Archive for the ‘Comfort Food’ Category

Rainy Night … Curry Night.

Sunday, March 6th, 2016

We are having quite the storm in Davis right now with lots and lots of rain (very welcome) and wind (not so welcome). It’s the perfect night for some super healthy comfort food.

In the oven roasting right now – fresh cauliflower, broccolette, and cipollini onions … a splash of olive oil, sprinkling of salt, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a healthy dose of curry powder. I’ll roast these on 325 degree Fahrenheit for about an hour or so.

I’ve got a simple curry sauce simmering on the stove just waiting for some additional ingredients. I’ve got frozen peas and corn thawing and draining right now and a girlfriend is bringing over some either chicken, pork, or lamb to cook up and add to the mix. I’m not sure what she’s bringing, so it will be a surprise.

To make the curry sauce, just heat a bit of either butter and/or olive oil in a saucier pan. Make a roux by sprinkling in a bit of flour and curry powder, then whisking together to form a paste. Gradually add some milk and/or stock and whisk until smooth. Simmer to thicken, whisking occasionally. Usually I would use chicken stock, but for some reason tonight I used vegetable stock. I don’t like that as much – next time I’ll stick with chicken stock.

We’ll be serving this with rice.

Mmmm … my house smells soo good right now.

Need Comfort Food? Try Some Curry.

Friday, February 19th, 2016

Why is it that when I am in serious need of some comfort food I often turn to curry? Probably because curry powder is flavorful, warming, and has oodles of health and mood-boosting benefits.

Chicken Curry with Cauliflower, Peas, and Rice Medley

Chicken Curry with Cauliflower, Peas, and Rice Medley

This can be a super easy weeknight dinner to prepare. I had some leftover cooked chicken, fresh cauliflower florets, frozen peas, a little chicken stock, and cooked rice. I like it a little spicy, so I also add some cayenne pepper to my curry powder.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Slice the cauliflower into about 1/4-inch slices and saute on medium-high heat in a pre-heated wok with a little oil. Sprinkle your favorite curry powder and cayenne (if desired) over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Add the chicken to the cauliflower and add the stock*. Add the hot rice and stir to combine well. Reduce to low and allow to simmer gently. Meanwhile heat the peas – about 2 minutes on high in the microwave should do it. Add the peas and stir gently to combine.

*You can add a little flour to the stock and make a slurry if you want to thicken your sauce a bit. 

We have been having some glorious rain in Davis this week. Last night’s storm was impressive and off and on today we had some intense rain showers and wind. The air was so clean and fresh this morning it was delightful. I am looking forward to getting some good cycling in this weekend!

Breezy Ride Today

Monday, February 15th, 2016

Here are a few scenes from my ride today.

A beautiful spring-like day here.

A beautiful spring-like day here.

Delicate, sweet, fragrant almond blossoms along Putah Creek Road.

Sweet, fragrant almond blossoms along Putah Creek Road.

The morning started out so calm and in just a few hours there was this crazy wind. That will teach me to wait too long to get out on the road in the morning, huh? 56 miles total and most of it either into a headwind or fighting a strong side wind. It was worth it, though, for those few miles with a sweet tailwind.

That made for a pretty good training ride. I was hoping to ride a longer distance today, but with the wind this was enough. It’s been wonderful cycling before work again. I know we need more rain, but I’m sure enjoying cycling again. Yesterday 62 miles. Tomorrow … who knows how many?

Dinner tonight was a simple salad of greens, avocado, and tomato with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I had a small piece of a lean cut of beef that had marinated overnight in coffee, balsamic vinegar, and a little olive oil. I quickly pan fried the little steaks, then allowed them to rest while I made some mushroom gravy. It was very low fat – I used the leftover marinade as the base of the sauce and added some beautiful oyster mushrooms. I made a light slurry of chicken stock with a bit of flour to thicken the sauce and some fresh thyme to brighten it up a bit. It was very flavorful, but low fat. I made some smashed potatoes (basically mashed potatoes with the skin still on them!) to have with the gravy. The potatoes were also low fat – made with a bit of low fat milk and no butter.

The meat was a very lean piece of beef and kind of tough even after marinating overnight. Sliced very thin, however, it was quite flavorful and tender. The leftovers will be a perfect addition to a post-ride salad tomorrow.

 

Hello Spring!

Sunday, February 7th, 2016

We still need more rain and snow, but I am so thankful for a lovely weekend to get some good cycling in. Yesterday was beautiful and today promises to be even better!

Along Seivers Road between Winters and Dixon. Spring is here already!

Along Seivers Road between Winters and Dixon. Spring is here already!

We enjoyed a nice caffeine stop mid-ride.

Cappuccino & Espresso at a favorite rest stop, Steady Eddy's in Winters.

Cappuccino & Espresso at a favorite rest stop, Steady Eddy’s in Winters.

Post ride I made a spicy fish stew that made for a perfect dinner. Served here with some short grain brown rice, lightly stir fried mixed baby greens (mix from the Farmer’s Market), and garnished with a bit of Chevre cheese. I posted a similar recipe a few months ago.

This batch was about half seafood (two types of cod) and half chicken Andouille sausage. It was super spicy because I did not adjust the chili flakes (oops) to account for the spicy sausage. The Chevre cheese helped to temper the heat a bit and added just a bit of richness.

Spicy Fish Stew with Chicken Andouille Sausage, Greens, and Brown Rice. Garnished with a bit of Chevre.

Spicy Fish Stew with Chicken Andouille Sausage, Greens, and Brown Rice.

Yesterday I logged about 65 miles on my Colnago and today I hope to ride even a little more. I’ve got to get out and ride, ride, ride to get myself ready for the 2016 Tour de Cure. I’m striving for Champion Status again this year. Please help  me to reach this goal by making a donation to support my ride. Simply click here to go to my personal Tour de Cure page.

Here’s wishing you a fabulous weekend!

Cycling the “Davis Hills” Today!

Monday, February 1st, 2016

It was a pretty breezy day today, with 20+mph winds on my ride. As you may recall from previous posts, in these here parts we call these winds the “Davis Hills.” I managed to get in over 43 miles total: 14 solo and 29 with my cycling partner. Most of the ride there was either a brutal head wind or side wind. Oh, but for a few miles there was a very sweet tail wind!

Saturday was a much better day weather-wise for cycling, but I had other commitments, so I only got about 15 miles in. Oh, but it felt soo good! I have not been getting nearly enough cycling in and the trainer has proven to be more difficult to get situated than expected. Tomorrow morning will be my first ride on the trainer.

Between Davis and Woodland, off Road 27.

We had some very dramatic clouds this weekend – this was Saturday.

This morning I made a scramble with loads of wild mushrooms, some fresh stir fry greens, chicken Andouille sausage, eggs, and just a touch of light Irish cheddar cheese.

Wild Mushrooms, Chicken Andouille Sausage, and Greens

Wild Mushrooms, Chicken Andouille Sausage, and Greens ready for the scramble.

 

013116 Mushroom, Greens, Chicken Andouille Scramble (26)

Served with some fresh fruit, whole grain toast … this will power you through those headwinds!

With the recent cold, rainy weather, I’ve been playing with some serious comfort food … this was last weekend …

Espresso & Stout Lamb Stew served with Colcannon - perfect on a cold, rainy night!

Espresso & Stout Lamb Stew served with Colcannon – perfect on a cold night!

If you haven’t tried Colcannon, consider making some. It’s basically perfect mashed potatoes with some lightly steamed fresh greens mixed in. A little milk, butter, and garlic if you want. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed and steamed in just enough water so that by the time the potatoes were done most of the excess water had evaporated. Add a splash of hot milk and a pat of Irish butter and whip together with a wooden spoon to make perfect mashed potatoes, then fold in some gently steamed mixed greens (baby kale, spinach, and chard), salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! Here’s wishing you many happy and healthy miles!

 

A Glorious Day for a Ride

Monday, January 25th, 2016

Yesterday was cold, wet, and windy. Today was glorious. The air was clean and fresh, the sun was warm, and the breeze was gentle. It was perfect weather for an afternoon ride. Overall, this was a pretty good weekend!

I enjoyed a rare trip to the Davis Farmer’s Market.

Romanesco Broccoli ... something about the light at this display really caught my eye.

Romanesco Broccoli … something about the light here really caught my eye.

I had a craving for lamb, so I picked up a nice piece at my local Costco. I marinated it in some coffee, herbs, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. I cooked a bit of it last night and served it with spinach fettuccine, a rustic charred heirloom tomato sauce, and wild mushrooms.

Rustic Lamb Hunter-Style Pasta Dish ... what would you call this? It was amazing. The photo does not even begin to do it justice.

Rustic Lamb Hunter-Style Pasta Dish … what would you call this? It was amazing.

The photo does not even begin to do this dish justice. If I may say so myself, it truly was at least as good as any dish I’ve had in any restaurant.

The rest of the lamb marinated overnight and is now in a pot of Irish Lamb Stew made with Stout and Coffee. It smells delicious. I’ll be serving it shortly on a bed of Colcannon (simply smashed Yukon Gold potatoes with some baby kale mixed in). Photos to follow.

Sláinte!

Spicy Caramel Popcorn

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

This slightly spicy, delightfully sweet, salty, and crunchy caramel popcorn will make a wonderful Christmas gift or snack. I shared a bit yesterday with some friends and colleagues. It was unanimously approved by friends and colleagues alike. It’s based on this recipe from Martha Stewart. I just used mixed nuts instead of peanuts and added just a touch more cayenne. Be sure to watch Martha’s video for the technique.

Spicy Caramel Popcorn with mixed nuts

Spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy … what’s not to love?

Spicy Caramel Popcorn with Mixed Nuts

4 quarts popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon (slightly  heaping) cayenne pepper
1 cup salted mixed nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, … your favorite mix)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pop the popcorn – use your favorite method. Spread out evenly on two half-sheet pans lined with silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until well blended then add the corn syrup and stir to blend well. Cook on medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture turns golden brown. Stir in the salt and cayenne pepper. Add the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Pour this mixture over the popcorn and use a heat proof plastic spatula that’s been sprayed with a bit of non-stick spray to gently toss the popcorn with the syrup mixture.

The caramel mixture will be very hot – please be careful!

Bake for about 30 minutes, carefully turning and mixing with the spatula about halfway through. You want a nice, even coating of caramel on the popcorn and nuts.

Allow to cool, then gently break apart into bite sized pieces.

This recipe has officially become part of my Christmas recipe repertoire. I’ll be making this again … probably at least once before Christmas because I know a few on my gift list will want some of this!

It Balances Out

Monday, December 7th, 2015

If you eat like this most of the time …

Fresh Wild Rock Cod with stir-steamed veggies.

Fresh Wild Pacific Rockfish with stir-steamed veggies.

Veggies! Lots and lots of veggies!

… and just a little bit of this … 

Holiday Treats

Holiday Treats – homemade, of course!

Then it all balances out in the end.

Just remember … if you’re going to treat yourself and splurge on goodies, splurge well. Enjoy homemade, real treats. Use real ingredients. And be sure to enjoy every delicious morsel to the fullest. That is how you can splurge and be satisfied with just a bit and survive the holiday season without gaining a bunch of weight.

Oh, and cycling lots helps!

For recipes to these yummy treats, see my previous blog post.

A Little Holiday Baking

Monday, December 7th, 2015

So, these happened today. Let the holiday gift prep begin. Have you been naughty, or nice?

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Spiced Nuts

Sweet, Salty, Spicy Nuts

Peppermint Biscotti

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies & Peppermint Biscotti

Classic Shortbread

Classic Shortbread

For the recipes, see:

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Sweet, Salty, Spicy Party Nuts

Peppermint Biscotti

Shortbread Cookies

The Butterscotch Chocolate Chip cookie recipe is still in testing and I’m not quite ready to share it.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Saturday, December 5th, 2015

This is a very rustic and comforting meal. It’s pretty easy to cook and makes for a wonderful post-ride recovery dinner in cold weather.

“Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian, and is typically made with either chicken or rabbit. You could easily make this vegetarian or vegan by omitting the meat and making some good, hearty mushrooms the star of the dish. There are nearly as many different recipes for Chicken Cacciatore as there are cooks who make it, and some of us have several variations of our own recipes. Here’s one way I make it.

Chicken Cacciatore
serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds of chicken, bone in, skinned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cubed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (more if you dare!)
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup dry wine (white or red, your preference)
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 large sprigs of fresh thyme
2 large sprigs of fresh parsley (optional)
2 to 6 ounces of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chopped thyme & parsley, for garnish

Mis en place:  prepare and assemble all of your ingredients.

Skin the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, season with a little salt and pepper. Be careful to not over season at this stage. Cover and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them.

Remember to always wash your hands, cutting boards all utensils thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling raw chicken. 

Clean and prepare your vegetables, keeping each one separate for now. Cut the fennel into about 1/2-inch cubes. Shred the carrot (or if you prefer, slice into 1/8-inch thick slices). Trim and slice the mushrooms into about 1/4-inch thick slices. Chop your tomatoes.

I have been using a mixture of heirloom cherry tomatoes lately, but you really can use any kind of fresh tomato for this. Keep in mind that some tomatoes have more liquid than others, so this is where the tomato paste comes into play. If your tomatoes are very juicy, you’ll want a little more of the tomato paste than if they’re on the dryer side.

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Remember that you’re not cooking the chicken all the way at this step, just beginning to develop some flavors by browning the meat. Remove the chicken, set on a clean plate, cover and set aside while you cook the vegetables.

Using the same pan, if necessary add about half of the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook very briefly, being careful to not burn it. Add the fennel and stir to coat with the oil. Caramelize it a bit to bring out the natural sweetness, but be careful to not burn it.

Caramelize the fennel to bring out the natural sweetness.

I love fresh fennel, but if you don’t, feel free to substitute onion.

Add the fennel seeds and chili flakes; stir to combine well. Transfer the fennel to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Add the carrots to the pan and saute just to lightly brown and soften them a bit. Remove from the pan and add to the cooked fennel. If necessary, add the remaining olive oil to the pan and allow to heat a bit. Now add the mushrooms and cook until browned.

Now return all of the cooked vegetables to the pan, stir to combine well, and add the wine. Raise heat to high and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. This should take at most a minute on high, so watch carefully at this step.

Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and parsley. Stir to combine well. Return all of the vegetables to the pan, stir to combine well. Add the chicken. Bring the entire mixture just to a boil and then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. You’ll want to cook this until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.

Check the consistency of the sauce. If you want it to be a little thicker, then add some tomato paste. Add about 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired thickness. Then, season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is a very rustic and chunky sauce. Feel free to puree it a bit before adding the bay leaf, whole sprigs of herbs, and chicken. It’s entirely up to your preference.

I like to serve this over a good quality whole grain or spinach pasta. It’s great with a crispy, refreshing side salad and crusty Artisan bread.

I prefer chicken legs because they cook up more tender and flavorful than the breasts, but you can use whatever cut of chicken you like. When cooking this dish for a group, I like to use a whole, cut up chicken so everyone has a choice of their favorite. I always skin the chicken, regardless of the cut I use. I just don’t like all that extra fat in the dish.

Chicken Cacciatore

Serve with a whole grain pasta and garnish with a bit of cheese and fresh herbs.

I am sure hoping to get a ride in today, but the weather here is looking very iffy and I am fighting a cold. It might just end up being a Farmers’ Market and make a big batch of soup kind of day.