Life can be so cruel sometimes … like when you’re sick on a perfect-weather weekend. I rode nary a mile this weekend, and barely made it to the gym at all this entire week. And if ever a Fall weekend was perfect for cycling, this was it. I even had to take a very, very rare sick day this week, and had to back out of volunteering to help with morning snacks for the Davis Bike Club’s Foxy’s Fall Century. A group of friends were having a special foodie event – I had to miss that, too! I did make my work event on Saturday, though – UC Davis Preview Day!
Matcha Smoothie
So, it turned out to be a pretty low key weekend, with some much needed rest at home watching reruns on the Food and Cooking channels, and hanging out with a warm cat on the couch.
This morning’s smoothie was very light and interesting with a matcha green tea whey protein powder. I whirled this in my Vitamix with about a half cup of water, 1/4 cup steel cut oats, a big handful of baby kale greens, a handful of frozen red grapes, about a half cup of frozen pineapple, and six ice cubes. This made a lovely green smoothie, and was delicate and lightly sweet.
I’ve finally got an appetite again, and tonight am preparing a Maple Mustard Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin, with Roasted Herbed Potatoes, and Maple & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple.
Brussels Sprouts & Apple - ready to roast!
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple*
2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1 large Gala Apple
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and trim the Brussels Sprouts. Peel, core, and cut the apple into 8 wedges. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes, to your desired tenderness. You’ll want to check them after about 10 minutes and give them a stir. This will help them to cook evenly. You can also cook these in a cast iron skillet.
While the sprouts are cooking, combine the maple syrup and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cook gently until reduced to a thick syrup. Watch carefully – it can go from perfect to too sticky in a moment.
Be careful to not overcook the sprouts. You can get a nice char, but don’t cook them until they’re soft. They’ll be bitter and nasty.
* inspired by this Weight Watchers recipe.
Purple, Gold, & Red Potatoes with Thyme & Rosemary
Herb Roasted Potatoes
1 pound waxy potatoes
Olive oil
Fresh herbs of your choice
Salt & pepper to taste
Half the potatoes, toss with the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan. Roast until perfect.
If you’re pressed for time, you can par-cook the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes in the microwave. Cook them about halfway, then prepare and roast as above.
Maple-Mustard-Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin, about 1-1/2 pounds
about 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs of your choice (I used thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley)
1 heaping tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Maple Mustard Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Place tenderloin in a zip-top bag. Whisk herbs, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, and salt together, then pour into the bag with the pork. Seal bag and give it a little shake to evenly distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for at at least 4 hours or overnight.
Roast or grill the tenderloin to an internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
I liked each dish individually, but all together on one plate the meal needed color. Hmm …
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