Granola Bites
Matthew Kadey’s
Mostly, it’s research that inspires Matthew Kadey’s recipes. Studies showing that chocolate milk is a good recovery drink led Kadey to develop his own recipe for his book, Rocketfuel (review, p.36). For his energy drinks, he looked into the best amount of carbohydrates and sodium for the body, and then adjusted the ingredients accordingly. The registered dietician based in Waterloo, Ont., however, also finds inspiration at the local market.
“When I see something that looks amazing at a farmers’ market, like some beautiful sweet potatoes, I think, ‘How can I transform these into something that athletes can use to perform better and use to be healthier overall.’ The bounty of foods produced in Canada is a big inspiration,” he said.
Kadey said he gained his food and ingredient fluency from playing in the kitchen for years. Also, when he develops recipes, he uses a book called The Flavorbible to find combinations that work well together. Most of the time, it’s just a matter of adjusting and refining the recipes so that they turn out. But, there is the odd dud. “I tried to make a sweeter version of hummus called hummus pucks. I made it with almond butter and chickpeas, and then froze it. That didn’t quite work out, so it’s not in the book,” he said.
While Kadey was in university, in the late ’ 90s, he got into mountain biking, which he still considers his true passion. Touring, with fully loaded panniers, came later. More recently, he’s been road riding on a cyclocross bike. Bikepacking is something he’d like to try next.
Although Kadey is a big proponent of homemade fuel, he does bring prepacked stuff on his rides along with his own creations. In fact, for riders who don’t make their own ride food, Kadey suggests they start by adding one item they made themselves to their usual nutrition mix. “It’s so much fun to be able to pull out a homemade chocolate pancake when you’re on your Sunday ride,” he said. “Then, after you start making homemade fuel, it morphs into just cooking more of your own food.” 1½ cups quick-cook oats ⅓ cup wheat germ ½ cup chopped pecans or almonds ¼ cup hemp seeds (hemp hearts) ½ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries ½ cup chopped dried apricots ⅓ cup dried shredded coconut ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp salt 1 large egg ½ cup honey ¼ cup melted coconut oil Nutritional Information 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, pecans or almonds, hemp seeds, cranberries or cherries, apricots, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and stir in honey and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until everything is moist. 4. Divide mixture among 24 greased or paper-lined minimuffin cups and make sure to pack each down tightly to help hold everything together. 5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. 6. Let cool for several minutes before unmoulding. 7. Chill in the refrigerator for as long as one week and transport in a small zip-top bag. 3.
For more recipes, check out Matthew Kadey’s website rocketfuelfoods.net.