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!
Couscous Salad
I got a few good rides in this weekend. Saturday about 50 miles, and Sunday 68 miles. I was looking for a simple, quick, and healthy dinner last night to refresh and refuel for the week. I wanted a salad, but something a bit more substantial, but still light. Hmm … what could be more simple than couscous? If you can boil water, stir, and wait 5 minutes, you can cook couscous.
To make this salad, prepare some Couscous, plain or your favorite flavor. Toss in some veggies and herbs … here I used peas, edamame, fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and some extra virgin olive oil. I used a packaged pine nut flavor couscous, so I did not add any salt, but if you’re using plain couscous, you’ll want to add some salt. Serve this on top of a bed of fresh baby greens and arugula, some fresh tomatoes and avocado, and you have a healthy, light dinner perfect for a hot summer night. And, it makes for great lunch leftovers, too!
This would be great with a light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Rose.
Enjoy!
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
Medium Rare
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.
As we head into this holiday weekend …
Here’s hoping you get lots of chances to ride!
Have a safe & happy 4th of July!
I hereby declare 2013 to be Yolo County's Year of the Sunflower.
It is an absolutely gorgeous morning for a ride. With temperatures expected to reach well over 100-degrees today, I hope you have a chance to get out early on your bike. If you’re out there riding in the heat, please remember to stay well hydrated.
Heading into a 3-day work week … a very happy Monday, indeed!
If you're in the Davis / Woodland / Winters area you're in for a Tour de Sunflower. They're in full bloom - still bright & full.
I hope you have a chance to ride on this absolutely glorious morning. There’s a light breeze, lots of sunshine, and if you ride early today it won’t be too hot. All in all, I’d say it’s a perfect day for a ride!
Enjoy!
Just a few scenes from yesterday’s ride …
Can you find the honey bee?
Along the country roads between Davis and Woodland
The honey bees are very active right now.
Fields and fields of captured sunshine
Don't you wish you could bottle that sunshine?
Do be mindful of the honey bees if you’re cycling near these fields. They are very active right now foraging for pollen, but honey bees will only sting if they feel threatened. If you stop to take photos, the bees will leave you alone, but if they do fly by they’re just checking you out to see if you’re a threat. Just calmly leave and you should be fine. This is when it’s good to have a zoom lens so you don’t have to get too close. Besides, you really don’t want to trespass in someone’s field; that’s just impolite and unsafe.
It’s another lovely morning here in Davis. Finals are in full swing and by this time next week there will be lots and lots of easy parking on campus.
I hope you get the chance to get out on your bike today and enjoy this simply gorgeous weather! I enjoyed 15.5 miles this morning on my pre-work ride and hope to grab a few miles after work, too.
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