Cycling Foodie

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This year a heart-healthier Christmas menu was in order for Mom.

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Port-Cherry Sauce
Twice-Baked Yam
Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Sautéed Baby Kale with Mushrooms
Fresh Blackberries with Light Orange Curd

Sadly, this is best photo of this meal.

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1 to 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A few grinds of fresh ground pepper
About ¹/₈ to ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Measure herbs, olive oil and seasonings in a large zip top bag. Stir or whisk to combine.
2. Trim any excess fat from the pork tenderloin and place in the zip top bag. Squeeze any excess air out of the bag, seal it, and with your fingers work the marinade around the meat.
3. Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator and allow to marinade at least a few hours or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
5. Remove tenderloin from the marinade, place in a roasting pan, and roast in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 145° Fahrenheit.
6. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Port-Cherry Sauce

Ever so slightly modified version of Port and Dried Cherry Sauce, p. 58, Williams-Sonoma SAUCE  

1 cup ruby port
2/3 cup dried cherries, soaked in water for 20 minutes and drained
½ cup chicken stock or prepared broth
¼ teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Optional: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

In a heavy bottomed non-reactive saucier pan, bring the port and cherries to a simmer over medium. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half (2 or minutes). Add the stock, vinegar, rosemary, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a grind or two of fresh pepper. Simmer until the sauce is syrupy (about 2 minutes). Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove pan from heat. If desired, whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. This will help to slightly thicken the sauce.

Twice Baked Yam

On a recent shopping trip to one of my favorite local markets, I found the largest yam I have ever seen. I sit here now wondering why in the heck I did not take a photo of it before cooking it. It was HUGE. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Scrub the yam(s) and trim the ends. Pierce them a few times with a sharp knife. You can bake these all the way in the oven, or get a jumpstart by par cooking them in a microwave. When the yams are fully cooked and soft, remove from the oven and cut lengthwise in half. You may need to let them cool a little before handling them. Scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving about a ¼ inch shell in the potato skin. Place the skins in a baking pan. Place the cooked yam into a large bowl and add about 1 tablespoon shredded reduced fat cheddar per serving. Stir to combine well and then return the mixture to the skins. You can use a piping bag and fancy tip, if you desire, or you can just scoop them in with a spoon and smooth the top. Return these to the oven to heat through and melt the cheese.

Roasted Herbed Potatoes

These are so delicious and simple once you make them you may wonder why you don’t make these every day.

Use your favorite waxy potatoes (red, golden, purple) or fingerling potatoes. Scrub and dry, place in a baking dish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, etc.. whatever you like!), and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast at 350° Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. The size of the potatoes will determine the actual baking time.

They make great leftovers, too. You can just reheat them for an easy side dish, or add them to a frittata for a simple and comforting breakfast, brunch, or dinner!

Sautéed Baby Kale with Mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 ounces of shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced into ¼ inch slices
8 to 12 ounces of baby kale, rinsed and spun dry

On medium-high, heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet. Add mushrooms, stir frequently. You want them to brown a bit, but not burn. Place greens on top, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to steam until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Watch carefully – these can quickly go from tender and perfect to bitter and overcooked.

You can cook almost any cooking green this way – spinach, chard, collards, kale, or any combination of them.

Light Orange Curd

This recipe is in development and not ready to post yet. It needs work! I am not sure about the Monk Fruit In The Raw. I haven’t quite figured it out and I am not sure how much I like the taste. It is expensive, so I need to do a bit of recipe research before I just try to substitute it like this. I don’t know if it’s the corn dextrose filler they use in the Monk Fruit, or the egg whites from a carton, but the consistency was off.

I might try this orange curd with the C&H ½ & ½. It’s half stevia and half cane sugar. I liked that much better in the low-sugar version of lemon curd I made a few weeks ago.

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Here’s a very basic outline of what to expect … I’ll have to do a full post later with recipes and photos. The menu will be along these lines, but I’m going to have to sort of “wing it” a little on some things:

Smoked Wild Salmon with Organic Light Cream Cheese on Rye Toasts
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cherry-Port Sauce
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Yams
Baby Kale Salad with Granny Smith Apples, Candied Pecans, and Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
Low-Fat & Low-Sugar Orange Curd with Fresh Blackberries

The curd turned out a bit looser than I had hoped, but it will work nicely as a sauce for the big beautiful fresh blackberries I found this week at the store. I don’t think this curd would work well in a tart, though, because it’s not quite thick enough. Perhaps next time I’ll try 1/2 whole eggs and 1/2 egg whites, and I need to play a bit more with the Monk Fruit. I guess I could also use some corn starch, but that seems like cheating, but we’ll see. I think this recipe has promise, but it’s not just right yet.

I also wanted to make meringues to serve with this, but there is just so much going on right now that I did not have time to do so.

I will have limited Internet access over the next few days, so it may be the weekend before I get a chance to post any pictures or follow-up.

Merry Christmas! May your hearts be filled with the joy and warmth of the season, and your bellies be nourished by delicious and wholesome food!

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Start your holidays with a super healthy green smoothie!

Baby Kale, Kiwi, Banana, Mango, Oats, Whey Protein

This year’s menu is going to be a little different – a little heart-healthier and lighter – but it will still be festive and delicious!

Pork Tenderloin with a Port-Cherry Sauce
Roasted Yams
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Baby Greens Salad with Organic Apples, Spicy Candied Pecans,  & Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Dessert may be a low-sugar & low-fat orange curd with blackberries. That is, IF my curd sets. I used half sugar & half Monk Fruit. I used one whole egg and replaced the other with egg whites (the ready-to-use kind you get in a carton). The juice of 1 1/2 Cara Cara oranges and one lemon, plus the zest … it tastes OK, we’ll see how it sets when it cools. I’m not 100% sure about the taste of the Monk Fruit yet. I need to play with this a bit more. I tried using 100% Monk Fruit in the last batch of curd I made and it was dreadful. We’ll see how it is with 1/2 sugar & 1/2 Monk Fruit.

If the curd does not set, I’ll have to figure out a way to use it as a sauce for something.

Here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’ll have limited Internet access, but will do my best to get a few posts in here and there.

Please be SAFE – remember – NO drinking and driving!

P.S. Santa brought me a very cool new helmet! A Rudy Project Technically Cool and super comfy green/blue helmet – it’s like the one that one of the cycling teams wears that every time I see it I say, “I have to find one of those!” And, it will go great with the Ireland jersey Santa brought me last year!

Thanks, Santa! You’re the BEST! I’m looking forward to riding with you again soon!!

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I first discovered Pasta Primavera in the mid 1980’s, at Boskos in Calistoga. Spinach fettuccine smothered in a flavorful marinara loaded with fresh vegetables. The vegetables were always crisp-tender, never overcooked. What I loved most about it was that it was light, but hearty. I just knew that I was eating something healthy. I always left feeling satisfied, but never stuffed.

Today, I needed to make a quick, comforting and healthy meal. I had some brown rice pasta, loads of vegetables, and a prepared marinara sauce.

This is super simple to make. Here is what you will need:

1 pound brown rice pasta (penne shown here)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
garlic (optional)
2 cooked chicken sausages (about 4-6 ounces)
1-2 zucchini, sliced & grilled, cut into bite-sized pieces*
1 small eggplant, sliced & grilled, cut into bite-sized pieces*
A spring or two of fresh thyme, stripped
16-ounce jar or can of your favorite prepared marinara sauce
Chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, just a touch

Brown Rice Pasta Primavera

Follow the cooking directions for the pasta you choose.

Saute the crimini mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil. While the mushrooms are sauteing, slice 2 cooked chicken sausages into about 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Brown the sausages, return the mushrooms to the pan, and add the  chopped grilled zucchini and eggplant. Add the fresh thyme and marinara sauce. Stir to combine and cook on low to heat through.

While the sauce is heating, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Place cooked pasta in a serving bowl and grate just a little cheese on the pasta. Ladle some sauce on, and garnish with a touch more cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!

*I used Trader Joe’s Misto Alla Griglia Marinated and Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini.

You really can use any vegetables you like in this. Experiment – have fun with it.

This makes for great cycling recovery food, or a dinner the night before a big ride, but it is also light enough that if you are responsible with your portion size, it’s great for a weekend like this that didn’t see too many cycling miles. It also makes for yummy leftovers.

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Grilled Avocado

That was a really long week. Now it’s time for some good grilling!

Grilling avocado works best with slightly under ripe avocados. Quarter, remove pit, brush with a little avocado oil, and sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside until ready to grill. Place directly on the grill grates to get beautiful grilling marks. They only take a few minutes on the grill and can easily burn, so watch these carefully. You just want to heat them through and soften them a bit.

Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus on the grill is amazing and so simple. Rinse and trim the stalks. Toss with a little avocado oil, season to taste with a little salt. Grill in a disposable aluminum pan on medium-low heat. They’ll get a nice char, but be careful to not overcook and they’ll retain a nice, bright green color. I will usually also season with a little lemon juice and lemon zest before grilling, and then toss with a little good, freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, but didn’t have any on hand for this batch.

Grill-Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Fresh Herbs

Wash and dry the potatoes, cut into even-sized chunks. Drizzle with a bit of avocado oil; season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper, and chopped fresh herbs. Grill in a disposable aluminum pan until tender. You will want to move these around now and then to make sure they’re not sticking to the pan. You can make them crispy by turning the heat up a bit at the end to get a nice crust on them. These will take longer to cook than the asparagus and avocado, but cooking time will depend on the size of the chunks.

Turkey Burgers

Mix together 1 pound of ground turkey, fresh herbs, 1 whole egg, a handful or two of plain breadcrumbs, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, and a grind or two of black pepper. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Shape into patties. Grill on medium-low heat until the internal temperature reaches 165-degrees. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the patties, but plan for about 15 minutes on the grill.

So, to plan this meal, here’s your timeline:

1. Prepare the burger mixture. Refrigerate at least one hour. Remember to always wash your hands well with hot, soapy water after handling raw poultry, meat, or fish.
2. Prepare the potatoes, the asparagus, then the avocado. Set aside until ready to grill.
3. Fire up the grill and give it time to heat up. Actual time to reach temperature will depend on your grill.
4. Remove the burger mixture from the refrigerator, shape the patties and place on a platter and set aside. If you are not going to cook them within a few minutes, cover them and return to the refrigerator.
5. Wash your hands!
6. Place the pan of potatoes on the grill. For even cooking, make sure the chunks are in a single layer.
7. Place the burgers on the grill. Turn one time and one time only! Depending on your grill and grill grates, you’ll probably want to spray or wipe a little oil on the grates to help prevent burning. If you use ground skinless turkey breast (makes the best, healthiest turkey burger!), these are very lean and can stick. It’s worth it, though.
8. Check to make sure the potatoes aren’t sticking to the pan – turn them in the pan with a flat metal spatula.
9. When the burgers are done (internal temperature 165-degrees), remove from the grill. Place on a clean plate and cover with foil.
10. Grill the asparagus and avocado. Be sure to watch the avocado carefully. Place flesh side down first and turn when you have achieved lovely grill marks. Then grill briefly on the skin side. Again, cooking time will vary based on how firm the avocado is.

You can serve the burgers as is, or with the full works – bun, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, condiments of your choice. These burgers, when seasoned well, are wonderful on their own, too, without all the fixings.

This makes enough for four servings. If you have leftovers, these all keep well refrigerated for a day or two. If you have leftover potatoes, asparagus, and avocado, think about how amazing these will be in a fritatta … but that’s another post.

Enjoy!

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I woke up to a chilly, very breezy morning in Davis, and we even had a bit of rain last night. It’s getting to be soup weather – just in time for Fall 2013 Quarter at UC Davis! This makes a large batch of soup and the leftovers will freeze well. This soup will be great fuel for studying, so load up on veggies this Saturday at the Davis Farmers’ Market and make a batch this weekend. Remember to freeze some individual servings to keep on hand for midterm time.

Beef, Lamb, Vegetable, & Barley Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
2 large ribs of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 pound of lean beef, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 pound lean lamb*, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 to 1 cup each: peas, corn, string beans, (fresh or frozen)
2-3 cups of fresh baby kale, coarsely chopped
8 ounces of barley**
2 quarts of beef broth
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.)

Hearty, nutritious, and delicious!

Clean and dice the carrots, celery, and onion; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook on medium-low heat until they’ve softened a bit. Remove from pot and set aside.

Depending on your pot, you may want to add just a touch more oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat. You’ll want to brown it a bit.

Reduce heat to medium-low and return the carrot mixture to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables. If you’re using frozen vegetables, you’ll want to thaw and drain them a bit before adding to the pot. Add the barley and stir to combine.

Add the stock and tomatoes and give a good stir. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the barley is tender. Give a stir now and then. A little bubbling is OK, but you don’t want this to boil; that would overcook the vegetables. Cooking time will be at least an hour, even if you use a quick cooking barley.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the biscuits. When I’m pressed for time, I like to use the Trader Joe’s multi-grain pancake and waffle mix as a base for biscuits. This makes a nice biscuit on its own, or you can easily dress them up with just a few modifications. I increased the amount of milk called for by about 20% and substituted about half of that with non-fat Greek yogurt. For flavor, I used olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of my favorite Herbs de Provence mix. Mix and bake as directed on the package. They had great flavor and a nice, tender crumb.

For my vegetarian and vegan friends – you can easily make this vegetarian or vegan. Simply omit the meat and use vegetable broth. For added protein, you could add beans, which combined with the barley will give you complete protein. For texture and flavor, some shiitake mushrooms would be fantastic.

* If you’re not a fan of lamb, then simply omit it.

** I used Trader Joe’s 10-Minute Barley.

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I’ll post the recipes soon …

Beef, Lamb, Vegetable, & Barley Soup*

Whole Grain Herbs de Provence Biscuits

* The soup can easily be made vegetarian (or vegan) by omitting the meat and substituting vegetable broth. I guess you could use a texturized vegetable protein if you want a meat-like texture. Even better yet, a nice, “meaty” and flavorful mushroom would be divine!

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Turkey Fennel Herb Sausage

2 teaspoons fennel seed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 tablespoons grated cheese or 4 tablespoons shaved, such as asiago, romano, parmesan
2-4 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, mint, oregano
2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
1-2 teaspoons red chile flakes (optional, depending on how spicy you like it!)

1. Measure the fennel seeds into a small bowl and add the wine. Allow to soak a few minutes.
2. Place the ground turkey, cheese, herbs, breadcrumbs, egg, and chile flakes in a large bowl. Add the fennel seeds and wine.
3. Combine all ingredients well.
4. Transfer to an appropriate storage container and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill at least 4 hours, but overnight would be better.
5. 

   Cooked & ready to go on pizza!

   To cook, heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage thoroughly, to a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you use ground skinless turkey breast, this is a low fat, high protein sausage. If you want, you could omit the cheese and use 2 egg whites instead of a whole egg, also, to make it practically fat free. If you omit the cheese, you will want to add a bit of salt.

This will be wonderful on pizza (the plan tonight with shiitake & crimini mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, and a simple tomato sauce), in a red sauce, in lasagna, or with eggs, or anywhere you might otherwise use sausage.

You could also make patties, or links if you’re so inclined. I think this would also make fantastic meatballs. The possibilities might be almost endless for the creative foodie.

If you’re going to put this on pizza, here is a great pizza dough recipe!

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Yesterday was a ride to Winters and back, nothing too much, just a decent paced 41-mile ride. The plan was to do a big ride today, so last night’s dinner had to do double duty:  recovery and preparation. Being Labor Day weekend, it also had to involve grilling.

Fresh Local Corn on the Cob

Soaking ...

Grilled to perfection!

Now for the protein …

Grilled Organic Chicken Breasts

Grilling corn is quickly becoming my favorite way to cook corn on the cob. It’s pretty easy, it just requires an extra step or two. Carefully peel back the husk, being sure to keep it attached at the bottom. Remove the corn silk and discard. Re-wrap the corn with the husk and then soak in cool water for about 15 minutes. This will moisten the husk and help prevent burning. The outer layers of the husk will char, but the inner layers will protect the corn. I like to expose some of the corn so that it gets a little char, but you don’t want too much. I found that this corn was so sweet, flavorful, and moist that it did not need anything else. But, if you like butter and stuff on your corn, you could make your favorite herb butter or other spread and create your own version of perfection.

For the chicken breasts, I marinated them about 30 minutes with a little lemon-orange-pepper and a splash of white white and olive oil. The beans are just lightly steamed. Super easy. Super healthy. Super yummy.

Now, on to riding … I’m getting a much later start than expected this morning and plans for a big ride through the Napa Valley today are seeming rather unrealistic. It seems to be turning into a Davis to Winters ride kind of day. Or, maybe just a Greek Food Festival kind of day … it is the 50th annual Greek Food Festival. How can we foodies say no to that?

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Can it really be Labor Day weekend already? Where did this summer go?

Quesadilla

The weekend got off to a good start with a nice, light dinner of an easy quesadilla and simple fish tacos.

Quesadillas

Fresh artisan corn* tortillas
Light cheddar cheese
Salsa Verde, warmed
Avocado
Fresh limes

Make a quick quacamole-like topping by mixing the avocado with some fresh lime juice and a little salsa verde. Heat the tortillas over medium-high heat on a cast iron griddle, turning once. Turn the heat down to medium. Top one tortilla with a little cheese, the avocado mixture, and a little salsa. Place the second tortilla on top and gently press down. Allow to heat through a couple of minutes, then turn to lightly brown the other side. You want the cheese to melt and the tortillas to pick up a light, golden brown color. Cut into wedges and serve with some warmed salsa.

*If you prefer, you can use flour tortillas.

Fish Tacos

Fresh artisan corn tortillas
Cod filets, or other light flaky white fish
Salsa Verde
Avocado
Fresh limes
Fresh cilantro

Fish Tacos

You can either slice the avocado or use the quacamole-like topping as above. Warm the salsa a bit, if you like. Heat the tortillas on a cast iron griddle over medium heat. Cook your fish – you can steam it, grill it, saute, or whatever method works best for the particular fish. I had some beautiful cod fillets, so I just cooked them in a little olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and seasoned lightly with just a dash of salt. For most fish, cook to an internal temperature of about 145-degrees. Assemble the tacos by placing some fish in the center of the tortilla, then top with some salsa and avocado. Garnish with some fresh cilantro (which was missing from these last night) and a squeeze of fresh lime.

If you are not a fan of fish, these tacos would also be yummy with chicken … especially if that chicken has been marinated with lime, fresh cilantro, a little Serrano chile, and if you are so inclined even a little tequila, then grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

These can even be made vegetarian or vegan. Grill up some portabello mushrooms and slice, or grilled onions and peppers, or zucchini … I’ll bet even grilled sliced potatoes would be good in these. Of course, there’s always tofu. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Here’s wishing you a great weekend! I hope you get the chance to ride. I know I am certainly looking forward to logging a few miles this weekend!