Cycling Foodie

Follow

It’s really hard to believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I’m cooking for family. It will be a pretty basic and healthy menu: Pork tenderloin. Asparagus. Green beans with mushrooms (no, not the ooey gooey casserole with canned mushroom soup and canned crunchy onions on top, but my healthy “stir-steamed” version). Roasted yams. Mom’s coleslaw. Mom is making pumpkin pie, so no dessert for me. That’s fine – I won’t have worked hard enough to earn it, so … dessert will have to wait for the weekend.

I’ll also cook something for dinner tonight and I’m thinking my seafood stew will be a hit. I’m just realizing that I have yet to post that recipe. It is a simplified version of this cioppino recipe. One of these days I will post that recipe.

Here are a few photos from my early morning walk … it was quite chilly out there in Davis this morning!

Thistles

Just my shadow and me, out for a chilly morning stroll.

Can you tell I like Autumn leaves?

Love my sunrise walks. I’m looking forward to sunrise bike rides again. Sigh…

There are lots of details to attend to before I head out for the holiday, so I’d best be getting to them. Here’s wishing you a wonderful, safe, and happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy in good health!

I am really sad that I won’t be able to ride tomorrow. It will be the first Thanksgiving in 10 years that I have not cycled in the morning. Hopefully I will be able to make up for it over the weekend!

Follow

Celebrate your independence and give thanks to all of those who have made today possible.

I celebrated today by taking a nice long ride with a friend. We met at Discovery Park and rode the American River Trail all the way to Beal’s Point in Folsom. My final distance was just over 80 miles and according to my Garmin, I burned 3,500 calories.

I do not think I took a single picture on today’s ride!

I am glad that we started fairly early and we were able to get out of Discovery Park before things got too … festive? … There were lots of inattentive pedestrians meandering along the bike trail … some of them taking up the whole width of the trail. There were lots of folks barbequing, partying, and gearing up for tonight’s fireworks. I hope you get to see them – Sacramento does a great show.

Here’s wishing you all a happy and safe Independence Day!

Follow

Last night I had some friends over for dinner. After the holidays, we’re all feeling a bit, dare I say, overindulged? However, last night was the final “holiday” party for 2014. It just had to wait until 2015 due to everyone’s schedules. So a light and healthy meal with just a touch of decadence was in order.

We had a few appetizers, the usual fresh vegetable platter, some cheese and crackers, and one experimental recipe – Roasted Crimini Mushrooms with Herbed Goat Cheese and a Balsamic Vinegar Glaze.

Roasted Crimini Mushrooms

Fresh Veggies

For the entree, I made Cioppino, mostly based on this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. I made just a few modifications, but tried to follow her recipe as closely as possible because I’ve never made Cioppino before.

Cioppino

3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
28 ounces of chopped fresh Roma tomatoes
1 1/2 cups dry white white
2 cups oyster broth
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
1 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 pounds mixed seafood: mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamari
1 1/2 pounds wild caught fresh swordfish, cut into chunks

Mis en place: assemble and prepare all of your ingredients.

In a large pot (at least 5.5 quarts), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and shallots; saute about 8-10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, wine, broths, water, and bay leaf. Stir to combine well. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to gently simmer for about 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to blend.

Add the mixed seafood, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Add the fish, stir gently, and cook another 5-10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with a good, crusty bread. This recipe makes six generous portions.

Cioppino - light, yet rich and satisfying, this Cioppino will make you want to head back for seconds.

We served a 2011 Luna Canto, which paired nicely and stood up to the spicy kick of this Cioppino.

For dessert, I made a “Paleo” Apple Crisp that I know you’ll want to try.

Follow

I wanted a dessert that would be comforting and delicious, but also on the lighter side. What could I make? There on the kitchen counter sat a bag of Granny Smith apples, staring at me, calling out, “Pick me! Pick meeeeeeeee!” Hmm … I fondly remembered my mother’s apple crisp … warm, sweet, comforting. How could I take this idea and make it a little lighter, a little healthier? I found an intriguing recipe for a Paleo Baked Apple Crisp. I followed this recipe almost exactly, except that I added the zest and juice of one lemon, a sprinkle of ginger, used butter in place of the coconut oil, and sprinkled a little extra pecans on top for extra crunch. I also covered it during part of the baking.

"Paleo" Apple Crisp

 “Paleo” Apple Crisp

6-7 Granny Smith apples
juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons raw honey, heated a little to melt, if necessary
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
a sprinkle of ground ginger

For the crumble topping:
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons finely ground pecans
2 tablespoons raw honey, heated a little to melt, if necessary
2 tablespoons butter, cut into about 1/4-inch chunks
optional: one additional tablespoon of finely ground pecans to sprinkle on top of the crumble

While the apple mixture is baking, prepare your topping. Combine all of the topping ingredients well and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel, core, and slice apples into about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Combine apples, lemon zest and juice, orange juice, honey, maple syrup, and spices in a large bowl and gently toss to combine well. Pour into a baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, then cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with crumble topping, and if desired, sprinkle with another tablespoon of finely chopped pecans. Bake another 20 minutes until the juices are nice and bubbly. Allow to cool a bit. Serve warm.

You don’t really need to serve this with whipped cream or ice cream, and that kind of undoes the healthy aspect, but it was still a celebration and everything else was pretty healthy, so we whipped up a little heavy cream with some vanilla sugar and homemade Southern Comfort vanilla extract (“vintage” 2010).

"Paleo" Apple Crisp with Southern Comfort Vanilla Scented Whipped Cream

Enjoy!

Follow

Roasted Crimini Mushrooms with Herbed Goat Cheese & Balsamic Glaze

These are quite simple to make. Rinse and pat dry your mushrooms. Remove the stems and set aside for another use. Drizzle the mushroom caps with a little olive oil and salt, and place stem side down in a roasting dish. Roast in a preheated oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. You can prepare these a day ahead and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

To make the herbed goat cheese, you’ll want to use a good quality plain goat cheese, such as Laura Chenel Chevre. Blend the cheese with a splash or two of good olive oil and your choice of freshly chopped herbs. I used fresh thyme and rosemary, a classic combination, in my opinion. Use just enough olive oil to get a smooth, creamy consistency that you’ll be able to pipe into the mushroom caps.

To assemble, gently pat the mushrooms dry to remove excess moisture. Using a pastry bag*, pipe the cheese into the mushroom caps. Arrange the mushrooms on a platter and drizzle with a balsamic glaze. I like this one from Trader Joe’s.

If you have leftover herbed goat cheese, this is also lovely on bread or crackers.

* If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a zip-top plastic bag with a corner snipped off.

Follow

The day looks deceptively beautiful, but the air this morning was thick and cold. Not a good combination for breathing. My guess is that lots of fireplaces are going, lots of people are driving, and recent winds all coupled with the lack of rain are contributing to poor air quality. So, it was an indoor ride for me today. Thank goodness for the trainer!

After 90 minutes, I was thirsty, hungry, and craving something super healthy.  What I really wanted was a Magenta Mystery Smoothie, but I had no purple cabbage. So, here’s what I made.

Purple Smoothie

1 1/2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup dark cherries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 raspberries
1/2 cup red grapes
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup apricot chunks
1/2 cup papaya chunks

Measure water into a large capacity blender, such as a Vitamix. Add the fruit. Start on low speed, then increase to high and blend until smooth. For a thicker smoothie either use frozen fruit or add ice cubes and blend until smooth.

Makes enough for one large or two medium smoothies packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

Enjoy in good health!

Now it’s time to get ready for tonight’s dinner party! The last of the holiday splurges, but with healthy enough treats to meet at least most New Year’s Resolutions.

Follow

Hi Everyone!

It’s that time of year again – New Year’s Eve!

If you find yourself out and about and not in condition to get yourself (and your friends) home safely, please remember that The American Automobile Association (AAA) is again running their holiday Free Tipsy Tow Home service for New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day morning for anyone in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. If you’re drinking and don’t think you should drive, give them a call.

Write the number down and keep it in your car’s glove box:

800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP)

Just tell the AAA operator, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a truck will be on its way.

You (or your friends) do not need to be AAA members – this service is available to anyone in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. For full information, please click here.

If you’re not in Northern California, Nevada, or Utah, there are lots of other Sober Ride options all over the country, so please, keep yourself, your friends, and everyone in your path safe. Call for a Sober Ride.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy, joyous, fun, safe, delicious and healthy New Year! I see lots of cycling opportunities in 2015 – hope you can join me in some of them.

Follow

Just a quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas Eve and to share just a few appetizer ideas for the holiday.

Veggies with Homemade Blue Cheese Dip (low fat!)

Smoked Salmon Wraps (low fat!)

Assorted Treats (not low fat!)

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (not low fat, but loaded with dark chocolate & espresso & therefore lots of antioxidants!)

Follow

I don’t think these could be easier to make. Melt some dark chocolate, stir until smooth, dip your favorite pretzels, set on a parchment paper lined tray, bedazzle with your favorite holiday sprinkles, allow them to cool until the chocolate is set. This is a great “recipe” to try with kids!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Enjoy!

The most challenging part of this recipe is melting the chocolate. Follow the directions on the package. If you want super super easy, just use chocolate chips. Place them in a microwavable bowl and heat on low power for 2 or 3 minutes, then check them. Stir, and if necessary, return them to the microwave until they’re melted and smooth. Depending on how many chips you’re melting, this could take another minute or more. You can do 30 to 60-seconds each additional time, just be sure to keep a careful eye on this because the chocolate can go from perfect to scorched very quickly.