Cycling Foodie

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I had a hankering for some lamb recently and found a reasonably priced cut at my favorite local store. I made a “rub” of instant espresso, fresh rosemary (from my garden!), and a little kosher salt. I covered both sides with the mixture and let it marinate in the refrigerator for a day (or two). Just before cooking it, I gave it a healthy sprinkling of fennel seeds then cooked it to perfection in a hot cast iron skillet. (Remember to let meat rest about 5-10 minutes before cutting it.)

Espresso Marinated Lamb

It was a fairly small piece, but lamb can be quite rich, so a little goes a long way. Dinner tonight was steamed spinach and about half of the lamb. Oh, it was so good.

Hmm … what to do with leftover lamb … here’s an idea… 

Salad Greens, Espresso & Rosemary Marinated Lamb, Pomegranate, Fuyu Persimmon, Walnuts, Pecans, Dried Cranberry, Feta Cheese … and a splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Glaze.

Lunch is all packed for tomorrow!

Don’t you wish you could join me? Yes, you do.

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I have been informed recently that buying curry powder is cheating … or something like that. OK, fine. I suppose it is time to start making it from scratch.

When I run out of my pre-made curry powder, I’ll try Alton Brown’s Curry Powder Blend and this recipe also looks promising. In the meantime, I need to come up with some more ways to cook with curry.

Roasted Curried Yams – one of my favorites, spicy and sweet.

Happy Monday. Here’s wishing you a lovely day!

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… because sometimes you just need a special treat …

Hawaiian Vanilla Company Coffee

 … so rich, so smooth, so perfect for a cool, cloudy A Sunday morning.

I know this will be shocking, but I would so much rather be out cycling today than doing paperwork.

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For the last 10 days I have been checking the weather forecast regularly and have gone back and forth between wanting to ride and wanting to bail on today’s Foxy’s Fall Century. The forecasts changed a bit daily – rain, no rain, but wind was a certainty each time I checked the Weather Channel’s site.

By the end of the workday yesterday I had convinced my self that riding today would be a bad idea, but I checked the weather forecast again when I got home and decided that I would reevaluate in the morning if I would ride or not. As of last night, the forecast was no rain until late afternoon and fairly reasonable winds until about 2:00, when they were projected to be 20+ mph. I began to think that if I started early enough that I could finish the ride before these 20+ mph winds started. So, I packed up all of my gear and went to bed with the promise that I would make my final decision in the morning.

I am so glad that I rode today.

What’s a ride without a fabulous selfy?

For a couple of weeks I’ve been trying to get friends to do the ride, but no one wanted to. I have not been cycling nearly enough this past year, so I wasn’t feeling particularly eager (or confident) to do this ride solo today. But I really needed to do the ride, so I was quite happy when another solo rider pulled up alongside about 10 or 15 miles into the ride and we got to chatting and finished the course together. I was very appreciative for the nice company.

After the ride, the lunch was good – lasagna, salad, gluten-free bread, desserts (ice cream sandwiches, macaroons, gluten-free chocolate cake).

Foxy’s Fall Century – Lunch

By the time I got home, I was a little hungry again …

My new go-to recovery drink is Golden Milk.

The weather held out throughout the ride. I did not get rained on this year and the wind didn’t get that bad. Actually, the winds were for the most part pretty favorable today.

I know I said this last year, but … next year … the full century is the goal.

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Golden Milk is being touted as a “wonder” beverage loaded with all kinds of healthy benefits (click here). This recipe showed up on my Facebook feed one day and caught my attention. I need to start upping my calcium intake, but I’m not a huge fan of plain milk. The additional health benefits (especially the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties) were very appealing. I confess that initially I did not read the entire article and just barely watched the video to get the recipe, so I missed that it’s made with coconut milk, not cow’s milk.

I’ve got to do some more research about this, but for now, here’s my version:

Golden Milk

1 cup milk (your choice)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
maple syrup or honey to taste

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake until well blended, then strain (if desired) and serve with or without ice.

You can also mix in a blender with a little ice to make your beverage smoothie-like.

I tried it heated up last night, but surprisingly didn’t really like it as much.