Cycling Foodie

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As promised, here is the recipe from last night’s dinner.

Spicy Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon (or more) garlic chile paste
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
4 cups mixed fresh vegetables

Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Slice each breast in half, so that you have 4 thin pieces. In a glass dish large enough to hold the chicken, combine the teriyaki sauce and garlic chile paste. Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover and marinate at least a few hours, but overnight is better.

To cook the chicken, you could cook it in the oven, grill it, or simply cook it in a skillet. I used a non-stick skillet.

On medium-high heat, sear the chicken on both sides. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, turning the chicken if necessary. Reduce heat to low, pour the marinade over the chicken, then add the diced pineapple. Stir gently to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (internal temperature 165-degrees Fahrenheit).

While the chicken is cooking, prepare your vegetables. I used asparagus, broccolette, carrots, crimini mushrooms, and green beans. Clean, trim, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Drain well, but make sure they’re a little moist still. Heat a large non-stick wok. Add your vegetables one at a time, starting with whichever vegetable will take the longest to cook (I started with the carrots).

To “stir-steam” you can use just a tiny bit of oil if needed, but don’t use much more than a quick spritz of a cooking spray, otherwise you’re stir-frying.

"Stir-Steamed" Asparagus, Broccolette, Carrots, Crimini Mushrooms, and Green Beans

Stir or “toss” the vegetables frequently to avoid burning them, then cover for a few minutes to allow to steam. I like my vegetables very crisp, with just a hint of tender, so I covered very briefly.

While the vegetables are steaming, remove the chicken from the heat and set aside, covered to keep warm. Increase the heat on the remaining pineapple and sauce; allow it to reduce to thicken.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Portion your vegetables into a serving bowl, top with your portion of chicken, spoon about 1/4 cup of pineapple over top. Serve piping hot! This would be great with a garnish of cashews, but I had already eaten my nut allotment for the day.

Dinner is served!

This made enough for 1 big dinner (1 cup chicken, 2 cups veggies) and 2 smaller lunches (1 cup chicken, 1 cup veggies).

Yesterday on my challenge, I figured that my dinner could be as much as 1 cup protein, 3 cups vegetables, 2 cups fruit. I could still eat more cheese or healthy fats, if I wanted. I did have a little extra carbs (about 2 cups total), but I did ride about 56 miles, so that made sense.

Totals for the day:

* 2 cups vegetables
* 1/2 cup fruit
* 3 cups protein
* 2 cups carbs
* 2 T healthy cheese (“light”)
* 2 T dressing
* 3 tablespoons nuts

So, I’m still not getting the portions quite right, and I just realized the nuts should be teaspoons, not tablespoons, but … oh, well. There are also things that I have no idea how to categorize, such as the cup of miso broth I had after my ride yesterday. I just have to remind myself … this is my version and I’m just doing this for fun and to get back on track because I feel like I’ve gotten a bit off track food-wise in the past few months.

That said, I’ve got a busy day ahead of me and it’s time to get out on a ride because it is just too gorgeous outside to not ride!

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If you have never had Pacific Rockfish before, you want to try it. In terms of nutrition, it’s a great source of lean protein, a natural source of vitamin D, and potassium. A 3-ounce serving provides the daily supply of selenium. Not only that, but it has a lovely delicate flavor and buttery-flaky texture.

Pacific Rockfish with Cherry Tomatoes

4 to 5 ounces of Pacific Rockfish filet
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1 cup Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chard, arugula (your favorite cooking greens)
2 cups sliced fresh Crimini mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse, trim, and slice the mushrooms. Rinse and spin your greens. In a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan, saute the mushrooms, watching carefully so they don’t burn. You can add a little oil, if you want, but I’ve found that with a good non-stick pan, you don’t need to. Top with the greens, cover, and allow to steam on low heat until they’re nicely wilted.

For the fish, heat the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan. You’ll want to get the pan fairly hot so that you can get a nice sear on the fish. Quickly sear on both sides. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the fish is very tender and flaky, and the tomatoes are reduced just enough to make a delicious, light sauce.

Perfect!

To serve, portion the spinach and mushrooms on one side of a wide, shallow bowl. With a slotted spoon, portion the cherry tomatoes onto the other half.

Prepare the base of your dish.

Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

This is a very simple, light meal. You can certainly add fresh herbs and other seasonings as you wish, but to me, this is perfect because it allows the delicate flavor and buttery texture of the fish to really shine.

This is a large portion and it makes for a great recovery meal after a big ride. I have a feeling I’ll be eating a lot like this as I get ready for my 2015 Napa Valley Tour de Cure. Please consider donating to my ride – it is a great cause!

I’m estimating the total calories for this dish to be:  315
Fish = 160
Oil = 40
Tomatoes = 30
Greens = 45
Mushrooms = 40

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Happy Valentine’s Day! We have the perfect weather for cycling here today, and the air is pretty clean, too! So, I celebrated Valentine’s Day by treating myself to a long bike ride along the American River Trail.

At the turn around point. I love this bike!

Quick stop on the way home - William B. Pond Park along the American River Trail.

I rode about 65 miles, so I think I earned a few extra carbs today. I fueled my ride with a nice, heart-healthy bowl of steel-cut oats, with a couple of walnuts, a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and about 1 tablespoon of dried blueberries.  During the ride, I had 2 small whole grain fig bars and a Cliff gel.

I was way overdressed for how warm it got, so by the time I got home I was in need of some cool refreshment.

Fresh, cool watermelon is a perfect way to rehydrate after a ride.

And hungry, too!

Whole Grain Rice Medley with Smoked Chicken Apple Sausage and Green Beans.

This is about 1 cup of carbs, 1/2 cup protein, and 1/2 cup veggies, so it’s easily within my Challenge!

I have got to start getting some longer rides in so I can get ready for my 2015 Napa Valley Tour de Cure!!! Please consider donating to my ride – it’s a great cause!

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Day  9 –  I didn’t really track things so well. I was just too busy. That said, I stuck to the Challenge pretty well. I made a beautiful Heirloom Red Spinach Salad and added the leftover beef, a few mushrooms, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was a perfect lunch.

Day 10 – I have been counting tomatoes as vegetables, but really should be counting them as fruit, so I’m switching over starting today.

Tonight for dinner I sauteed a little bit of thinly sliced fresh fennel in a non-stick pan. Then I lightly seared a piece of beautiful wild-caught cod filet. I put the fennel back in the pan, then the fish, and then topped it with about a cup of the Tomato Fennel Sauce  I made earlier in the week. Cover, reduce to low, and gently simmer until it’s thoroughly warmed through and the fish is nice and flaky. It was really good! Light, healthy, and delicious. I served it with 1/2 cup whole grain rice blend. So, that’s protein, carbs, veggies and fruit!

* 2 1/2 cups vegetables
* 3 cup fruit
* 1 cups protein
* 1 1/2 cups carbs
* 1/4 cup healthy cheese (“light”)
* 2 tablespoons nuts

Something close to that. I’m not quite getting this right according to the 21-Day Fix, but … I’m not really following that. I’m just using that a a loose guideline.

Today was a spectacular weather day. I wish I could have been out on my bike riding. I’m conflicted. I really want beautiful weather so I can ride, but we really desperately need rain.

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I’ll have to do this later today, but here’s Day 8 Dinner …

Remember that piece of beef I was marinating? Here it is!

Coffee-Marinated Steak with Heirloom Red Spinach and Crimini Mushrooms

I marinated a small piece of beef in a little coffee, balsamic vinegar, and Herbs de Provence. It had very nice flavor.

The Red Heirloom Spinach was interesting. I’m trying it in a salad today for lunch, with a little of the leftover beef, some fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and a light espresso-balsamic vinaigrette.

Totals for the day:

* 3 1/2 cups vegetables
* 1 cup fruit
* 3 cups protein
* 1 cups carbs
* 2 T healthy cheese (“light”)
* 1 T dressing (homemade marinade)
* 2 tablespoons nuts

Must run! Work, work, work!

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Today was going along fine until about noon, then I suddenly felt funky sick. I had a little ginger candy and that worked like a miracle and I feel OK now. I’m thinking maybe I had too much coffee and not enough food this morning. I started drinking lots of water and nibbled on my food as tolerated.

I made a light, healthy dinner tonight with the leftover salmon from last night.

Spicy Teriyaki Salmon with Steamed Veggies

Totals for the day:

* 3 cups vegetables
* 1 cup fruit
* 2 3/4 cups protein
* 1 1/2 cups carbs
* 2 T healthy cheese (“light”)
* 1 1/2 T dressing (Teriyaki sauce & Sriracha)
* 2 tablespoons nuts

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Challenge: Day 5 started out well with oatmeal, green tea, and loads of errands to keep me busy. Out and about, I really wanted myself to a latte, which has become a very rare treat for me since I gifted my fully automatic espresso maker. The dilemma, in terms of this Challenge … how do I categorize a latte? I decided to consider it a serving of protein. It’s milk-based, after all, right? That seemed reasonable.

Breakfast, lunch, and a snacks were all strictly within my pre-designated portions. I had a great lunch, using the last of the leftover balsamic chicken and steamed vegetables.

Dinner, however, was a different story. I went to a foodie dinner party, so there were lots of delicious options that perhaps didn’t quite fit the spirit of my Challenge. However, how this Challenge helped me last night was that I was very mindful of my “cheats.” I paid special attention to the fact that they were treats, and I fully enjoyed responsible portions.

Success!

We are having a lovely and much needed rain storm today in Northern California, so I am taking advantage of this time to do a little cooking and prep for the week. I’ve got vegetables washed and ready to cook. I made a Fresh Tomato Fennel Sauce that I’ll use later in the week with some chicken for a Chicken Cacciatore-like dish. I will count this sauce as a vegetable.

Fresh Fennel and Roma Tomatoes ... recipe to be posted soon

I’ve also got a lovely piece of salmon ready that I’ll cook for dinner tonight, and a small piece of beef that I’m going to marinate with something (balsamic? coffee? mustard? rosemary?) and cook tomorrow night.

Now it’s time for a gym workout. I’ll post the Fresh Tomato and Fennel Sauce recipe later.

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I started my day with 30-minutes on the cycling trainer. My schedule today at work was packed and I had errands to run after work, so no gym visit tonight. By the time I got home, I was super hungry, even after a nice sample of some Naked juice at Costco. It was a mango-carrot blend and it was goooood.

Today was about snacking, really. I had frequent small snacks, just due to my schedule. My totals for the day:

* 2 1/4 cups vegetables
* 2 cups fruit
* 2 1/2 cups protein
* 1 1/4 cup carbs
* almost 1/4 cup healthy cheese and fats
* 1 tablespoons dressing (honey)
* 3 tablespoons nuts

I am just right on some categories, a little low on others, and over only on nuts. That’s OK as far as I am concerned, because it’s all going to pretty much balance out in the end. Once I feel like I have no flexibility to have a little +/- room, then it’s over. I’ll be eating just to meet the rules and not for enjoyment. I like food. I like good, healthy food. If I feel too restricted, it takes that pleasure away and then I feel deprived. That does not work for me.

For dinner tonight, I had some beautiful wild cod with fresh fennel, tomatoes, herbs de Provence, and toasted whole wheat bread cubes.

Wild Cod with Tomatoes and Fresh Fennel

5 ounces (by weight) of fresh wild cod, cubed (about 1 cup of cubes)
1/2 cup of diced fresh fennel (about 1/4 of a medium sized bulb)
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
pinch or two of herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
slice of whole wheat bread, cubed (about 3/4 cup of bread cubes)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare all of your ingredients. Heat a good non-stick pan to medium-high and add diced fennel. Saute a few minutes just to get a little color on it. Add the fish cubes and cook the fish a bit on all sides. You don’t really have to cube the fish, you could leave it whole. I just cubed it to see how much it would take to make it a cup, because that’s how things are measured on this Challenge.

Cook the fennel and cod a few minutes until the fennel softens a bit and the fish begins to cook through.

Add the tomatoes and herbs, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for about 20 minutes.

The fish will be very flaky. The fennel and tomatoes will have softened and produced a nice broth.

While the fish is cooking, prepare your bread cubes. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan until it just starts to shimmer. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the oil. They’re probably not going to coat very evenly because there’s not much oil, but that’s fine. You’ll want them to be very light oiled and toasted.

To assemble, first place the toasted bread cubes in the bottom of your bowl.

Ladle the fish and vegetables over the bread cubes, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Admittedly not the most attractive meal I have made, but it was quite good!

Planning ahead is going to be critical for me to be successful in this Challenge, so I also started cooking tomorrow’s lunch tonight. I’ll have these cooked with hearty greens with some of the leftover chicken from last night.

Fresh crimini mushrooms to be cooked with chard, spinach, and kale greens for tomorrow's lunch.

Another busy day is ahead for tomorrow, so now it’s time for some nice warm peppermint tea with honey to help me sleep.

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Today’s Challenge was, shall we say, a bit more challenging?

I was hungry today. I was super hungry when I got home from work. My hope was to get to the gym in time for the spin class, but thanks to commute traffic and leaving work late, I missed the class by about 10 minutes. Instead, I tried 4 different aerobic machines at the gym tonight, did one easy set on the lateral pull down, and some stretching.

Today’s Menu

Breakfast (8am): 1 package TJ’s Steel Cut Oats & Quinoa
Snack (10:30am) : 1 cup carrots
Lunch (about noon): 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
Snack (about 3pm): 1/2 cup chicken salad (made with non-fat Greek yogurt) & 1 cup cherry tomatoes (counting as fruit today)
Post-work out while cooking snack (about 8pm): 1 Baby Bel light cheese
Dinner (about 8:30pm): 1 cup skinless chicken breast (marinated in a white balsamic vinaigrette) and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, 2 cups steamed veggies (asparagus & green beans)
Daily cheat (with dinner): 1 glass red wine

So I figure this is about
* 3 cups vegetables
* 1 1/2 cups fruit
* 2 1/2 cups protein
* 1 cup carbs
* 1/8 cup healthy cheese (“light”)
* 2 tablespoons dressing
* 2 tablespoons nuts

I’m now enjoying a cup of mint tea with just a touch of honey after dinner. This satisfies my post-dinner sweet tooth.

I now feel completely satisfied food-wise – even after a 90-minute workout. I admit it was a light workout, I didn’t push too much, but I worked out.

Steamed Asparagus & Green Beans (2 cups)

Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Marinated in a White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Early this morning I marinated 2 large chicken breasts in about 2 tablespoons of a prepared White Balsamic Vinaigrette. I cut each breast onto 2-3 smaller pieces (for quicker cooking). These two cooked breasts worked out to be about 3 cups of chicken chunks. This is perfect, because leftovers will be critical in my being able to keep up with food prep for this Challenge. I don’t like processed foods, so I’ll want to cook pretty much everything from scratch. That will be one of my CyclingFoodie twists on this Challenge.

To prepare the chicken – I simply cooked the pieces of chicken breast in the marinade in a non-stick pan for about 25 minutes. First on high heat, brown both side of the chicken. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook about 20 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. If you find there is a lot of liquid in the pan, you can reduce it a bit to make a little sauce. If you want to get fancy, you could deglaze the pan with a splash or two of white wine and make a very light sauce by reducing that. That would be a nice touch … maybe I’ll try that next time. I added a touch of balsamic glaze while I was reducing the residual liquid in the pan. That added a nice depth of flavor.

You can eat light and healthy, and still have lots of great flavor. I am lucky – I never really liked rich, heavy, creamy sauces. However, I do like flavorful and well-seasoned food.

While the chicken was cooking, I cleaned, trimmed, and lightly steamed my vegetables.

To serve, place the hot vegetables in a nice bowl, top with 1 cup of the chopped chicken, and drizzle with a bit of balsamic glaze. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, if desired.

 Enjoy!

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My 21 Day Challenge

I was flipping around on TV channels the other night and I came across an infomercial on the “21 Day Fix“. It said you could lose 21 pounds in 21 days. Now, I don’t have 21 pounds to lose, but I was intrigued. This plan looked like a pretty healthy balance of basic food groups. The deal is, the eating plan has portioning containers so you can measure out your foods in the designated containers. Hmm … seems healthy and easy … might be worth a try.

So, I did a little online research. I came across a website (Unlock Weight Loss) that had a review of the system. I found some basic details about the program. According to this website, based on your current weight, you determine how many servings of each food group you can have daily. There are also disks included in the program that have a variety of 30-minute workouts.

Important to note – the containers measure by fluid ounces, not by weight.

The food groups include (serving size):

• Vegetables (8 ounces)
• Fruits (8 ounces)
• Proteins (6 ounces)
• Carbohydrates (5.3 ounces)
• Healthy fats & cheeses (2.7 ounces)
• Seeds & dressings (2 ounces)
• Oils, nut butters, seed butters (teaspoons)

Based on my weight, the plan for me is to have this number of servings of each item in one day:

• 3 Vegetables
• 2 Fruits
• 4 Proteins (translates to 3 cups)
• 2 Carbohydrates (translates to about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 Healthy fats & cheeses
• 1 Seeds & dressings
• 2 Oils, nut butters, seed butters

So, I thought I’d give it a try, but with my own cyclingfoodie twist.

Day 1:  02/03/2015

Breakfast
1 package organic instant oatmeal (1 carb)

Lunch
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt, plain (1 protein)
1/4 cup frozen organic blueberries (1/4 fruit)
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (1 nuts)
1 teaspoon real maple syrup (1/6 dressing)

Afternoon Snack
1/2 cup Chicken Salad made with non-fat Greek Yogurt (1/2 protein)

Dinner
1 piece Mahi Mahi tuna (about 6 ounces) (1 protein)
1 cup Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes (1 vegetable*)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, slightly crushed (1/4 seeds)
1 1/2 cups fresh vegetables (Asparagus, Green Beans, Crimini Mushrooms) (1 1/2 vegetable)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (1 fruit)

* Although, technically, tomatoes are a fruit!

My “cheat” for the day was one glass of red wine with dinner.

The fish was super easy to prepare. Simply season the fish with a little of your favorite lemon pepper seasoning. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Add the fish and brown lightly on one side, then turn and lightly brown the other side. Let the fish cook a minute or so.  While the fish is cooking, cut your cherry tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Sprinkle with the crushed fennel seeds. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until the fish is tender and flaky.

Mahi Mahi Tuna with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes & Fennel Seeds

The tomatoes will cook down a bit and soften. Place the fish in a serving bowl and ladle the tomatoes and their juices over top of the fish.

Mahi Mahi Tuna with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes & Fennel Seeds, cooked & ready to serve.

This would be great with some fresh thyme, or other fresh herbs, but (gasp!) I was out of fresh herbs. Enjoy with a side of your favorite veggies …

Fresh Asparagus, Green Beans, & Crimini Mushrooms

So my total in terms of servings for the day:

• 2 1/2 Vegetables
•  1 1/4 Fruits
• 2 1/2 Proteins
• 1 Carbohydrates
• 0 Healthy fats & cheeses
• about 1/2 serving Seeds & dressings
• 2 T Oils, nut butters, seed butters

As you can see, I didn’t eat everything I was “allowed.” It was a low activity day for me, so this felt just about right.

So it looks like if I follow this plan, I should lose about about 5 pounds in 3 weeks. That’s just from calorie deficit, not factoring in exercise.I’m having to take it easy for a few days (doctor’s orders), but will be back to exercising in a few days. I’m sure on days I am exercising that I’ll have no problem eating the full servings! But for today, I was quite satisfied.

I won’t bore you with a complete diary of every day’s intake, but I’ll post a few recipes and follow-up now and then.