hope everyone has enjoyed their summer fun and that your training and racing is going well! My goal in this month’s column is to provide you with two healthy recipes that are quick to make and will surely benefit your nutrition whether you are training or trying to maintain a healthy nutritional balance.

Below are two sample recipes which have been taken from The Athlete's Plate by Adam Kelinson. It's always good to start out with a structured recipe and then adapt it to your taste and be creative with any new ingredients you feel may fit in well. Feel free to use your creativity!

Some of my favorite recipe books are: The New Basics Cookbook by Russo and Lukins, The Barefoot Contessa (series) by Ina Garten and The Athlete's Plate by Adam Kelinson.

Turkey Burgers We all love to bite into a burger, and turkey burgers are a wonderful change from traditional beef burgers. Cooked correctly, they’re just as moist and satisfying and possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings, sauces and seasonings. Makes: 4-6 Patties 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ½ cup grated raw cheese 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds Sea salt 1 pound ground turkey ½ cup cooked quinoa 1 tablespoon olive oil Preparation: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the sage, parsley, cheese, sunflower seeds and a pinch of salt; mix thoroughly. Using your hands incorporate everything into the turkey, but don’t over mix. Form 4-6 patties and lightly coat with olive oil. Set aside. To Grill: Grill burgers over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached. To Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place burgers on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cook until done, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. To Fry: Heat a nonstick skillet or pan with a swirl of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook burgers 3-4 minutes on each side. Add: Grilled onions, sliced tomatoes, avocado, sun dried tomatos, be creative! Power Granola Granola is one of those things better made at home. Store bought versions are usually packed with unnecessary refined sugar, corn syrup and other unwanted ingredients. The recipe below is a fantastic granola mix that will give you energy on the go, is a good topping for yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt, or to eat by the handful. The fats in the nuts to the hemp seeds for protein and omegas are packed with lots of healthy nutrients. The goji berries have antioxidants and the oats support your need for carbs. You will need to use your oven to prepare the granola. This recipe was taken from The Athlete’s Plate (see above). For a modified version, you can leave out the sunflower seeds and quinoa, if you don’t have the time to prepare the quinoa or have any in the refrigerator. You should be able to find all of these ingredients in your local health food store. Base Mixture: 5 cups whole rolled oats ¼ cup coconut oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or almond extract ¼ cup pure maple syrup 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon Sea salt Add any or all of the following: ½ cup raw almonds ½ cup hemp seeds ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds ½ cup raw groats (sprouted buckwheat) ½ cup raw coconut flakes 1 cup dried goji berries, blueberries or raisins Preparation: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients listed in the base mixture. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly across the surface. Place in the oven and stir every 7-10 minutes until desired doneness is reached. A light golden color should appear after about 20-25 minutes, but your nose is also a great way to tell if the mixture is done. Then add your choice of extras in the 2nd list. For a completely raw, trail-mix-like version, simply leave out the rolled oats and coconut oil and mix the rest of the ingredients together.

Enjoy! Please send me your feedback — I would love to know any suggested additions or revisions to these recipes.