MasterChef Claudio Aprile’s 50-km smoothie
Like cooking, cycling for Aprile is highly addictive and provides an escape from everyday life
by David McPherson
When Claudio Aprile and I connected last fall, he was taking a break from his two-wheeler. The kitchen boss did not want to risk an injury before filming wrapped up for the third season of MasterChef Canada, now running on CTV. Aprile is one of the show’s three judges, alongside Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung.
“The hobby provides an escape from everyday life.”
“I really enjoy it,” the chef said, when asked about his TV gig. “It’s something I didn’t know I could do, or thought I wanted to do, but I love every minute of it. It’s a very rewarding experience, especially when you have these home cooks that aspire to what we have – they want to be chefs – and in our own small ways we are helping them realize those dreams.”
Born in Uruguay, Aprile moved to Canada when he was four years old. After watching and helping his grandmother in the kitchen, he announced his dream early on. “When I was five, I told my mother I would become a chef one day,” Aprile recalled. “She still remembers the day I said that to her. I don’t know how that happened, but cooking is something I have always looked forward to doing. I always get excited when I’m in the kitchen.”
These days, when he’s not creating in the kitchen, the celebrity chef, who lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., enjoys riding his Cervélo road bike around the historic Mill Pond neighbourhood. He also takes longer rides into King City. While Aprile usually rides alone, he recently took up mountain biking to spend more time with his 13-year-old son Aiden. Together, the pair explores the trails in Albion Hills and Caledon.
Like cooking, cycling for Aprile is highly addictive. The hobby provides an escape from everyday life. “Riding for me is not about the final destination,” he concluded. “In many ways, it’s about the journey. The ride itself is the destination.”
Ingredients
2 cups organic frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
¼ cup organic oats
2.5 cups water
1 cup organic spinach
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1 tbsp spirulina
Directions
1. Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Add extra water if the smoothie is too thick.
Serves 2
Nutritional information
Calories 222
Carbs 44 g
Fat 3.3 g
Fibre 11.5 g
Protein 7.4 g
