Cycling Foodie

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Why is it that when I am in serious need of some comfort food I often turn to curry? Probably because curry powder is flavorful, warming, and has oodles of health and mood-boosting benefits.

Chicken Curry with Cauliflower, Peas, and Rice Medley

This can be a super easy weeknight dinner to prepare. I had some leftover cooked chicken, fresh cauliflower florets, frozen peas, a little chicken stock, and cooked rice. I like it a little spicy, so I also add some cayenne pepper to my curry powder.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Slice the cauliflower into about 1/4-inch slices and saute on medium-high heat in a pre-heated wok with a little oil. Sprinkle your favorite curry powder and cayenne (if desired) over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Add the chicken to the cauliflower and add the stock*. Add the hot rice and stir to combine well. Reduce to low and allow to simmer gently. Meanwhile heat the peas – about 2 minutes on high in the microwave should do it. Add the peas and stir gently to combine.

*You can add a little flour to the stock and make a slurry if you want to thicken your sauce a bit. 

We have been having some glorious rain in Davis this week. Last night’s storm was impressive and off and on today we had some intense rain showers and wind. The air was so clean and fresh this morning it was delightful. I am looking forward to getting some good cycling in this weekend!

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Pre-work rides make all the difference in the world … in my world, anyway. How about yours?

A little chilly, a whole lot beautiful sunrise ride between Davis and Woodland.

I still love, love, love this bike.

Exercise is a well-researched and proven way to effectively deal with stresses that everyday life can bring. Why not start your day a super healthy invigorating stress relieving bike ride?

All that, and you can eat more yummy stuff, too. It’s a win-win. Yes?

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Here are a few scenes from my ride today.

A beautiful spring-like day here.

Sweet, fragrant almond blossoms along Putah Creek Road.

The morning started out so calm and in just a few hours there was this crazy wind. That will teach me to wait too long to get out on the road in the morning, huh? 56 miles total and most of it either into a headwind or fighting a strong side wind. It was worth it, though, for those few miles with a sweet tailwind.

That made for a pretty good training ride. I was hoping to ride a longer distance today, but with the wind this was enough. It’s been wonderful cycling before work again. I know we need more rain, but I’m sure enjoying cycling again. Yesterday 62 miles. Tomorrow … who knows how many?

Dinner tonight was a simple salad of greens, avocado, and tomato with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I had a small piece of a lean cut of beef that had marinated overnight in coffee, balsamic vinegar, and a little olive oil. I quickly pan fried the little steaks, then allowed them to rest while I made some mushroom gravy. It was very low fat – I used the leftover marinade as the base of the sauce and added some beautiful oyster mushrooms. I made a light slurry of chicken stock with a bit of flour to thicken the sauce and some fresh thyme to brighten it up a bit. It was very flavorful, but low fat. I made some smashed potatoes (basically mashed potatoes with the skin still on them!) to have with the gravy. The potatoes were also low fat – made with a bit of low fat milk and no butter.

The meat was a very lean piece of beef and kind of tough even after marinating overnight. Sliced very thin, however, it was quite flavorful and tender. The leftovers will be a perfect addition to a post-ride salad tomorrow.

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Remember … some of the best things that you can do for your heart are to exercise, eat well, and be happy.

So, here’s wishing you a happy, heart-healthy Valentines Day! I hope you have the chance to ride today!

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It’s time for pre-work rides again. Finally!

Between Davis and Woodland. I am loving the cool, fresh air!

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We still need more rain and snow, but I am so thankful for a lovely weekend to get some good cycling in. Yesterday was beautiful and today promises to be even better!

Along Seivers Road between Winters and Dixon. Spring is here already!

We enjoyed a nice caffeine stop mid-ride.

Cappuccino & Espresso at a favorite rest stop, Steady Eddy’s in Winters.

Post ride I made a spicy fish stew that made for a perfect dinner. Served here with some short grain brown rice, lightly stir fried mixed baby greens (mix from the Farmer’s Market), and garnished with a bit of Chevre cheese. I posted a similar recipe a few months ago.

This batch was about half seafood (two types of cod) and half chicken Andouille sausage. It was super spicy because I did not adjust the chili flakes (oops) to account for the spicy sausage. The Chevre cheese helped to temper the heat a bit and added just a bit of richness.

Spicy Fish Stew with Chicken Andouille Sausage, Greens, and Brown Rice.

Yesterday I logged about 65 miles on my Colnago and today I hope to ride even a little more. I’ve got to get out and ride, ride, ride to get myself ready for the 2016 Tour de Cure. I’m striving for Champion Status again this year. Please help  me to reach this goal by making a donation to support my ride. Simply click here to go to my personal Tour de Cure page.

Here’s wishing you a fabulous weekend!

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It was a pretty breezy day today, with 20+mph winds on my ride. As you may recall from previous posts, in these here parts we call these winds the “Davis Hills.” I managed to get in over 43 miles total: 14 solo and 29 with my cycling partner. Most of the ride there was either a brutal head wind or side wind. Oh, but for a few miles there was a very sweet tail wind!

Saturday was a much better day weather-wise for cycling, but I had other commitments, so I only got about 15 miles in. Oh, but it felt soo good! I have not been getting nearly enough cycling in and the trainer has proven to be more difficult to get situated than expected. Tomorrow morning will be my first ride on the trainer.

We had some very dramatic clouds this weekend – this was Saturday.

This morning I made a scramble with loads of wild mushrooms, some fresh stir fry greens, chicken Andouille sausage, eggs, and just a touch of light Irish cheddar cheese.

Wild Mushrooms, Chicken Andouille Sausage, and Greens ready for the scramble.

Served with some fresh fruit, whole grain toast … this will power you through those headwinds!

With the recent cold, rainy weather, I’ve been playing with some serious comfort food … this was last weekend …

Espresso & Stout Lamb Stew served with Colcannon – perfect on a cold night!

If you haven’t tried Colcannon, consider making some. It’s basically perfect mashed potatoes with some lightly steamed fresh greens mixed in. A little milk, butter, and garlic if you want. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed and steamed in just enough water so that by the time the potatoes were done most of the excess water had evaporated. Add a splash of hot milk and a pat of Irish butter and whip together with a wooden spoon to make perfect mashed potatoes, then fold in some gently steamed mixed greens (baby kale, spinach, and chard), salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! Here’s wishing you many happy and healthy miles!

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Yesterday was cold, wet, and windy. Today was glorious. The air was clean and fresh, the sun was warm, and the breeze was gentle. It was perfect weather for an afternoon ride. Overall, this was a pretty good weekend!

I enjoyed a rare trip to the Davis Farmer’s Market.

Romanesco Broccoli … something about the light here really caught my eye.

I had a craving for lamb, so I picked up a nice piece at my local Costco. I marinated it in some coffee, herbs, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. I cooked a bit of it last night and served it with spinach fettuccine, a rustic charred heirloom tomato sauce, and wild mushrooms.

Rustic Lamb Hunter-Style Pasta Dish … what would you call this? It was amazing.

The photo does not even begin to do this dish justice. If I may say so myself, it truly was at least as good as any dish I’ve had in any restaurant.

The rest of the lamb marinated overnight and is now in a pot of Irish Lamb Stew made with Stout and Coffee. It smells delicious. I’ll be serving it shortly on a bed of Colcannon (simply smashed Yukon Gold potatoes with some baby kale mixed in). Photos to follow.

Sláinte!

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Well, I have been asking for rain and here it is and has been for days. I’m not complaining – California desperately needs this rain. However, I am looking forward to the fancy new trainer that is on its way. Now the question is … which bike do I hook up to the trainer?

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Please be safe out there. If you’re imbibing, please do not drive. If you’re driving, please do not imbibe.

Write this 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.

I hope to see you out there cycling in 2016!