Monday, July 12, 2010

Workout of the Day:
Three rounds for time of:
20 Box Jumps (24″/18″)
20 Pull-ups
20 Wall Ball Shots (20/12 lbs.)
(advanced athletes perform chest-to-bar pull-ups)

Almond Banana Bread
Written by Mark Riebel

This is a recipe from T-Nation that I modified into something pretty darn tasty, and is an excellent option for those of us who are gluten and grain-free.  I found that it turned out better than the coconut bread recipe I tried, which tasted great but was really dense.  This, on the other hand, is pretty much like any regular loaf of banana bread.

Here’s what you’ll need:
2 cups almond flour (I recommend Trader Joe’s.  Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, while easier to find, is a bit grainy and doesn’t stick together as well)
1 tablespoon baking powder
A good-sized dash of cinnamon, though I probably used around 1 tablespoon if I had to guess
5 eggs (the ones from the farmers’ market are always the best, and you know it)
5 tablespoons liquefied coconut oil
½ cup hot water
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons honey (this is optional, and quite honestly, it’s just as good without)

Preheat your oven to 350^o F and grease a loaf pan with some cooking spray.  Mix all of the wet ingredients.  Mix all of the dry ingredients.  Now mix them both together and pour it in the loaf pan.  Stick it in the oven for about 40-45 minutes until a knife in the middle comes out clean.  Let it cool for a bit on a wire rack if you’ve got one, then try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.  While it might not be the best option, this stuff is pretty money slathered in peanut butter.

I haven’t tried them just yet, but there were a bunch of other ingredients you could switch in there to really mix things up—maybe some dried cranberries or other fruit, of course more nuts, maybe some cacao nibs, or (dare I say it) some bacon bits.  Try some out and let me know what you think!

(Editor’s Note - And the super cool news is that you can talk to Mark about this recipe in person at the Games in Carson!  Just another good reason to be up there supporting Helen and Team Invictus!)