The cookbook

Eat Up, Raise Your Game by Daniel Davey, published by Gill Books, RRP €19.99.

Who is it for?

Sport and exercise lovers who crave nutritious recipes to fuel their performance but without scrimping on flavour.

Why we love it

While he might be a performance nutritionist working with professional rugby and elite GAA teams, Daniel Davey’s message when it comes to food applies to everybody: “Consistently eating good food can have extraordinary results.” In this excellent cookbook, Daniel – who is from a farm in Sligo and still keeps a small flock of sheep – shares 100 easy and nutritious recipes for both exercise and recovery days. In the first part of the book, he explains the science behind his down-to-earth approach, which carries through to his recipes. We really like his no-nonsense approach and we have a sneak peak for you of two of his recipes below.

Recipes

Competition Day Chicken Noodles

Serves two

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

  • Exercise recipe.
  • Swap the chicken for tofu to make this a meat-free option.
  • A high-carbohydrate meal to fuel performance.
  • Fuel-up option.
  • Performance recipes are simple recipes that don’t contain much fibre and are lower in fats. They help athletes to fuel up for big competitions or matches. They’re also easy to digest and provide a sustained supply of energy to the body. This dish is a firm favourite with many elite athletes because it’s easy to make, tastes fantastic, feels light in the tummy and ticks all the boxes for a pre-competition or high-intensity exercise meal. Have this dish within three to four hours before your competition or training and you will be fuelled and ready to perform.

    150g egg noodles

    1 tsp sesame oil

    ½ a small onion, peeled and chopped

    2 tbsp olive oil

    1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

    ½ a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger

    a pinch of sea salt

    3 free range chicken breast fillets, cut into strips

    1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

    1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

    2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 Boil 400ml of salted water in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in the noodles and cook for three minutes or until they are almost cooked. Drain, rinse with cold water, toss with the sesame oil and set aside.
  • 2 Put the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook for one to two minutes, stirring regularly.

  • 3 Add the chicken strips, cook for three minutes then add in the sweet chilli sauce and cook for another two to three minutes.

  • 4 Add in the diced pepper and soy sauce and mix well.

  • 5 Add the noodles and toss gently. Cook for another five minutes stirring well so all the ingredients are well combined.

  • 6 Serve in two shallow bowls.

    Chocolate Nut Butter Shards

    Daniel Davey's chocolate nut butter shards.

    Serves 10

    Preparation time: 10 minutes

    Cooking time: 10 minutes

    Setting time: One hour

  • Everyday recipe.
  • Simple and quick to whip up for last-minute guests.
  • Source of healthy fats.
  • This recipe is easy to put together and works well as a party treat for friends. You can break it up and eat it on its own or you can have it with natural yoghurt and fresh blueberries and raspberries as a healthy treat after dinner.

    3 tbsp coconut flakes or desiccated coconut

    3 tbsp sunflower seeds

    3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

    3 tbsp sliced almonds

    400g dark chocolate (80% cocoa solids)

    3 tbsp almond or peanut butter

    3 tbsp dried cranberries

    Sprinkle of salt

  • 1 Preheat your oven to 175°C.
  • 2 Spread the coconut, seeds and nuts out on a baking tray and put in the oven for eight minutes, shaking regularly and watching carefully to prevent burning.
  • 3 Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering hot water. Once melted, mix in the nut butter.
  • 4 Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spread the chocolate mixture out to an approximate size of 20x30cm. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle the toasted coconut, nuts, and seeds over the chocolate evenly. Finish by scattering the cranberries over with a sprinkle of salt.
  • 5 Place in a fridge and chill completely for about an hour until hardened or place in a freezer to chill faster if necessary.
  • 6 Now for the fun bit – peel off the paper and smash into shards of the size you wish.
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