Cycling Foodie

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I got a nice ride in today – best stress buster ever. I made it to the top of Cantelow without walking. I did stop briefly to stretch out a bit, but no walking this time.

I have no idea how many miles total because my Garmin Edge died this past week. What? It was fine, and now it’s not. It did get a little wet on my last ride, but I thought that this was supposed to be OK in rain. Apparently not.

This is my third Garmin in less than 5 years. What is up with that? I think it’s time to find a different product.

Did I mention that I did not walk Cantelow this ride?

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… well, we did ask for it … beg for it … and here it is.

I would post a picture, but WordPress is telling me it’s full. Wait … what?

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A little bit of Spring is in the air already …

A splash of color caught my eye today.

We’ve got more rain coming. I was hoping to get some cycling in this weekend, but it’s not looking like a definite at this point. A hopeful, but we shall see.

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Now that you’ve made those fabulous roasted carrots with ginger and turmeric, and yams, and rice …. here’s an idea for “refreshing” the leftovers.

Heat a bit of avocado (or coconut) oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil just starts to shimmer. Add about 1/2 cup rice per serving and cook a a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add the leftover roasted vegetables and combine well with the rice – you judge your serving size. Add a handful of fresh or frozen peas and stir to combine well. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and heat through. If you want a little extra protein, cook an egg or add some tofu. If you’re using tofu, I would probably use a firm tofu and cook that with the rice.

Not quite a stir-fry, not quite a scramble …

This makes an easy and satisfying post-ride or work-night meal.

Aaaah, a quick and chilly ride yesterday.

I need to start gearing up for the 2017 Napa Valley Tour de Cure … will you join me this year? Please help to support a great cause and take the ride of your life!

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It has been raining on and off all day and it is pouring right now.

I got a lot of stuff done at home today, but no cycling due to the unpredictable weather. I’ve still got a touch of a cough that’s been hanging on for a while, so it’s likely best to not risk it getting worse. At least this rain will clean the air and that’s wonderful!

Tonight was a great night to make some more roasted carrots.

It’s looking like rain until Thursday, then rain again on Saturday and Sunday. It’s looking like a gym in the morning before work kind of week, isn’t it?

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Here is another easy to prepare side dish. Mushrooms are considered to be a “superfood” due to their nutritional benefits, so you can feel great about eating this delicious and healthy side dish.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms

12 to 16 ounces of your favorite wild mushrooms
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Rinse and gently pat dry the mushrooms. Drizzle with a little olive oil, add a sprinkle of salt and a grind or two of fresh pepper.

Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes (the size and type of mushroom will make a difference, so watch carefully).

From left to right: Velvet Pioppini, Nebrodini Bianco, Shiitake, and Forest Nameko mushrooms.

You can roast the larger mushrooms whole and add the smaller mushrooms after 10 minutes or so. You could also slice the larger mushrooms and cook them all about 15 to 20 minutes. There is such variation in the mushrooms that it might take a little trial and error to get them to your liking. We cooked all of these at the same time and the smaller mushrooms (Velvet Pioppini & Forest Nameko mushrooms) were a little more cooked that I would have liked, but they were still delicious.

Serving suggestion … serve on top of pasta with a brown butter sage sauce.

To make a brown butter sage sauce for pasta, place 1 tablespoon of salted butter in a heavy bottomed pan and heat on medium-high heat until the butter begins to bubble and turn golden brown and cook until the butter is a deep golden brown. Watch carefully as the butter can go from perfect to scorched very quickly. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, whisk together, and allow to heat through. Add about 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage and cook just a few minutes on medium-low heat to infuse the sage flavor throughout. Add the cooked pasta and gently toss to coat. Portion the pasta onto plates and top with the roasted mushrooms. Garnish with fresh sage.

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These make a delicious side dish that packs a nutritional punch. Yams have many nutritional and health benefits that you can read about here. Ginger and turmeric are also nutritional powerhouses. The combination creates a deliciously sweet, rich, and mildly spicy side dish. To make it a bit spicier, you could add some additional fresh ginger (grated or minced), or even cayenne pepper, just before serving.

Roasted Yams with Turmeric & Ginger

1 large yam
fresh ginger root, about a 1-inch piece
fresh turmeric root, about a 1-inch piece
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse and scrub the yam well, dry, then slice into about 1/2-inch thick slices. Peel the ginger and turmeric, coarsely mince, place in your roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and combine well. Add the sliced yams in a single layer, turning to coat with the oil. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

One large yams makes about 3 servings.

Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.

You can prepare these ahead and store in a zip-top bag up to one day ahead. 

Enjoy!

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For Christmas this year I made several versions of Sweet & Spicy Nuts and they were a big hit. The original recipe is here.

I made 3 different versions. In two versions, I used a prepared curry powder because I discovered that I did not have any cumin. One of those batches I made spicy with some extra cayenne pepper. I really liked this version.

The third version I made was vegan. I used coconut oil in place of butter, and for spices I added similar spices I used for the Golden Milk recipe (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, black pepper). I also added a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut to the nuts before adding the syrup and baking.

Sweet, spicy, crunchy, and delicious! Bonus – they’re super easy to make, too!

These will make a wonderful New Year’s Eve snack, too. Why not prepare a batch today?

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Here’s wishing you a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve. Please remember to be safe out there. Please remember that if you are out and about, you don’t need to drive if you have been drinking. Click here for some available options for safe transportation.

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Today was officially Training Ride #1 for my 2017 Napa Valley Tour de Cure. My friend Phil also volunteers for the American Diabetes Association Napa Valley Tour de Cure and will be riding the 50-mile route this year. My friend, and Phil’s lovely fiancee, Desiree, will be riding the 25-mile route. Check out this ride – there are routes for all levels of cyclists. It’s a really well supported ride and is a fundraiser for a great cause.

I am really bad at this selfie thing …

Phil and I did a quick Vacaville loop and then I explored a little more. I decided to see how I would do again on Gates Canyon Road. This is a wonderful training hill – it gets a bit steep in some places, but then it levels out and gives plenty of stretches for recovery time.

Gates Canyon Road

It feels good to be back in the saddle again!

Here’s hoping you had a great day and got some good cycling in.