Marcus Samuelsson’s Pre-Marathon Recipes

Happy Halloween Hungry Fans!

Certainly enjoy your holiday but remember….here in New York, the TCS New York City Marathon is Sunday, November 1st! (So don’t party too hard or eat too much candy…if you’re running).

This year’s race will feature many incredible athletes, including some names and personalities with whom you’re very familiar. Runners include actor Ethan Hawke, singer/entertainer Alicia Keys, producer/actor Nev Schulman (of Catfish), actress Katrina Bowden, athletes James Blake and Tiki Barber, restaurateur Joe Bastianich, professional snowboarder Chris Klug, Met Opera Lead Singer Susanna Phillips, and celebrity chefs Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad) and Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster), with Grand Marshal Spike Lee (do you know, do you know, do you know?).

For those of you familiar with marathons, triathlons and other epic races (t

hink Iron Man), you know that there’s an art to fueling up before the race. And I’ve got some special recipes that chef and NYC Marathon runner Marcus Samuelsson has shared with me that should get you ready for the big race! Chef Samuelsson calls these dishes ideal for pre-race eating…I call these fuel-food and downright yummy. I’d eat them pretty much anytime, but certainly think about these if you’re racing this Sunday.

Good luck to all you audacious, awesome people running this Sunday! And happy fueling!

QUINOA with BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER & TOASTED COCONUT
YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red hot pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

METHOD

1. Rinse the quinoa well in a fine-mesh sieve, then drain. Combine the quinoa, water, coconut milk and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed the water and milk, about 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
2. While the quinoa cooks, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over a high heat. Add the broccoli and cauliflower, bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a skimmer or slotted spoon. Add the carrot to the water, bring it back to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain and add to the other vegetables.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the celery, scallions, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, as well as the tomatoes to the pan, and mix well. Then stir in the parsley, mint, paprika, and Aleppo pepper, until everything is heated through and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the quinoa into a wide bowl and fluff it with a fork. Add the vegetables and the coconut flakes and mix well. Serve hot.

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RIB EYE ON THE BONE
YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (1-inch thick) bone-in rib eye steaks
• Coffee-Chocolate Rub
• 2 jalapenos
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 scallions
• 8 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator 30 mInutes before you plan to grill them. Preheat a gas grill to medium.
2. Rub the steaks with the coffee-chocolate rub. Brush the steaks, jalapeno, garlic cloves, and scallions with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Put the steaks and vegetables on the grill. Grill the vegetables until they’re charred all over, about 6 minutes. Grill the steaks to your desired doneness. Transfer the steaks to a platter and let them rest for 10 minutes.
3. Rub the charred skin off the jalapenos and pull off the stems. Chop the jalapenos, garlic and scallions.
4. Whisk the remaining 7 tablespoons oil with the lemon juice, mustard, Wroestershire, parsley, and tarragon. Stir in the chopped vegetables. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the grilled green vinaigrette onto the platter with the steaks and serves.

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FARRO-ORANGE SALAD
YIELD 4–6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 c almonds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 c olive oil, plus extra for brushing the vegetables
• 2 fennel bulbs, quartered with the core intact
• 1 red onion, quartered with the core intact
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
• juice and segments from 3 oranges (about 3 tbsps of juice)
• 1 head radicchio, shredded (about 3 c)
• 4 basil leaves
• 8 mint leaves
• 1 1/2 c cooked farro
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsps shaved Parmesan

METHOD

1. Heat a small pan over low heat. Add the almonds and fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush the fennel and onion with olive oil. Place the fennel and onion on the grill and grill for 4–5 minutes on each side or until golden and softened. Set aside. Grill the garlic for 4 minutes. Chop the fennel, onion and garlic and transfer to a bowl. Toss with the balsamic vinegar, juice and segments from the oranges, and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, radicchio, basil, mint, farro, fennel seeds and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, divide the salad between 4–6 plates. Top with the Parmesan.