Empire Update: Wk of 3/2

Crispy Spicy Cauliflower Tacos

Love taco night but looking for a healthier (or vegetarian) option? These crispy spicy cauliflower tacos are delicious and an easy way to get your vegetables in at dinner! Make the spicy cauliflower using the instructions below and construct your tacos with whatever you prefer; slaw, sour cream, cheese-whatever you like! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower head
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (you can also use gluten-free or whole wheat flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (cashew, oat, almond, etc)
2 cups panko bread crumbs
4-6 tablespoons hot sauce of your choice
3 tablespoon vegan butter
2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 1 or 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper

2. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. 

3. Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika to combine. Pour in the nondairy milk and whisk until no large clumps remain. Pour the batter over the cauliflower florets, tossing with your hands to coat each piece. 

4. Place the panko bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Working in batches, dip the battered cauliflower in the panko and toss to coat, ensuring each floret gets a decent amount of breadcrumbs on it. 

5. Spread out the coated cauliflower florets on the lined baking sheets, allowing space so that they don't touch. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, make the hot sauce. Add the vegan butter, hot sauce and coconut sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together, just until the butter is melted, then take off the heat. Or melt the ingredients together in the microwave. 

7. After the 20 minutes is up, take the cauliflower out of the oven. Drizzle the hot sauce mixture on top of the florets, and toss to coat using your hands or a pastry brush. Return the baking sheets to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cauliflower  is deeply brown in some spots and tender when pierced with a fork. 

How to Fix Calf Pain

Let’s talk about the single biggest problem that affects runners.

Nagging calf pain that just doesn’t go away.
(…Even after months of resting!).
Can you relate to this?…

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“Tony– every 6 months or so for the last 3 years, I get a nagging pain in my left calf when I go out for a run, which then leads to a terrible sensation in the back of my leg that feels like I’ve been shot!
This always seems to happen when my training is going to plan and I’m making progress.
I’ve been running for years, and my calf has never had a pain so bad like this up until recently.
So why does it keep coming back? And will it ever go away?”
– Andy, 46, Mahopac.
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Ok… let me try and talk you through this and why something as frustrating as calf pain, likely keeps happening and what you can do about it.
I see this all the time with runners who come to my clinic… they’ve been running for years then all of a sudden *ping!*, the pain comes out of nowhere.

And it’s not usually to do with how much they run, what surfaces they run on, or even if they get regular massages to keep the aches and pains away…
…9 times out of 10, it’s to do with what you wear on your feet.

Let me explain:
If you’re like many runners, you’ve likely been putting in the miles wearing the same pair of running shoes for years, OR, you’ve treated yourself to a new pair of running shoes without realizing that they’re not the right ones for your feet.

Not your fault, you didn't know!

But have you ever thought about how many miles your running shoes have actually done, and how worn down they’ve become?

You see, I often tell my patients to replace their running shoes for every 600 miles that they do. And I know that sounds like a lot! But when you run regularly, you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to build that many miles up!

So, if you’re suffering from the mysterious calf issue that comes out of nowhere, it may just be down to your favorite pair of running shoes.

So what can you do to finally put an end to the pain?
Get yourself something custom made, especially for you, that supports your feet 100 times better than any pair of running shoes you’ve owned – A pair of custom Orthotics.

You’re probably wondering what they are…

Custom foot Orthotics ARE the most accurate non-weight bearing molds of your feet.

They’re designed to control alignment and function of your feet in order to treat and prevent injuries – this means that when you wear them while running, your feet are completely stable and supported so they never roll inwards or outwards, meaning no risk of triggering off an injury.

So my big tip is this: Take a look at your running shoes. How long have you been running in them for? If it’s been years then now is the time to get yourself a new pair and consider getting your very own pair of custom Orthotics, to reduce the likely hood of the bothersome calf strain from coming back once and for all!

Stretch of the Week: Quad Stretch