Great North Swim has teamed up with Arla to support swimmers through the greatest swim of their lives. As the official title partner to the UK’s biggest open-water swimming event, Arla has all the inspiration and encouragement you need to fuel your swim in the best possible way – with delicious dairy.

Kickstart your Great North Swim training with Arla.

After a tough swim, you need to refuel - and beans on toast just isn’t going to cut it. After all of that exertion, you need food that’s high in energy, nutrient-dense and packed with colour - and we’ve got two brilliant suggestions. 

Pumpkin curry isn’t just for Halloween - once you’ve sampled it, you’ll be a fan all year round. And then these veggie jackfruit tacos are flavoursome, filling and have plenty of kick - just what you need for a delicious post-swim feast. 

Arla Lactofree Veggie Jackfruit Tacos

Filling:
2 tbsp of olive oil
Small bunch of spring onions
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can of jackfruit (drained)
2 tsp chipotle paste
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
Bunch of coriander, chopped

Slaw:
1 red cabbage, finely sliced
1 large carrot, grated
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
Juice from one lime

To serve:
12 small flour tortillas
2 avocados
150g Arla Lactofree soft white cheese

Instructions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the spring onions and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. 
  2. Tip in the drained jackfruit, plus the chipotle paste with a splash of water. Leave to simmer, stirring gently every now and then, for 15 minutes until you have a thick sauce. Stir in the coriander and add any other seasoning. 
  3. Meanwhile, while the sauce is on the heat, mix your vegetables in a bowl with the sesame seeds and oil. Add the lime juice, plus some salt and black pepper. 
  4. Add the jackfruit filling to a flour tortilla, place a little of the slaw on top and a spoonful of lactose free soft cheese. Enjoy! 

Arla Cravendale Pumpkin Curry Packed With Punch

50ml vegetable oil
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
7 curry leaves
1 large white onion, chopped into wedges
2 red chilies, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, sliced
5cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chilies
700g pumpkins peeled, chopped into chunks
2 tbsp tomato paste
100 ml Arla Cravendale whole milk
2 tbsp mango chutney
1 lime, juiced
1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped roughly

Instructions:

  1. Get a large, non-stick pan, add a drizzle of oil and stir your cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves for thirty seconds over a medium heat. Then add your onion and chili and fry for five minutes until everything softens. 
  2. The next stage is to add the rest of your spices - garlic and ginger first, cooking for one minute. Then all of your other spices, plus a teaspoon of salt. Once they’re all in the pan, add your pumpkin and stir until everything is mixed and the pumpkin is coated. 
  3. Add the tomato paste, Arla Cravendale, the mango juice, lime juice and 400ml of water. Once you’ve stirred gently, pop on a lid and leave to simmer for 30 mins. Your pumpkin should be fully cooked by this time. 
  4. Add in the coriander, mix everything together, and serve immediately. Rice, naan or both, it’s your choice.

If you're looking for a lighter way to refuel. Click here to view two hearty post-swim soup recipes.