Each week Her.ie will look at a new cook book, giving you the inside scoop whether the recipes cut the mustard. From health kicks, to wholesome foods, we find out what books offer the best insights for budding cooks!
This week: Food for the Fast Lane: Recipes To Power Your Body by Derval O’Rourke (Gill&Macmillan Books)
Published: September 5
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Derval O’Rourke is one of Ireland’s greatest athletes having scored titles at World and European level as well as being a three time Olympian. The track athlete has long spoken of the importance of eating and training rather than diet and exercising, and has now collected her favourite meals in a new cook book.
Derval based her recipes on a nutritionally balanced training menu she devised with peak performance as her main goal. Having adopted the recipes and style of cooking into her personal diet, she gained boundless energy and a better ability to focus, both on and off the track.
Derval’s main focus is working on recipe’s that support her theory that ‘goodness in = greatness out’, i.e. that cooking and eating well are vital for a happy, healthy life, and have been shaped by two of her greatest passions - an active life and healthy cooking.
Food For The Fast Lane: Recipes To Power Your Body is a collection of more than 100 recipes devised by Derval that are not only nutritious but are what she believes helped her reach her fitness and competitive goals. The book also offers advice and tips for anyone who is looking to balance their diets or increase their appetite.
The book introduces Derval's methods with a section of tips and tricks. Everything from a typical food shop, tips on how to prepare certain foods as well as a fitness and a food diary from the athlete. Fitness tips include a weights routine down to her playlist (which includes everything from Destiny's Child to Ed Sheeran.)
One of the most impressive signs of this book being manageable and easy to adapt is that O'Rourke is using common cupboard staples as well as fruits and vegetables in season. Stocking up for ingredients won't set a novice cook back a small fortune, and the recipes use healthy, whole foods to create a balance diet for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as suggested snacks for your day.
As well as sharing tips for a superfoods salad, fiery spaghetti and baked cod and lentil, Derval has opted for home comforts and meals that you might dip into for different seasons of the year, including everything from a hearty chicken and vegetable soup to a summer granola mix.
Complete with a dedicated fish section, the book boasts a pretty extensive sides, snacks and drinks section so you won't spoil your healthy routine with a sugary fruit juice or chocolate treat.
This book offers realistic cooking guidelines and expectations while not compromising on meal quality or quantity. Using real food, and reflecting on the values of eating good food at regular intervals, Derval's cook book compliments her advice and guidance with beautiful imagery, easy-to-follow methods and some motivational photography and quotes that give an added insight into the chef's life and habits.
If you're looking to eat a balanced, healthy diet without entering into fads or meal replacements, you need to take a leaf out of this book.
