A Review of Run Fast Eat Slow

I was eager to try Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky’s, Run Fast Eat Slow. It’s a New York Times Bestseller and I’m willing to try anything Shalane does. Because, Shalane.

Day 1: Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes

Most of the ingredients in this recipe I have on hand all the time, which is a huge bonus (sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, eggs, etc). The only ingredient you may have to pickup is some fresh salmon. Time-wise, you’ll need to account for some serious prep. I started things around 4:45 and we ate around 6:45. I’m not sure my ratios were perfect – I probably used a bit more salmon than the recipe called for – not all the cakes stayed together. The avocado cream topping is a must. A mix of avocado, jalapeno, olive oil, salt and lime juice is the perfect addition for these.  Overall, it was a win. Plus, I broke up the leftover cakes and put them on salads for lunch the next day.

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 4/5

Day 2: Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

This recipe was much less time consuming – prepped and cooked in an hour. And the ingredient list is super reasonable. The downside was the final product. I don’t like bacon unless it’s extra crispy, and the bacon wasn’t crisp at all. I think next time I’ll pan-fry the outside a bit longer. The feta/spinach/onion filling was good, but nothing to write home about. The chicken is substantial, so it doesn’t need much of a side. I cooked some baby carrots. Overall, it was just ‘eh.

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 3/5

Day 3: Greek Bison Burgers

I should start out by saying I love burgers. LOVE. A glass (or 3) of wine and a burger is my go-to pre-race dinner. Anyway, this recipe did not disappoint. I didn’t have bison, so we substituted some lean ground beef. It’s a simple recipe, but delicious none the less. We ended up using some leftover avocado cream from Day 1 to top them off, along with some tomato, feta cheese and a side of sweet potato fries. Always say yes to sweet potato fries. This dinner was a win.

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 4/5

Day 4: Burst Cherry Linguine with Shrimp

This was delicious. And super easy to make. The ingredient list is simple: cheery tomatoes, shrimp, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese and some olive oil. I cheated a bit used shelled, deveined & pre-cooked shrimp. Since we haven’t been eating a lot of refined carbs, I opted for “zucchini pasta”, but served this over penne for Thomas. Both were great. Thomas said this was his favorite dish so far, but he didn’t give it a 5/5 because the shrimp had tails, which created some extra work on his part (eye roll).

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 4.5/5

Day 5: Millet Pizza Pies

I was reallll skeptical about this recipe and it turns out I was 100% correct. This tastes nothing like pizza (other than the tomato sauce & piles of cheese I threw on top). To quote Thomas “these tastes like whole wheat crackers with cheese on them,” and “OMG, these are horrible.” This coming from the guy who proceeded to eat two of the pies. The ingredient list is slightly ridiculous: millet (which you can’t find everywhere because it tastes like garbage… kidding, kind of), cannelloni beans, white miso, oregano and fennel seeds. The real problem with this recipe is the name. This is not pizza. This is a millet pie. Once you get your mind right, they’re not as bad. If you like crackers for dinner.

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 2/5

Day 5: Superhero Muffins

I made a batch of these for snacks during the week. They were a huge win. Definitely my favorite from the book this far. Thomas enjoyed them as well. Other than some carrot and zucchini shredding, these are super simple to make.

Thomas’ (Consumer) Rating: 5/5

If you want to see more food photos, just follow #runfasteatslow on Instagram. It seems like everyone and their mom is cooking from this book. You can also get yourself a copy here. I purchased mine on Amazon.