Cycling Foodie

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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!

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Huevos Rancheros, sort of … 

Fried Eggs with Salsa Verde

Heat 2 corn tortillas on a cast iron griddle. Top the warm tortillas with a little cheddar cheese and leave on the griddle on low. Warm some salsa verde, either in the microwave or on the stove on low heat. Fry two eggs to your desired doneness. Top each tortilla with one fried egg, then spoon a little salsa over top.

How good were these? They were gone before I even had the chance to mix my own breakfast together. Hmm … I have a feeling these will be requested again.

My New Favorite Pre-Ride Breakfast …

My Special Blend

Place a handful of whole rolled oats in your bowl, then add about 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s High Fiber O’s*. Spoon over two tablespoons of Qi’a and stir together. Serve with non-fat milk. This blend sits well in my belly during even the most rigorous ride and keeps me full for a long time. I happen to like how it tastes, too, because it’s not too sweet.

*A few months ago Trader Joe’s discontinued this product. I was so unhappy about that that I wrote to corporate! It is back on the shelves now, so apparently I am not the only one who missed it. It’s healthy, has a good blend of protein and fiber, and is loaded with heart healthy whole grains.

Qi’a  is an interesting blend of Chia, Buckwheat, and Hemp Cereal. I recently discovered this at Costco. The Cranberry Vanilla blend is a nice addition because it adds a little sweetness, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 1.9 grams of omega-3’s.

Now you’re all set for a great ride!

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To follow-up on last night’s post, here are the recipes you’ll need to make these fajitas.

Fajitas

Not to toot my own horn, or anything, but I was told that these were the BEST fajitas ever.

Grilled Flank Steak (recipe follows – best if you start to marinate the night before)

Salsa Verde (recipe follows)

1 red onion, sliced into strips

1 bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 avocado

8-12 shiitake mushrooms

1 package Artisan-style corn tortillas (I used blue corn tortillas here)

To assemble the fajitas:

1. Prepare the salsa.
2. While the salsa is cooking on the stove, grill the flank steak.
3. Prepare the mushrooms for grilling. Rinse them well and allow to drain a few moments. Then skewer them, drizzle with a little olive oil, and grill.
4. While the steak and mushrooms are grilling, slice the onions and peppers.
5. For medium rare steak, cook until about 130 degrees. It is very important that you allow the meat to rest about 10 minutes before slicing. If you slice it too soon, the juices will run out of the meat and it will be dry.
6. While the meat is resting, cook the onions and peppers in a hot cast iron skillet. You can cook them together, but since I cannot eat bell peppers, we had to cook them separately. You want the onions to caramelize a bit, but not get too soft. The peppers, you’ll want to get a little char on them, but be careful to not overcook them. They can very quickly go from bright, colorful, and tender-crisp to overcooked. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
7. While the onions and peppers are cooking, cut the avocado into slices or bite-sized chunks.
8. Heat the tortillas either on the grill or in a cast iron pan.
9. Thinly slice the meat. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
10. To assemble your fajitas, place a corn tortilla on a plate, then top with a few slices of the steak, some onions and peppers, mushrooms, avocado, and a generous dollop of salsa.
11. Chew, savor, smile, swallow, smile, repeat.

Shiitake Mushrooms

Red Onions

Bell Peppers

Grilled Flank Steak with Lime, Cilantro, & Serrano Chili

Marinated Flank Steak

2 limes, freshly squeezed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1-2 tablespoons of agave nectar
1 large serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 pound flank steak
salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, agave nectar, and chile pepper in a bowl. If you want more heat, then leave all or part of the serrano seeds. I prefer to seed chiles.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the flank steak and place into a zipper bag. Pour in the marinade.
3. Refrigerate and marinade at least a few hours or up to about 24 hours.
4. Remove from the refrigerator no more than 30 minutes before grilling.
5. Grill to desired doneness (I like medium rare, at most), which for beef is about 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove from grill and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.
7. Thinly slice against the grain.

Roasting tomatillos, serranos, & onions.

Salsa Verde

1-1/2 pounds of fresh tomatillos
1 bunch green onion
4 (or more) large serrano chile peppers
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste

1. Husk the tomatillos, rinse well, and set to drain in a colander.
2. Trim off the root end and about half of the green stem of the onions.
3. Cut off the stem end of the chile, slice in half length-wise, and scrape out the seeds.
4. Rinse the cilantro well, drain, and strip the leaves off the stems. Place the leaves on a towel to drain well.
5. Place the tomatillos, green onions, and serranos in a roasting pan, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
6. You can roast the tomatillos, green onions, and serranos on a grill or under a broiler. You’ll want to get a bit of char on them for flavor, but not too much.
7. The tomatillos are ready when they’re softened and a little bit charred. Remove from the grill or oven and set aside to cool a bit. You don’t want to try to process them while they’re piping hot. I destroyed a blender one time by not waiting. It was a very sad and expensive culinary discovery that my KitchenAid blender was no match for piping hot tomatillos. It melted the base! Very sad, indeed.
8. For this amount of salsa, you’ll want to blend it in 3-4 batches. It doesn’t really have to be evenly distributed per batch at this point because it’s all going to end up in one skillet to cook.
9. Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble, then reduce the heat to low. You’ll want to stir frequently to avoid scorching the bottom. I cook it until it’s slightly thickened, but still a pretty green color. The color will vary a lot from batch to batch due to the natural variation in tomatillos, how much char you have on them, and how long you cook the sauce.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This salsa is really easy and incredibly good either hot or cold. I love it on grilled chicken, carnitas, with rice, with tortilla chips, on eggs … it is am incredibly versatile sauce.

My fajitas, no bell peppers!

The Final Product!

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Coming soon …Fajitas.

... with peppers ...

and without!

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Fresh Tuscan Melon, Blueberries, and Raspberries

Originally I had planned to be out on my bike by 7am, but sometimes you just have to sleep in and sleep won out this morning. It would have been nice if sleep had won out over insomnia at about 2am, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

There may be a quick trip to the Davis Farmer’s Market this morning, but that might have to wait until Wednesday at this point. I need to get some miles in today!

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There was some great riding to be had this holiday weekend. I rode all 4 days, varying distances. July 4th was pretty darn windy here, but we got 50 or so miles in. The 5th, I just did about 20 in the morning; it was still pretty windy and I felt pretty beat up from the day before. Yesterday and today were nice – we got about 55 miles in yesterday and 77 today.

We had some pretty good food at home this weekend, too. We treated ourselves to a marinated tri tip on July 4th and enjoyed this with lemony Caesar salad with homemade croutons, and some grilled potato. We were a little too ambitious with food and also grilled a couple of ears of corn, but that ended up being too much, so we saved them for the next day. With the leftovers, we made some upscale tacos.

Tri Tip Tacos

We had some leftover mango-papaya salsa and a really ripe avocado, so I made a pseudo-guacamole by mashing the avocado a bit with some fresh squeezed lime juice and the stirred in the salsa. I made a simple corn relish by slicing the corn off the cob, adding a healthy heaping of chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of one lime, about a teaspoon of agave nectar, and seasoned with salt and pepper. In hindsight, a thinly sliced or chopped serrano chile pepper would have been a great addition. I cut the leftover tri tip into small bite-sized chunks, and sauteed it a bit in a little olive oil over medium high heat. In a cast iron griddle, I heated some corn tortillas, and then assembled some simple tacos. If you can find a local, artisan corn tortilla, it is worth the extra money. I have just recently discovered Mi Abuelita Bonita Tortillas Sonora Style traditional corn tortillas and might never eat “regular” store bought corn tortillas again.

Espresso-Herb Marinated Leg of Lamb

I don’t eat much red meat, but for some reason I was craving it this weekend, so I picked up a boneless leg of lamb at Costco. A few years back I made a leg of lamb with an espresso marinade. I couldn’t remember exactly what I had done, so I did a quick Google search and found this recipe for an Espresso Marinated Lamb Roast. I modified this just a little bit. I happened to have a bit of fresh mint leftover from another recipe, and lamb with mint is a classic combination, so this is my twist on the recipe …

Espresso-Herb Marinated Leg of Lamb

Boneless leg of lamb (about 3 pounds)
2 shots of espresso, cooled
1/2 large red onion, cut into a small dice
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the espresso, onion, garlic, herbs, honey, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well.
2. Trim excess fat from the meat and blot with paper towels.
3. Place the trimmed meat into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Add a few grinds of black pepper.
4. Pour the marinade into the bag, seal it, and work the marinade around so that it covers the meat as evenly as possible.
5. Place the bag in a bowl and then into the refrigerator.
   

   Medium Rare

6. Marinate at least 6 hours, but overnight is better.
7. Grill at about 325-degrees to your desired doneness. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

We served this with grilled eggplant and squash. It was fantastic, if I may say so myself! The mint stood out a bit more than I expected it to, but it was not overpowering at all. We enjoyed this with a Willamette Valley Vineyards Barrel Select Pinot Noir, 2010. The wine was fairly light, not too fruity, and just earthy enough to compliment the grilled lamb and vegetables.

And then, there was dessert …

Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries with Just a Touch of Salt Caramel Gelato and a Bit of Dark Chocolate

This was all great motivation to get a good ride in today. I hope you got a chance to get out and enjoy some fun and exercise this weekend. How did it go by so darn quickly?

Here’s to a super busy work week ahead. I am feeling reinvigorated and ready to go and will need to keep that motivation for this entire week. I scheduled a lot of appointments and have extra events going on this week. What was I thinking? 

The weather forecast is promising and I expect to get a ride in each day, maybe even a few evenings after work, too.

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This cool, cloudy weather has me staying inside today getting caught up on some chores and wanting some good, healthy comfort food. I’ve just assembled a Zucchini, Summer Squash, & Tomato Gratin for a light, but satisfying and comforting, dinner. It’s great as a vegetarian entree or a side dish.

Just about to go in the oven ... Zucchini, Squash, & Tomato Gratin

This is so simple to make – just slice some zucchini and squash, layer it in a baking dish. Top with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs of your choice, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 325 – 350 degrees until done (about 1 hour). This is a little subjective and will depend on your preference.

Some good parmesan or asiago cheese is good, too. I’m going to sprinkle a romano, parmesan, and asiago blend on this about halfway through cooking. A sprinkling of bread crumbs can be good, also, and will make for a nice crunchy topping.

If you’re using large tomatoes, slice them and layer them with the sliced zucchini. You can also use eggplant, potatoes, onions, or other vegetables of your choice. Just be sure that the vegetables are evenly sliced, about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick.

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It wasn’t supposed to be so breezy in Davis today, but it is. I really should be out there riding, getting ready for my Tour de Cure ride that is now just 2 weeks away, but I’m hoping the winds will calm down later. Perhaps a morning trip to the Davis Farmers’ Market? In the meantime, laundry and experimenting with my new favorite banana bread recipe are keeping me plenty busy.

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Bread with Walnuts

* My idea of ripe & ready for bread bananas.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup pure cane sugar, unrefined
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant espresso
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
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
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, and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. 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.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ...

Fold in the walnuts ...

Fresh from the oven.

Let the loaf cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.

You can slice it while it's still warm, but do try to be patient.

This bread is a bit more dense than the last version, due to the 100% whole wheat flour and walnuts, but it’s hearty, not heavy. The espresso and cinnamon add a nice complexity and depth of flavor, without being overpowering. Using coconut sugar, as well as bananas at this stage of ripeness, gives the bread a nice banana flavor without making it cloyingly sweet.

Enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino!

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This past weekend I made a variation on the Tassajara Bread recipe. You can mix this dough by hand, or use a stand mixer. If you’re using a mixer, make sure it’s got a strong motor. I have a KitchenAid professional model, and this dough was just about all it could handle. You might want to make a half batch if you’ve got a smaller mixer, or are mixing it by hand.

Multigrain Bread

3 cups filtered water, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 cup dry milk
1/2 cup pumpernickel flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup polenta
2 cups high protein whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup butter, melted & cooled
3-4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white bread flour for kneading

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over 1 cup of the water and let it stand about 10 minutes.
2. Add the honey, dry milk, and remaining water and mix a bit to dissolve the milk powder.
3. Mix in the pumpernickel flour, oat bran, millet, polenta, and 2 cups of high protein whole wheat flour. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated, but don’t over mix at this stage. You don’t want to develop a lot of gluten yet. Let rest for about 20-30 minutes. You can use either the paddle or dough hook for this stage, but you will probably find that the paddle mixes the sponge together a bit easier than the hook.
4. Sprinkle the salt on top of the sponge, pour in the melted butter, then turn the mixer on low. You’ll want to use the dough hook at this point.
5. 

   Just out of the mixer

   When the salt and butter are mostly incorporated, begin adding the flour, about 1 cup at a time. This is going to be a pretty sticky dough, but remember that the millet, polenta, and oat bran will continue to absorb moisture as the dough mixes and proofs. Avoid the temptation to make the dough feel “right” just out of the mixer. It should be pretty soft and a bit sticky.

6. Mix on low for about 10-15 minutes, then turn the mixer on high for about 2 minutes. Don’t walk away from the mixer at this point, though it might be tempting to do so.
7. 

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and shape into one large round. Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Place in a draft-free area. I prefer to let my dough rise slowly, so I don’t go out of my way to find a warm place in my kitchen to proof the dough.

8. Allow the dough to rise about 50 minutes or so, until it’s doubled in size.

To “punch down” the dough, gently push down on the dough to press out the excess gas. Then, gently lift the dough and tuck the sides under. You’ll do this so that you pretty much form a squarish envelope shape. Keep the smooth side up. Gently press down on the dough again with the palms of your hands, to help seal the bottom. Recover with the plastic wrap and towel. Let the dough rise until doubled in size again for 30-45 minutes.

My make-shift "flour sack" couche, dusted with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and polenta.

When the dough has just about doubled in size again, you’ll shape it. I like to shape into a basic loaf shape, sometimes called a “miche.” You can also shape the dough into rounds (“boule”), if you like. Once the dough is shaped, you’ll set it aside for its final rise. Again, times will vary. Since I can only bake at most 3 small loaves at a time, I will shape some a little tighter. These will rise a little slower. That way, I have time to proof and bake the first loaves. They’ll take about 30 minutes to rise, and then another 20-30 to bake.

If you time it just right, the second half will be perfect and ready to go in as you pull out the first loaves.

To bake the dough, use a hot oven (400 to 450 degrees) and preheat it well. For smaller artisan style loaves, use a preheated baking stone or tile. You’ll want a slightly lower temperature for a large loaf baked in a pan. I also like to throw a couple of ice cubes on the bottom of the oven immediately after I put the dough in to bake. Be sure to shut the oven door right away to hold the heat and steam in. This simulates a steam-injected oven that professional bakeries use to create that wonderful crust.

One large loaf, proofed and ready!

Egg wash will give the finished loaf a nice, shiny glaze.

This batch makes enough for two large loaves (9.5 x 5.5 x 2.5-inch loaf pans). I always like to make a few smaller loaves and proof them in towels dusted with polenta and flour. This mimics an artisan loaf that you’ll find in a good bread bakery. You’ll want to use either linen couches or some basic “flour sack” type towels.

I usually make two or three smaller, rustic loaves, and one large loaf. It is important to use a very sharp knife (or better yet, a razor blade) to get nice, even scores on the dough. Scores should be about 1/4 to 3/8-inch deep, depending on the size of the loaf. This will result in a beautiful finished loaf.

Homemade bread may seem intimidating, but this recipe really is pretty forgiving, and is great for bread bakers of every level! Proofing times are estimates and will depend on various factors, including the temperature of the water you use and the room temperature.

You CAN make artisan quality bread at home!

Look at that beautiful glaze!

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Cauliflower & Mushroom Gratin

Tonight we’re grilling turkey breast tenders marinated in lemon and herbs de Provence. I also made a cauliflower and mushroom gratin we’re also cooking on the grill – this is a completely experimental recipe and I have no idea how this will turn out! Now it’s time to go make the tomato salad with extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I am soo ready for summer!

If the gratin is good, I’ll post a recipe. It’s much lighter than it looks. It is made with non-fat milk and reduced fat cheeses.