Cycling Foodie

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The Napa Valley Tour de Cure is just 6 weeks from tomorrow.

Six weeks?!

Please help me to reach my goal of being a Champion! To make a donation, please click here.

I got a little 65-mile training ride in today on the American River Trail. I took a wrong turn past Nimbus Fish Hatchery and ended up on this side of the path, near the Aquatic Center.

American River Trail, near the Aquatic Center

The water is so low right now. We really need rain, but I was thankful for some nice cycling weather today.

American River Trail, near the Aquatic Center

I haven’t been on this side of Hazel Road very often the past few years, but I used to live and ride over this way almost daily.

American River Trail, headed back towards Nimbus Fish Hatchery

I’ve got to make the most of this weekend and this beautiful weather because the next few weeks are going to be crazy hectic busy with too many other things. Thank goodness for the trainer set up in the living room which makes grabbing a quick workout in the morning possible!

I broke out my special ride treats for today …

I pretty much love Honey Stinger anything on a ride or hike.

I am excited to have some work done on my Colnago this week – new gears, chain, tires, and all that stuff.  The guys at Mike’s Velo City in Winters will get her in perfect shape for the big day!

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The day started on the bike trainer … just a quick 30-minute session. Then work. Then traffic. Then a quick ride to Old Town Sac and back. Then a super healthy and yummy and light dinner …

Rock Cod Poached with White Wine & Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes & Fennel Seeds, Asparagus & Green Beans, & Sprouted Rice. Healthy, light, comforting, and delicious. This picture does not do it justice!

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I am so happy that Mike’s Velo City in Winters works on Campy components.

I need to replace a bunch of stuff on my Colnago. I love my Campy shifters, but I’m learning it can be hard to find shops that have the equipment to work on them. I don’t want to go back to the shop where the bike came from (they’ll remain nameless) because they’ve been pretty rude and elitist when I’ve go in there.

The guys at Velo City in Winters have always been really nice and very helpful whenever I’ve gone in there. A few years ago I took my Trek in for a tune up and they did a great job. They’ve helped me out a few times in the past few years when I’ve been out on a ride and something stupid goes wrong with my bike. They fixed it, they charged a fair price, and they have always been really nice about it. This is the kind of local shop I love to support.

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Last night I had the pleasure of meeting some very lovely young ladies and had the opportunity to do a cooking demonstration for a local girl scout troop. It was so much fun! These young ladies displayed wonderful teamwork and enthusiasm. It was truly a joy to meet them and their moms.

We made teriyaki chicken, stir steamed mixed veggies, and rice. The young ladies did a wonderful job preparing and cooking a delicious meal.

The one thing I forgot was my camera, so I don’t have any good pictures. Next time!

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Need an official taste tester?

Steel Cut Oats with Greek Yogurt, Blueberries, and Pecans

This should fuel me through a few miles: 1/2 cup cooked steel cut oats, 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 12 dried blueberries, and 8 pecans.

I accidentally bought “regular” Greek yogurt yesterday, rather than my usual fat free, so I’m going to have to be even a bit more mindful about portions on this. It’s good, but I’d still rather have the fat free because it’s got twice the protein and about half the calories. I’m not a fat-free diet advocate (we need healthy fat in our diets), but I’m not a big fan of too much dairy fat.

Yeesh … did I screw up this challenge already? Not to worry … I have a feeling that my furry friend here will be happy to help me finish this yogurt.

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The new challenge begins … officially tomorrow. Each morning as I work out on the trainer, I’ve been watching lots of You Tube videos about these challenges. I’m learning some things I didn’t get right on my previous challenge (duh, instant oatmeal*) and getting some ideas on how to better come up with my own plan that will work for me. I’ll keep working on recipes and ideas and posting them. Part of this challenge for me is to make sure I’m blogging. I get so busy with work that sometimes the last thing I want to do is to come home and use a computer.

* That said, I will always keep some organic instant oatmeal on hand, especially at work, because it’s a lot less unhealthy than a lot of other options. … like running to the Coffee House and grabbing a scone.

It’s a lovely day outside and I’m thinking it’s time to head out for a ride. It’s training time! The 2015 Napa Valley Tour de Cure is just 8 weeks away. I am very far away from my fundraising goal. Please consider making a donation to my ride. It’s a great cause!

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There are lots of ways to make vegetable lasagna, but this is one of my favorites.

Simply take your favorite lasagna recipe and make a few modifications. Don’t have a favorite recipe? Then just use the one that’s on the box of lasagna noodles and make a few changes:

• To your tomato sauce, add shredded carrots, eggplant, fresh fennel, and zucchini; add sliced fresh mushrooms and chopped fresh tomatoes.  Saute the vegetables just to soften a bit, then add the sauce and simmer until the flavors combine – at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. If you have a few fresh basil leaves, that would be great, too. Just tear them up a bit and add to the sauce while it’s simmering.
• Use ground lean turkey instead of ground beef or fatty sausages. For a little extra flavor, add some crushed fennel seeds and red chile flakes. while you’re cooking the ground turkey. I like to cook the meat in with the tomato sauce, but some recipes call for the meat to be added in a separate layer.
• For the cheese filling – substitute fat free cottage cheese for ricotta cheese, add spinach.
• Use reduced fat cheeses, and go easy on the amount of cheese you add – you’ll be surprised at how much you don’t miss it! I put most of the mozzarella on top just to give it the illusion of cheesiness.

These simple changes will lighten up your lasagna. It’s also a great way to get vegetables to those who don’t care for vegetables.

Your sauce will be chunky - full of lean ground turkey and healthy vegetables!

So I guess it is true … you can have your lasagna and eat it, too!

Enjoy a lightened up version of lasagna!

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My 21-Day Challenge did not produce a 5-pound weight loss, but it did get me focused on portion sizes and thinking more about what I’m eating. Overall I have pretty good “diet” habits anyway, and that made doing a challenge like this pretty painless. Would I have seen the weight loss had I followed the 21-Day Fix exactly? Probably. Would I spend the money on the program? Probably not. However, do I think it would be worthwhile to buy if I needed to make more drastic changes to my overall diet? Probably.

Will I continue on this Foodie Exploration to eat lots of vegetables and lean proteins and developing new recipes in this spirit? Absolutely!

So, I’ll be heading into the next three weeks continuing to focus on healthy eating habits and exercise. With the upcoming time change, I’m hoping I’ll be able to grab a quick ride in the morning before work.

Speaking of cycling … it’s an unexpectedly beautiful morning. I was hoping for some much needed rain this weekend, but it’s not looking like that’s going to happen. I’m heading out for a quick ride and then will be putting together a vegetable lasagna – something I have not made in years! It will be loaded with vegetables (carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, fresh tomatoes, and zucchini), non-fat cottage cheese (instead of ricotta), and part-skim mozzarella. Super lean ground turkey with some fennel seeds, herbs, and chili flakes for a little homemade sausage flavor. A bit of a healthier twist on classic lasagna and a great way to get those folks who don’t like vegetables to eat them.

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Today was a different kind of challenge because I was cooking for family and wanted to make a meal they’d all like, but would also fit within my Challenge. Well, for the most part fit the Challenge.

The menu:

Stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken Provencal
Shrimp with Spinach and Mushrooms
Stir-Steamed Vegetables
Pasta with just a drizzle of olive oil
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

The stuffed mushrooms weren’t really on the Challenge, because they were made with full fat cheese, but I figure they didn’t have that much filling, so two small ones would be sort of OK. Next time I make them I will try a reduced fat cream cheese and I think add some sun dried tomatoes for color.

Stuffed Mushrooms

They’re easy to make. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean 12 large crimini mushrooms. Simply pop the stems out of the caps and trim and discard the cut end. Chop the stems finely, then saute in a little olive oil with some fresh garlic. Cook until the excess liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool. Blend about 4 ounces of cream cheese (preferably light), about 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, about 1/4 teaspoon each paprika, black pepper, and onion powder. When the mushroom and garlic mixture has cooled, mix this in to the cheese mixture. Make a little well in the mushroom cap, scooping out the soft, fleshy center. Just barely scrape – you want to maintain the integrity of the mushroom cap. Evenly divide the cheese mixture into the mushroom caps and gently press down to fill the cap and even out the top. Bake about 20 minutes, remove from oven, and top with just a touch more Parmesan cheese. Increase heat to broil, then return the mushrooms to the oven for a few minutes just to brown the tops a bit. Be careful – these can quickly go from perfect to burnt!

Chicken Provencal

For the Chicken Provencal, marinate a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a little white wine, olive oil, and herbs de Provence. Marinate at least a few hours or best if overnight. You will want to slice each breast into two or three thinner pieces before marinating. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a heavy bottomed skillet on high and pour in no more than 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. When the pan is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and add one piece at a time to the skillet. Reserve the marinade. Brown the chicken a little on each side. Cook a few minutes on medium-high heat, then add about 1 cup of white wine and cook until it’s reduced by about half, then top with chopped fresh tomatoes – I like to use heirloom cherry tomatoes because they’re delicious and easy to work with. Use about 1 cup of the cut tomatoes per breast of chicken. Then add the marinade to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is tender and fully cooked (about 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick you’ve cut your chicken). Season to taste with salt and pepper. We enjoyed this with a little pasta, but it would be equally good with rice, or just on its own.

Shrimp with Heirloom Red Spinach and Crimini Mushrooms

The Shrimp with Spinach and Mushrooms could hardly be any easier. Saute sliced mushrooms until they just begin to soften, then add fresh spinach. Cover and allow to steam until the spinach begins to wilt. Clean and devein the shrimp, saute in a non-stick pan, turning each shrimp just once. Add the cooked spinach and mushrooms to the pan, give a gentle stir to combine well. Cover and allow to cook on low for a few minutes, careful to not overcook the shrimp (they’ll get tough). Season to taste with salt and pepper. I have a feeling that bacon would add great flavor to this, but … not so great for the Challenge!

Stir-Steamed Veggies - asparagus, broccolette, carrots, green beans

The Stir-Steamed Vegetables … see here for the method.

The cookies … clearly are not on the Challenge, but it’s Sunday Dinner with Family, so …

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe I have been working on and it’s showing great promise.

I got a quick ride in this morning, and was hoping that I had had time for more, but then it got super windy in the afternoon, so I was thankful that I was not out in that.

Hope you had a great weekend!