Meet my dear friend, Crystal Boren!! Crystal is crazy amazing!! She is an awesome mom who adores her 5 kids, she is an incredible massage therapist (trust me, I know) and is so knowledgable about injuries and the body. I love running with her and chatting. She makes the time fly by because its so enjoyable to be with her. She is such an awesome cook and baker and makes some really, really awesome food. AND………..
SHE IS A CRAZY AWESOME RUNNER!!! She set a 3:17 PR at Mount Charleston Marathon and is now tackling ultra-marathons. Yikes! And look at that smile :). Everyone who knows Crystal LOVES her :). She is sharing two recipes with us today :). SOOOOOO HERE’S CRYSTAL……….
I grew up in Orderville…I am a runner, mom of 5, and massage therapist. I love being outside more than anything else and enjoying getting lost and really long trail runs. I also love rock climbing, canyoneering, kayaking, and mountain biking. And I love running with Friends like YOU. Ha! Love ya!
This first recipe is from my husband and these potatoes are the biggest reason I will never leave him. I can’t make them as good, no matter how hard I try, and they are so so so delicious! 😋
The second is my pancake recipe I make and eat almost every single day! They aren’t the tastiest things you will ever eat but they are pretty dang good and stick with you for a long time and they are super healthy!
So here is our Breakfast potatoes:
4-5 potatoes (different varieties) I use sweet potatoes, red, and yellow.
5 cups of whatever other veggies you have in the fridge
My favorites are brussels sprouts, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and squash.
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Chili pepper lime seasoning
I have used a lot of different combinations of seasonings and it’s really up to you and your tastes at this point.
Dice all the potatoes and veggies into small cubes.
Toss everything in a bowl with seasonings and 1/4 cup olive oil.
Pan fry the veggies and potatoes until they are slightly soft and have some color.
Transfer potatoes and veggies onto a sheet pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 390 degrees until the mixture is browning and caramelized. Usually takes about 30 minutes.
And here is my Trail-mix Protein Pancakes :
Mix together 1/3 cup of freshly ground seeds of your choice. I always use chia, flax, sesame, sunflower, and hemp.
I use a cuisinart nut/seed grinder for this and it works like magic! It takes me about 30 seconds to grind up that many seeds. 😊
Add 1/3 cup of raw nuts mixed with dried fruit. I use organic dried bing cherries with sprouted pecans and walnuts. I break the nuts slightly but I like the big chunks.
Add 1/3 cup of protein powder. I try to eat a plant based diet so I use vegan protein but you can just as easily use whey.
This should all equal 1 cup of dry ingredients. Add 3/4 cup of almond milk (or milk of your choice) if you want extra protein you could also add an egg white but I usually don’t. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of baking powder.
Stir it up and fry ( with cooking spray or coconut oil) into pancakes. Keep the heat pretty low and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side. I almost always top these with papaya but today I had blueberries. I’ve also used bananas and they are super yummy. You can add oats to this recipe if you want more carbs and they still work great, just add more liquid. And if you really wanna get crazy, add syrup! 😵
Start by warming/heating the chicken broth so it will be ready. Put 1-11/2 tablespoons butter in a large flat pan (to each cup of risotto rice). Add a tablespoon or more olive oil to raise the burning point of the butter.
Once the butter has melted add the finely chopped shallot and sauté until clear.
Add risotto rice and constantly stir on medium to medium + heat, until the outer edge of the rice turns clear. This is a judgement call and can be difficult to judge sometimes (for me anyway) so it’s good to pay attention to the look at the rice from the beginning.
Add about a cup (ladle full) of broth, a sprig of thyme, and stir continuously until all of the broth has been absorbed. Check this by scraping the pan with the spatula. If the “trough” made by the spatula stays dry and no liquid seeps through the edge of the “trough” it’s time for more broth. Add another ladle full of broth and repeat.
I sample the rice every so often and when you feel that the rice is about half way cooked add the asparagus and carrots and continue with the broth additions and absorption, one ladle at a time.
When you feel like the rice is all but finished, lower the heat a bit and, add the cream and stir until incorporated, and a bit beyond.
Add the Parmesiana Reggiano cheese and stir until fully melted and mixed together. Here you can add a little lemon and lemon zest as desired.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. As a side note we always cook extra and reheat it throughout the week. This seems to be one of those dishes that reheat very well.
It's a peg's life 