Cycling Foodie

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I am thankful to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my mother. This year will be a little different. Rather than having Thanksgiving at her home, we are joining her friends and neighbors in a potluck. I’m bringing homemade bread, a salad, and a fruit & cheese platter.

Hearty homemade whole grain bread with whole wheat, pumpernickel, oats, millet, and polenta.

The loaves are still warm as I type this and the house is filled with the satisfying aroma of freshly baked bread.

Salad will be a light and fresh mix of baby kale, chard, and spinach with crisp-sweet Fuji apples, toasted walnuts, and a light honey-mustard vinaigrette I whisked together.

After work today I was pleasantly surprised to find the Davis Farmers’ Market happening downtown and picked up some lovely red grapes, persimmons, and a couple of artisan cheeses that will make for a festive platter. I haven’t decided which cheeses to bring tomorrow, but I’m leaning towards these four: an herbed goat, a smoked cheddar, a Stilton with cranberries, and a “Foggy Morning” fresh cheese (perhaps served with some fig jam).

Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, but I do hope to get at least a quick ride in in the morning. I haven’t been riding nearly enough! It’s not quite light enough in the morning anymore to ride before work, so I’m back at the gym or out walking on nice weather mornings. It’s been chilly, but beautiful!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I hope you get to spend it with your loved ones!

Good Morning Sunshine!

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I picked up some white whole wheat flour this weekend, and had a few organic bananas that were a little too ripe for my tastes just for eating. I wanted to try a different banana bread recipe, a more classic one, so I did a little searching and found this recipe from the King Arthur Flour website. I made just a few changes to it. (I know … surprising, right?)

Classic Banana Bread

Here is my variation:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350-derees Fahrenheit. Generously spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla and honey, then beat in eggs one at a time. Add bananas. The mixture might look a little “broken” or funky, but it’s OK.
4. Add the flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time, and mix in between each addition. You don’t want to overmix the batter or the resulting bread will be tough.
5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the center of the oven about 30 minutes, then rotate. Bake another 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out mostly clean.
6. Cool in pan about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

This bread is moist and has a very tender crumb and delicate banana flavor. If you have someone who does not like whole wheat breads, this is a bread to try. You’d never know it’s 100% whole wheat. If you want, you could add 1/2 cup of walnuts.

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Winters, in front of Steady Eddy's

I got a nice ride in this morning with a friend. She’s got a brand new bike and we had a nice, pretty leisurely ride to Winters, out and around Lake Solano, and back. It was a little breezy, not quite cool, not quite warm, and it got really cloudy.

We got about 40 miles of riding and lots of good chatting in.

When I got home, I made a green smoothie with organic baby kale, kiwi, pineapple, banana,  nonfat Greek yogurt, and vanilla whey protein powder. It was interesting … not too sweet, a little tart, and really refreshing and satisfying. I accidentally made a huge batch, so I froze some. I’ve found that these smoothies actually keep pretty well in the freezer. If you get the mixture just right, it freezes like a sorbet and could make a light, healthy dessert. That works best with berry or peach-based smoothies.

This weather makes me want to bake bread, so I did! I made a multi-grain bread, based on this recipe, but just changed up a few ingredients based on what I had on hand. In place of the oat bran, I used steel cut oats. I increased the pumpernickel by a cup, used 1 cup of high protein unbleached white flour, and reduced the whole wheat flour by 2 cups. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty much the same.

Whole Wheat, Oat, and Pumpernickel Bread

I have a pretty good idea that breakfast tomorrow will involve toast. This batch made 4 rustic loaves. It would make 2 large loaves using loaf pans. I just prefer the rustic style. I love that crust.

Is the weekend really almost over? It feels like it just started! Before we know it, the holidays will be here, and then the 2014 Tour de Cure! Join me for the ride! Sign up here. Can’t ride, but still want to help? Donate here!

So, I guess I’m still feeling chatty after my ride today … thanks for spending a few minutes with me to read this!

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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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We got a little bit of a late start on our Napa Valley ride today, so it was cut a bit short. The morning started out chilly and foggy, but the fog cleared before noon. The original plan was to head out towards Healdsburg and have lunch at the Jimtown Store, but we decided to turn around in Calistoga and just head back. We had a nice little bike tour of the Meadowood Resort in St. Helena, and then a lunch stop at the Model Bakery in St. Helena.

If you find yourself in St. Helena, do stop by the Model Bakery and try their English muffins. These are AMAZING.

I first visited the Model Bakery in the mid-late 1980’s. This is where I first discovered scones. The funny thing is that because they weren’t too sweet, and they were dense, I thought I was eating something healthy. Years later when I learned how to make scones, I realized most really aren’t that healthy because they’re loaded with fat. They are a delightful treat, and I was tempted, but then I saw the homemade English Muffins. I used to make homemade English Muffins and have never had anything comparable, until today. I humbly acknowledge that these are superior to my own.

Pesto and Tomato Pizza

Model Bakery is also famous in certain circles for their pizza, so I hear it sells out quickly. We were quite surprised (and pleased!) to find that there was some left by the time we got there. We tried the pesto and tomato pizza and it was wonderful. It was a little rich for me for cycling food, but if you are one of those cyclists who can eat anything and ride, this would make a yummy lunch.

We had one of the best espressos I have ever tasted, but the double espresso barely filled half of this demitasse cup. The gentleman serving coffee did not actually look in the cup when I asked, but insisted that this was indeed a double. Perhaps another guest grabbed our double espresso by mistake? Alas, it was smooth and delicious, and a perfect pairing with a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.

A little caffeine ...

… a little sugar …

Now that will get you home!

Cycling the Silverado Trail, Napa Valley

The Model Bakery is located on Main Street in St. Helena, in the beautiful Napa Valley.

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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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I’m quite behind on posts! Here’s a quick summary of Saturday:

Whole Wheat Rye Fennel Pizza Dough

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup room temperature water
1/4 cup rye flour

1 1/8 cup room temperature water
3 cups flour (I used 3/8 cup high protein whole wheat, 3/8 cup rye, 1 1/4 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all purpose unbleached)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Bench flour for shaping

Make the sponge: pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into the mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over and allow to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of rye flour. Cover with a towel and allow to rest about 15 to 30 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 cup water and begin mixing in the flour on low speed. Mix in the olive oil on low speed. Check the consistency and if too dry, add a little water or olive oil.

You want to make sure this dough is pretty wet when it finishes mixing – the fennel seeds will absorb water as the dough proofs.

Continue to mix on low speed about 10 minutes, then add the salt. Turn on high and mix on high for 2-3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds in the last 30 seconds of mixing. Turn the dough out onto a floured board. If you are making pizza, divide the dough into two pieces and gently shape each into a ball. Place each dough ball into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The dough is ready to use once it has doubled in size. I like to use the dough within 2 days of mixing it. This batch makes enough dough for two 15-16 inch pizzas.

Note how wet this dough looks

Turn the dough out onto a floured board.

Gently shape into a ball.

Davis Farmers Market

Peaches

Plums

Apricots

Cherries

Our bounty!

Lemonade

Breakfast at Cafe Bernardo

Breakfast burrito

Oatmeal with Bananas & Pecans

A rare treat

Ride

A nice jaunt to Winters and back, with a quick stop for some icy cold refreshment.

Homemade pizza for dinner

Mushroom, Grilled Veggies, Golden Tomato Sauce

A nice, light sauce of golden tomatoes gently cooked down and run through a food mill, then reduced over low heat to just the right texture, with a touch of fresh thyme and rosemary, was just the right base for mushrooms and grilled veggies. We used a combination of mushrooms we picked up at the Farmers Market this morning: oyster, maitake, and beech oyster mushrooms. I picked up a few shiitakes at the store, too. We had some leftover grilled veggies from Friday night: eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash.

We fired up the grill and cooked the pizza outside, to avoid heating up the entire house. I placed my baking stone on the grill, and turned the heat up as high as it would go. The end result was a light, airy crust, but the bottom was a little dark and the top not quite done enough – I like the cheese to bubble and brown a little. But overall, it was a success and a nice end to a nice day.

Coming soon … reporting on foodie adventures in Ohio!

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Banana ... Mocha ... Banocha.

Banocha Oat Bread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup pure cane sugar, unrefined
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon instant espresso
A handful of oats and some additional sugar for sprinkling on top of the loaf before baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the loaf pan – spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mash the bananas in another bowl, stir in the beaten eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and espresso powder. Mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over-mix or the bread will be tough.
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with a handful of oats and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Let the loaf cool before slicing into it.

Pineapple, Honeydew, and Kiwi

This loaf is moist and hearty, but not dense. It’s lightly sweet, and the coffee and cocoa powder give a depth of flavor without overpowering the delicate banana flavor.

Enjoy with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, latte, mocha, or cappuccino, and some fresh fruit for a light, healthy breakfast. Some non-fat Greek yogurt would be nice addition, too!

Have a great day!