Essential Foods for Runners

This month's super-food: Asparagus!!!

I myself was never a big fan of the green, odd looking vegetable known as asparagus, but in the past 6 months or so I have been digging it more. I read a feature in Cooking Light magazine that showed various ways to prepare it, and it intrigued me. The only way I have ever cooked it is coat it in olive oil and sprinkle some salt...but low and behold there are other ways!

Click here for asparagus 5 ways: http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/fd/inseason/article/0,13803,1175355,00.html

And funny enough, one of the features in this week's Runners World newsletter was all about the nutritional benefits of asparagus. Here are some fun facts:

• One cup of asparagus spears supplies 115 percent of your Daily Value for vitamin K, which is vital for bone health, and 65 percent of your Daily Value for folate, a B vitamin that promotes healthy blood cells and helps prevent birth defects.


• Many runners--especially those who avoid meat--don't get enough iron; that's because nonmeat sources of the mineral, such as vegetables and grains, are not as readily absorbed. But eating foods high in vitamin C, like asparagus, increases iron absorption from nonmeat foods.


• Asparagus is loaded not only with folate but also vitamin B6. When combined with vitamin B12, this trio works together to lower circulating levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that wreaks havoc on artery walls, leading to heart disease.
  

So how do you prepare it? According to the experts it is great in a salad or prepared as a side dish with your dinner. I tried one of the cooking light recipes the other night for dinner and it was awesome and so easy! Try it for yourself! Asparagus is in season so be sure to look for it at your local grocery store.

Sautéed Asparagus and Shrimp with Gremolata

Sauté the two main ingredients separately to avoid overcrowding the pan. A fresh lemon-herb topping rounds out the flavors in this entrée. You could also try this recipe with chicken and broccoli. I accompanied this dish with some roasted potatoes and it was delicious.

Ingredients
Gremolata:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

Shrimp:
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
1. To prepare gremolata, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
2. To prepare shrimp, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add asparagus to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove asparagus from pan; keep warm.

3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle evenly with gremolata.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 240(29% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 1.2g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 36.1g; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 115mg; SODIUM 403mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 5.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.2g

Lorrie Hulston , Cooking Light, APRIL 2008