'Fred the chef' Aarnes introduces one of his fight camp faves.

The nights are getting darker and colder and after a long slog at the gym nobody in their right mind wants to be returning home to a salad or bland pasta. Winter is a time for hearty eating, yet hearty doesn’t have to mean unhelpful.

This is my favorite time of the year, when preparing meals becomes more of a focal point than a distraction from the rigors of the day. Yet that doesn’t mean making something rich and plentiful is going to hinder on your fight camp program either.

This heavyweight beef curry, or stew, is definitely one that, for a little early prep, will pay off massively when you walk back through the door after a heavy session. Like with any good curry or stew, you want to prepare this nice and early in the morning – or even the day before – you plan to sit down and feast. But, believe me, it will be worth the wait.

Turmeric is the ultimate health root for the body. Plus, not only does it give a rich flavor and health boost for any dish but it melts perfectly with beef or lamb, which can easily be substituted here.

This blend of triple threat protection – ginger, turmeric and garlic – combined with the beef will take you on a culinary adventure, and leave you asking, ‘What fight camp diet?’

TIP

Heavyweight beef should be eaten right after training, but not too late in the day as it will sit on the stomach.

RECIPE: HEAVYWEIGHT BEEF CURRY

You'll need:

  • 5 red bell peppers (remove seeds) 
  • 4 whole fresh turmeric (peeled)
  • 1 large fresh ginger root (peeled) 
  • 7 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 bundle of fresh parsley 
  • 300ml water
  • 1 handful of pumpkin seeds
  • 400g beef in squares
  • 1 onion
  • 5–7 rounds of ground black pepper
  • 2–4 tsp salt

What to do:

1: Boil all of the broth ingredients for a half an hour, then blend with a portable hand mixer or blender.

2: Add the broth to a slow cooker or a large casserole dish along with the diced beef, sliced onion and salt and pepper.

3: Slow cook for at least three hours then allow to rest for 15 minutes.

4: A great serving tip is to accompany it with freshly baked naan and olive oil, turmeric, garlic, ginger and fresh yellow figs topped with fresh lavender and fresh savory.

TURMERIC

Turmeric is the root of the curcuma longa plant and is known to be a strong anti-inflammatory, with plenty of iron, vitamin B6, fiber and it contains zero calories.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Zinc is not produced naturally by the human body, and yet it’s essential to maintain healthy bones, muscles, skin, you name it. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, along with vitamin E.

SIDE: NAAN BREAD

The earliest recording of naan bread in English literature came in 1780, making this bread seriously old. Why not be creative and use them for pizza bases?

SIDE: FIGS

This less-used fruit has 16g of sugar per 100g, but like-for-like with the banana actually contains fewer calories.

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