If you have no time to cook, read this

In a perfect world, we'd all spend less time at our jobs and staring at screens and more time cooking delicious food. Bad news, though, mate: the world is far from perfect, and some nights you get home and need to make dinner fast. The key is choosing wisely what you cook: since you can't rush, say, a stew, then if you're in a rush, don't make a stew! Instead, look to these incredible meals, which are quick by design and provide all the pleasures (as well as the nourishment) of slow-cooked fare. Let me help you do that.

In today’s newsletter, I’m hooking you up with my go-to 12-minute dinner recipe. Let’s dive in, legends!

TODAY’S AGENDA

• EAT: 12 minutes to shakshuka heaven 

• PERFORM: My first ever sub-3 marathon attempt

• LIVE: Helping legend Antje G. get those gains 💪

12 Minutes to Shakshuka Heaven

When I get home late from work or working out, I'm making shakshuka. This nourishing North African dish has many variations, including this one made by a half-Italian Aussie.

At its heart, it's eggs baked in spiced tomato sauce. Mine always has beans to pump up the fiber and protein content (all you plant-based Everyday Legends can skip the eggs and still reap the benefits of this dish) and sourdough bread on the side for shoveling that sauce into your mouth. It's so tasty that it's motivating: when you know shakshuka is waiting for you, that final meeting of the day or last set in your circuit feels that much more doable.

Find yourself with an extra minute? Rub the toast with a cut clove of raw garlic for a flavor boost.

INGREDIENTS

1. Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns a rusty color, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture come to a strong simmer, then cook, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook for 30 seconds more. Season to taste with salt.

3. Use the back of a spoon to make four little nests in the sauce for the eggs, and then carefully crack an egg into each one. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the whites of the eggs are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat, drizzle on the tahini, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve in the pan with the toast.

Although it's a wicked-quick option for Tuesday night dinner, it's also tasty enough to serve to your mates on a Sunday. This recipe serves two, but if it's just you, feel free to make the full recipe for the sauce, and when it's time to add the eggs, spoon about a quarter of the sauce into a small pan and make yourself an individual portion. The remaining sauce keeps for a week in the fridge.

This recipe is from my upcoming cookbook Eat Like a Legend. If you haven’t already, pre-order it for yourself and your mates for more easy recipes to help you perform at your peak. And of course, the prizes!

Boston Marathon 2024 Update

Thank you, legends, for your awesome support throughout my Boston Marathon journey. For the first time ever, I attempted to go sub-3 in a marathon. It was my first time doing a speed training block after hiring a coach. Amidst all the work at the restaurant and preparing for my cookbook launch, this has been my physical outlet: in snow, rain, and cold temperatures. You name it.

Unfortunately, my knee didn’t love that plan. I have been traveling, which hasn’t been the best preparation, and I succumbed to patellar tendonitis three weeks prior. But the week before the marathon, I was feeling strong, my speed was there, and I felt ready.

Through the first 13 miles, I kept up with my goal pace. But when I felt shockwaves through my patellar, I knew I had to stop. After getting some rest, I got back out there and pushed through. In the end, I finished in a personal best of 3:18:14.

I’m going to be completely honest with you; I felt frustrated. But my job in this space is to make you legends feel inspired to move better and eat better. So, despite everything, the whole experience made me hungry for more.

I’m very goal-oriented. So, of course, I’m looking at the next one now. HYROX in New York City is going to be a hard one, where I have to keep my heart rate in zone 4 for the entirety of the race. And then, I’m coming for you, Leadville!

Helping one of you newsletter legends get those gains

Today’s free meal plan review is for Antje G. This 54-year old legend requested a meal plan review to help her gain muscle. Antje is already pretty active, so let’s see what I can do to optimize her meals for muscle building.

My Analysis and Recommendations:

• Add additional protein: Given your goals, make sure each meal includes a good source of lean protein like chicken, fish, tofu, or beans to support muscle repair and growth. 

• Optimize diversity on the plate: Color is key here; make sure you're including a few different fruits and veggies throughout the week.

Final Thoughts:

You’re already crushing it, mate. Just a few tweaks to your current plan can help you crush your goals!

• Be mindful of your nutrition post-workout: Include a meal or large snack with a combination of protein and carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes after workouts to replenish glycogen stores and support muscle recovery.

• You don't have to eat something different every day, just focus on the big picture. This will help ensure you're getting adequate fiber and make sure you're getting a broad range of micronutrients in your diet.