Cycling Foodie

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Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm …

Cloud Forest Cafe in Davis makes a wonnnnnnnnnnnderful latte!

More pics from the Market to come later.

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They’re usually up to something …

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going, and the insight to know when you’re going too far.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 Lá Fhéile Pádraig Shona!

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… would be a perfect day to stay home and make bread …

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I’m hoping to get at least one ride in this weekend, but the weather isn’t looking too good. That’s OK, we really need the rain.

Maybe a rainy hike, instead? That could be fun!

La-la-la-latte!

One thing is for certain, there will be some good healthy food. I guess one good thing about a rainy Saturday morning is that it’s a perfect excuse to head off to a local coffee shop on the way to the Farmers’ Market.

A few foodie plans for the weekend …

Tilapia with Pesto and salad – the tilapia is a nice lean protein, and just a hint of pesto makes it seem decadent.

Pork Roast, maybe with roasted fingerlings, roasted brussel sprouts, or curried roasted vegetables … this cool, rainy weather just calls for some hearty, warming foods.

Maybe even a restaurant adventure …

Hearty doesn’t have to mean heavy, rich, or unhealthy. Roasting vegetables with a touch of olive oil brings out a rich sweetness in many vegetables. Toss them with a little curry powder and you have a super healthy, hearty, and warming addition to any meal.

I think I need to go play in the rain a little before it gets dark.

Is it Friday yet?

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If you find yourself with leftovers from the sausage, rice, and greens, it’s super easy to make a simple, hearty soup by just adding the sausage, rice, and greens to some chicken stock and heat it through.

Voila! Dinner is served.

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This follows up on last night’s post. My colleague requested recipes, so here you go.

First step is to get the rice started. I have a fantastic rice cooker; that’s my rice secret. I admit that I have no idea how to cook rice on a stove top. I used the Lundberg Sweet Brown Rice, a short grain sticky brown rice. Here is a link to the Lundberg Family Farms website that includes information on their sweet brown rice as well as cooking directions: http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/bulk_rice/Organic_Brown_Sweet_Rice_-_25_lbs.aspx

I never use butter, as this recipe calls for, but it would probably taste very good.

Next, prepare the bacon. I use the Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ends & Pieces, which sells for just $2.99 at TJs (http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=260). It is usually thick cut and (for bacon) pretty lean. Depending on the thickness and size of the bacon strip, I use 2 to 3 pieces for one bunch of greens. I trim off any extra fat and cut the lean parts into about 1/2-inch strips, then cook all of it in a large skillet (one large enough to cook the greens). I do cook the pieces of fat with the lean because I’ve found it just cooks better that way. I cook it, then drain it on paper towels. I separate out the pieces of fat and set them aside for a special four-legged friend of mine who occasionally gets a treat when his coach allows it. He’s a pretty athletic guy and needs to have some fat in his diet for his coat, but coach says not too much.

While the bacon is cooking, wash the greens and set them to drain on a towel. I used organic kale – a combination of your typical curly leafed kale and dino kale. You can also use the Trader Joe’s Souther Greens blend. It’s a ready-to-cook mix of mustard, turnip, and collard greens. You really can use whatever hearty, dark leafy greens you like for this recipe.

Then, cook the sausage. I used Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Sun-dried Tomato Basil (only 110 calories per sausage!). I placed the sausage in a non-stick saute pan with a bit of water, covered it, and cooked it on medium heat until the sausage was heated through and most of the water was gone. You could certainly serve the sausage whole, but I liked to slice it and brown it a little. If you want, you can add a little olive oil to the saute pan or spray the pan with a non-stick spray. Simply brown the sausage a little on each side. Keep it warm while you cook the greens.

While the sausage is cooking, cut the greens. I usually cut them into about 1 to 1/2-inch strips, depending on the size of the leaves. Use the bacon pan, but be sure to wipe out the excess bacon fat before cooking the greens. A little is OK, and a lot might taste good, but … it won’t make you feel very good to eat all of that. Add just a bit of olive oil to the skillet and heat it until hot, but NOT smoking. Add the greens, sprinkle the cooked bacon over top, and cover. Cook on medium-high heat until the greens just start to wilt. This will only take a few minutes. Then pour a bit of chicken stock over the greens and heat through. How much stock you use really depends on how much liquid you want. Sorry to be vague, but … I guess that’s just how I cook. Cook the greens until they are just tender. You really do not want to overcook greens because they can become bitter.

To serve, I used a large shallow bowl (or deep plate?), scooped a bit of rice on one side, greens on the other, arranged some sausage on top, then drizzled some of the liquid from the greens over the greens and rice. You can season to taste with salt and pepper, or you can drizzle some hot sauce on the dish. I like the Trader Joe’s Chili Pepper Sauce. For my tastes, it has a nice balance of heat and flavor.

Enjoy!

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Today was kind of a long day back at work, so a warm, healthy dinner was just the right thing.

This will warm you up and get you ready to face tomorrow!

Trader Joe’s Chicken & Sundried Tomato Sausage

Wilted Kale (with just a touch of bacon)

Sweet Brown Rice

Drizzled with Hot Sauce

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I’d have to say that this weekend was pretty wonderful. I rode both Saturday and Sunday. I went to the Davis Farmers’ Market for the first time in ages. I had some great, healthy food, enjoyable company, and beautiful weather.

Saturday’s Farmers’ Market was quite busy! Came home with lots of healthy treats – Pink Lady & Fuji apples, brussel sprouts, salad greens, broccoli, mandarins, pistachios & pistachio butter … At the Davis CoOp, restocked on sweet brown and Emperor’s rices, got some grilled tri tip, and other goodies. A limequat! I have never seen or heard of limequats before. Apparently, it is a cross between a key lime and a kumquat. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe tonight.

Brussel Sprouts

Kiwi

Grilled Tri Tip Wrap

The tri tip wrap is simply some brown rice, a little sliced tri tip, a few salad greens and veggies, in a whole wheat wrap. It’s a great way to use up some leftovers.

Then a nice walk before sunset …

Lady Luck is with me again!

Then a relaxing dinner …

Marinated Turkey Breast, with Steamed Brussel Sprouts & Broccoli, and Emperor's Rice

A Simple Salad with Fresh Salad Greens, Radishes, Tomatoes, and a Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

And this morning, a super healthy pre-ride breakfast which gave me the energy to take on a hill I was a little afraid of …

Steel Cut Oats, Pistachio Butter, Bananas, Blueberries, and Honey

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Top of Cardiac Hill, March 11, 2012

This is the first time I have ever made it all the way to the top of this hill. A few years ago, when I was in much better cycling shape, I got very close, but never quite made it for one reason or another.

Today I rode with a friend from DBC. We started out near Lake Solano and rode together up to the dam. Then we split so we could each ride at our respective paces, mine being quite a bit slower, especially up the hill. This was perfect for me because I could ride at a pace that was comfortable for me, without embarrassing myself and not feel like I was ruining anyone else’s ride by not keeping up. We timed the ride so that I had one hour to get to the top from the dam. I plodded along steadily up from the dam, and enjoyed a few brief downhills, then “Cardiac Hill” starts a steady climb that’s about 2 miles long. It’s just past Markley Cove. I made it from the dam to the top of Cardiac Hill in about 40-45 minutes. I stopped briefly, snapped a few photos, then headed back down towards Markley Cove. I spun around for a few moments, then headed back up the hill. Maybe 1/4 of the way back up, we passed and I rode up a little more, then turned around and we rode back down together. I am looking forward to getting a lot stronger again this summer, learning some better cycling technique, and perhaps even getting some new equipment.

For more advanced cyclists, Cardiac Hill isn’t that big of a deal, but for me … this was quite an accomplishment.

Then we stopped for coffee and a quick bite at Steady Eddie’s in Winters.

OK, I guess it’s time to go start doing some chores and getting ready for the work week.