Training & Nutrition

Recipe: 15 Minute Sweet Potato and Tuna Warmer

A golden oldie with a couple of little twists to warm you up after a winter ride

We’ve admitted it before, and we’ll admit it again: here at Team TWC we’ve got riders and writers who can boast a selection of talents, but gourmet cooking isn’t one of them.

What we can do is something we practice a lot – quick and nutritious cooking, that even if we say so ourselves, usually ends up being pretty damn yummy even if it won’t win any awards for presentation or fancy technique.

Our recent 15 minute omelette muffins and 15 minute quesadillas went down an absolute treat (in more ways than one!) last month – so we’re back with another quick post ride lunch/dinner. This one is a more traditional option – with our own spicy twist.

You will need:

Sweet potato
Can of tuna (Tofu or Halloumi could work well for veggies)
Red onion (Small, or just use half. Unless you realllly love onion.)
Pepper
Tiny bit of oil
Pesto
Chilli (fresh or flaked)
Cheese

Sweet potato is a fantastic carbohydrate option – it’s slightly lower on the GI index than white potato, so may keep you fuller for longer, and 100g contains 38 mg of calcium, 475 mg of potassium, and a whopping 385 per cent of your daily vitamin A requirement – which aids growth, development, and maintains the immune system.

Tuna is packed full of protein, and generally low in fat – thought we’ll add a little good fat with our cheese and pesto! And of course, though chilli is a little bit love or hate, there’s no denying it will warm you up and it’s also believed to aid the immune system and reduce inflammation.

Step One – Prod your potato and put it in the microwave

This is easy. Pierce a few holes in the skin (sorry Mr Potato!) and put him in the microwave for 15 minutes. If you’re organised, you can plan this in advance and bake your sweet little friend for an hour – but we’re rarely prepared to wait that long.

Chop pepper, onion and open tuna

Go for small slices – we’ve got a mandolin which honestly makes chopping veg an awful lot easier – and quicker cutting means fewer tears where onions are involved. Just watch your fingers!

Mix it all up

Isn’t that colourful?

Add pesto, plus half a chopped chilli or some chilli flakes

The chilli acts as a lovely little boost of heat after a long, cold ride outside. Not only that, but adding spicy food into your diet is also believed to be a real boost for your immune system, though of course add this ingredient to taste!