serving Size: 1 cup

For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes


For noodle salad
3/4 lb dried linguine fini or spaghetti
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Make dressing:
Purée dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Make salad:
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine, and serve immediately.

Click here to access the nutrition analysis and to receive more information on this wonderful recipe.