Koko's Kitchen

Ohhhh you guys sure are lucky…I’ve got an absolutely divine cookbook to talk about with you today. I’m even going to share a recipe, and give three lucky readers the opportunity to win a copy!

I’m talking about Thrive Energy Cookbook by Brendan Brazier. If you recognize that name (as you should!), it’s because Brendan Brazier is the renowned Ironman triathlete, Ultra-marathon champion, and creator of Vega plant-based nutritional products. This guy has some serious street cred.

Brendan has more than enough personal experience and knowledge in plant-based athletics and this book is here to teach us how to achieve his level of health and optimum energy. All 150 recipes are plant-based, nutrient dense, and whole food recipes. The philosophy behind Brendan’s plant-based nutrition revolution is that “True activism means hand selecting your own food for a healthier you and a healthier planet! Eating a plant-based diet composed of whole foods is not only stress-reducing and health-boosting, it is the best “health insurance” money can buy. “

The book is extremely detailed and breaks down Brendan’s theory for eating high-net-gain foods, as “The less energy you spend on digestion, the more energy you’ll have”. Brendan also provides a highly informative chart on alkaline-forming foods, which is something that I absolutely agree with placing importance on.  Brendan also provides his version of the Food Pyramid- thank god! I could go on forever about how twisted the standard food pyramid is…yuck! I like Brendan’s much more with emphasis on fibrous vegetables, followed by proteins and fruits, then fats, and lastly starches and grains. I think this book shows a very balanced approach to healthy eating while providing super enticing, flavourful recipes. It even includes ‘transition’ recipes for those just beginning to start their healthy eating journey. Lastly, I could buy this book for the photos alone.

I tried several recipes from the book and I’ll share one of them here. The Coconut Mango Recovery Cereal was out of this world, and I love how Brendan explains how the ingredients aid in post-exercise recovery. The combination of mango and coconut with all of the healthful seeds and nuts make a super satisfying post-workout meal. I love how only a touch of sweetness and fat (coconut syrup, and coconut oil) are needed to make this cereal delicious. I should mention that I actually substituted maple syrup for coconut syrup, because it’s what I had on hand and it worked out perfectly.

There are so many more amazing recipes in this book, I wish I could post them all. One thing I want to mention though, is that many of the main course recipes require extra elements such as sauces, or spreads found elsewhere in the book, or named by brand for you to buy. If you want a really quick meal you could of course plan ahead of time and pre-make or buy these things, or else skip them. But I’m sure it’s soo worth it to use all the recipes provided. Just be aware that you may need certain flavours of tempeh, mediterranean red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, or other interesting ingredients. Also, some recipes use Vega products, like their protein powders, so hopefully you’re willing to buy those products additionally.

Coconut Mango Recover Cereal

Carbohydrate from the mango, oats, dates, and coconut nectar will restock depleted glycogen stores; the essential fatty acids from the flax, cashews, and chia will enhance fat metabolism; and the high-quality, alkaline-forming protein from the nuts, seeds, almond milk, and optional Vega Sport Performance Protein powder will reduce inflammation and instigate protein synthesis. Serves 5/Makes 4 cups (1 L)

Gluten-Free Protein-Rich

Prep Time: 5 minutes

• 1/2 large mango, peeled and diced
• 3 large Medjool dates, pitted and diced
• 1 cup (250 mL) gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cashews
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chia seeds
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) unhulled sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) cacao nibs
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut nectar
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) water

Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, dates, oats, cashews, flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds,

sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and sea salt. Stir until well combined.

 In a small bowl, stir together the coconut oil, coconut nectar, and water.

 Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet.

 Bake, stirring once halfway through, for 50 to 65 minutes, depending on how much crunch you like.

Let cool on the baking sheet. Break up before storing.

• Add finely grated fresh ginger on top to reduce inflammation.
• Top with diced apples that are rich in pectin and will assist mineral (electrolyte) absorption. This is important post-workout to regain full hydration.
• This cereal can be served with almond milk (page 23) or Vega Sport Performance Protein.
• Keeps in an open container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

You can win one of three copies of the Thrive Energy Cookbook by entering below. Each entry gets you one chance to win- do all 5 steps for 5 entries into the draw! Contest is open to residents of the US & Canada. Contest closes midnight, April 10th.

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