Use this cost effective recipe to compliment your training

Cooking something new that will compliment your training needs doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise. Using a few basic recipe techniques combined with some different ingredients and flavours you can prevent becoming bored with your food choices – and keep the cost low!

Among the foods that can often be overlooked for their benefits is the humble rissole, which in all honesty is in need of a makeover.

Rather than think of them as just something to put on a hamburger, experiment with different flavours and types of mince to create different meals, and protein components of meals that may be a little more cost effective or a change from your regular flavours. They can be served with a salad and potato or as part of a cuisine inspired burger.

Below is a recipe for Thai Chicken Rissoles, which are cost effective and include protein and some extra nutrients and fibre from the inclusion of sweet potato and digestion friendly ginger.

You could serve this on a grain bun with carrot, lettuce and a chili mayo or as the protein contribution to a salad on a lighter training day. Make sure you also check out the flavor combinations below the recipe for variations of this budget friendly staple.

Thai Chicken Rissoles

Serves 2 – 4

Ingredients

• 500g Minced chicken meat
• 1x slice wholegrain bread, crumbed
• 1x Egg
• 1x cup grated sweet potato
• Kafir lime leaves, finely shredded (or lime rind from ½ a lime)
• 1.5 tsp red curry paste (or chili sauce/flakes if no paste) 2 Tbs    Thai basil or green basil leaves
• ½ Tbs fish sauce
• ½ Tbs lime juice (fresh or bottled)
• Tsp ginger, fresh or jarred
• tsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. Microwave grated sweet potato for 1 minute to par cook then cool slightly
2. Combine, chicken, sweet potato, egg, lime, curry paste, basil leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, bread crumbs and sesame seed and mix in
3. Using damp hand shape spoonfuls of mixture into patties of your desired
4. Heat a non-stick fry pan and spray lightly with oil, add patties to hot pan and cook till brown and cooked
5. Serve with salad and/or vegetables and drizzle with some sesame oil (optional) or on a bread roll with carrot, cucumber and lettuce and some Asian dressing or sweet chili

Variations

Use any combination of meat and vegetables and keep the breadcrumbs + egg the same, omitting other ingredients

• Beef mince and grated zucchini and mint
• Tuna with corn and carrot and dill
• Mexican chicken rissoles with taco sauce, shopping capsicum and coriander
• Pork mince with grated apple and sweet potato
• Lamb mince with rosemary, garlic, grated potato and feta
• Moroccan chicken with grated carrot, 1 tsp honey and cumin and Moroccan seasoning
• White fish fillets with the recipe above – omit breadcrumbs