Tour de Scottsdale

This last weekend, while visiting family in Scottsdale, AZ, I had the opportunity to ride in the Tour de Scottsdale which is a 70 or 30 mile ride around the area. I did the 70 mile version and when I had the opportunity to look around it was really quite beautiful. I say when I had the opportunity because most of my attention was focussed on the wheel in front of me or on the guys on either side of me. It was a pretty intense race. But the funny part is that it wasn't a race. It was a fundraiser. If you ever want a fundraiser to turn into a race, log people's time.

Here is a quick snapshot of the ride:

My brother-in-law, who rode in the race-er-ride with me, and I left the house at 5:45 am. Yes, you read that correctly. The starting line was only a mile or so from his house and parking was supposedly a nightmare so we rode our bikes. It took no time and we showed up in plenty of time to get him registered for the 30 mile ride and find our respective corrals. I was placed in the first corral because I stated I intended to ride faster than 23 mph when I registered. I honestly had no idea how fast I would ride, I just threw that number out there but hey, 1st corral is good, less people to pass.

The clock struck 6:30 and the horn announced the beginning of the race/ride. we shot off like a dart along a narrow street that had several sections of cones as it winded to the main road. There was lots of shouting "CONES!" as people did their best to ride fast and not hit them. One person ignored the cones and rode on the other side. in a race this probably would have been a bigger deal but again, this is a fundraiser, not a race. once we hit the main road everyone really picked up the pace. I stuck with the main pack for about the first 10 miles until I just couldn't keep up that speed. We were going up hill at about 22 miles per hour. seriously.

I dropped down to about 19 miles per hour and waited for the next group so I could grab on. When riding in a group there is a huge draft benefit. the people in front are getting hit with the direct force of the air, the people behind them are able to work a lot less because the air is being shifted to the sides and you are riding in the front rider's draft. It's like a mini vacuum just for you. This is the logic behind pelatons. The only problem with this is that you have to stick right to the guys tire in front of you. The more distance between you the less draft, the harder you work. So here you are, riding some guys ass that you have never met or ridden with before. You can only imagine how dangerous this can be and there were a number of times where one person braked and the wave of braking behind them almost caused several people to crash. when you are going 20 or even 30mph, this is a pretty scary moment.

Nevertheless, there I was riding draft for 60 or so miles of the tour. The second group lost me around the 30th mile and the 3rd group started to break up into smaller groups once we hit some serious rollers. around to 50th mile. Then I could start to look around and it was really a nice area to be able to take in the scenery. We were int he foothills so there were times when the views were more panoramic and other times when all you could see was a lush desert-scape on either side of the road.

Overall the ride was pretty great. I finished in 192th place out of over 827 riders (not bad for a guy who has only been on a road bike for a little over a year) and my average time was 21.7 mph (also not bad considering there was 3000 feet of elevation gain).

I am also super stoked that I got to spend time doing something fun with my brother-in-law. He is a great guy and we usually only get to bond in the kitchen (He is an awesome cook).

And if all that wasn't enough, I got myself a brand new bike while I was in Scottsdale :) I bought a 2013 Cervélo which I have been eyeing for months!

This is it at the store :)

All in all, I would say it was a fantastic trip!

Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction

I love brussels sprouts. This was not always the case. When I was a kid, I remember them being cooked to death and smashed with butter. This was better than without butter but they were still bitter and NOT kid approved.

In the last few years, I have really learned to enjoy them. I still don't like them boiled and mashed but there are plenty of other delicious ways to prepare them.  At a local restaurant the burn them in a skillet, probably cast iron, and serve them with shashito peppers. My personal favorite is at a place in santa cruz where they deep fry them and serve them with a red wine reduction.

This recipe tries to take a little from both of those. I grilled them and served them with a balsamic reduction I had on hand. Here is the recipe:

2 handfuls of brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half or quarters
1 T olive oil
salt
pepper
Balsamic reduction

Preheat grill to high
In a bowl, place your cleaned and split brussels sprouts
coat in olive oil, salt and pepper
Grill on all sides for 2-3 minutes per side.
move to less hot section of grill and let continue to cook for 5-10 minutes
Remove from grill
drizzle with balsamic to taste (don't over do it. you can always add more) and serve hot.

Black Rice Pilaf

Credit for this recipe goes to our friends Matt and Greg.

We went to their house a while back for dinner and had a delicious salmon, salad, and black rice pilaf. I hadn't had black rice pilaf before and didn't know what to expect. Let's just say I had thirds and asked for the ingredients before I left. Thanks Guys :)

This is my best attempt at recreating it:

1 c. black rice (I prefer organic)
2 c. water
1/2 t. salt

1 T olive oil
1 T white balsamic
8 dates delget noor dates (3-4 medjool)
1 small shallot, diced
1/4 c. chopped almonds or pumpkin seeds

Cook the rice according to package directions with water and salt. Once cooked combine cooked rice with remaining ingredients. Adjust salt, oil, and vinegar to your tastes.

Enjoy.

Breakfast!

One of my big issues with working out before work is that it makes breakfast really hard to get down. I need to have a recovery shake right after I work out and then I need to have some kid of carb rich breakfast that is not comprised of processed foods. I have tried several things in the past and I always just end up going to the cafe and getting a mediocre omelette and some hash browns for $5. Not a bad price or flavor but they usually use too much oil on the hash browns and it is really hard to control portions. So what I have decided to do this week is to make up some roasted potatoes with scrambled egg. Now I know I am getting 6oz of potato per serving, which is only lightly coated in olive oil and 2 eggs with a smidge of butter used to coat the pan.

Super easy and it should last (I am sure it will freeze fine if I need to).

This recipe makes 4 servings:

24oz potatoes, diced

2 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t ground chipotle pepper 

1 T dried minced onion

8 eggs

1 T almond milk (optional, substitutable)

2 green onions

salt

pepper

1 T butter

Preheat oven to 375

Take the first 6 ingredients and toss in a bowl until evenly coated. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with olive oil. put potatoes on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until done turning once.

Meanwhile whip up the eggs with the milk in a bowl. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the eggs, green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook almost done but not all the way. you want the eggs undercooked so they aren't rubber when you go to reheat this. Let cool.

When the potatoes are done, divide them among 4 storage containers. I use glass because I think plastic is killing us. Then divide the eggs placing them on top. Here you can add cheese if you do dairy, I try not to.

Then put in the fridge with the tops off so the whole thing can completely cool and you are not creating little environments for bacteria. Once cool, put on the lids. Take to work, microwave, and enjoy!

Yum!

Scattante r670

This is my bike. It is entry-level and a pretty damn good bike. I have put at least 4,000 miles and climbed over 150,000 feet on it and it is still going strong. Don't know that I would recommend the company but for the price, it is a good bike with good components.

Liver is disgusting!

Superfood or not, it is horrible.

I tried making some the other day after reading about how good it is for you and is basically considered a super food. I went out and bought some and had it all planned out: I would pan sear it with a nice red wine and balsamic reduction. Sounds good right? The sauce was amazing. Unfortunately, It did not change the flavor or consistency of the liver.

Perhaps it is childhood trauma that needs to be resolved. I had total flashbacks of when I was a child sitting at the dining room table. When I was a kid, my mom would flour and fry up liver and serve it to us with grilled onions. I hated it but my mom made me sit there and finish it. I would douse it in ketchup or take small bites and swallow them with water like it was little liver pills. The consistency and flavor was as terrible the other night as it was then.

I took one bite and I spit it out. Seriously. I am 35 years old and don't have to sit down and finish my liver that no amount of ketchup would make taste better so I did what any reasonable adult would do when they are sitting by themselves at home and spit it out.

I don't think I will be doing that again any time soon...

Sweet Potato Recovery Shake

Oh Yeah!

This thing is amazing. I made this this morning after a 3hr ride and it was like the best thing EVER! I found it yesterday on a couple blogs and was very excited to try it today. In fact, this thing got me through the last hour of the ride as I visualized it in my head :)

I modified it slightly because I needed to add more carbs.

Here is my recipe:

1 Sweet Potato cooked
2 C. Almond Milk
10 Deglet noor dates (4-5 Medjool)
2 Scoops whey protein (something bland like vanilla or plain)
Ice as needed

Blend! Enjoy! OMG it's so F'ing good I just want to drink it all day and get fat!


Here is the original: http://stupideasypaleo.com/2012/12/17/sweet-potato-recovery-shake/

Must try Paleo Cookies

I am definitely going to have to try these:

http://soletshangout.com/giant-sunbutter-chocolate-chunk-cookies-gluten-free-paleo/

But I CAN NOT Find dark chocolate that doesn't have sugar in it. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know...

Proatmeal bar disaster

I work out 6 days a week and I work 5 days a week. I am super lucky and there is a shower and locker room at my office. This allows me to ride my bike for 1-2 hours before work at least 2 times per week. While the shower is super convenient consuming recovery food within my 30 minute window is not. I have to shower and get dressed and go to my office all of which can push me to the edge of this window if I calculate it from when I got off my bike. It is a conundrum. I know what you are thinking, just make a shake. I have tried this and it is not as convenient as you might think, nor does it give me nearly as much carbs as I need after my ride. Protein powder and milk does't cut it.

I have tried many things including making my shakes at home in advance and bringing them in, making bars like this gingerbread proatmeal bar, and buying the pre made stuff. While the last option is convenient, it is just too expensive for my budget. The first one doesn't work too well either but I think that was because I was trying to get a whole week's worth in one trip (OK an=on days 1 and 2, not so good on days 3+). I think I am going to try this again though since I found an amazing recovery shake recipe here.

The second option makes sense but I haven't found a good recipe. I made this proatmeal bar: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/2013/11/30/gf-gingerbread-proatmeal-bake/ but I modified it by removing the ginger and using pea protein instead of vanilla flavored. It didn't turn out so good but that was most likely due to my modifications. Despite that, I feel they do deserve an honorable mention.

Let me know if you have better luck!

Kale Salad with Almonds, Pomegranate, and Bacon!

The husband and I have a little restaurant that we frequent that has an amazing chef. We get a version of this salad almost every time we go because it is so delicious. It took me a couple of attempts but I think this is a pretty good replica. If you skip the goat cheese you got yourself an awesome Paleo salad.

This is the side salad version but you can just as easily add grilled or shredded chicken and have a full meal. Add or remove ingredients as you like. This is great with a couple tablespoons quinoa or whole almonds instead of shaved. When pomegranate aren't in season, the restaurant substitutes Craisins.

This serves two. Double for 4

Ingredients:

2 large handful of chopped curly kale
4 leaves Romaine, sliced crossways into 1/4inch strips

2 T pomegranate seeds

3 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped into tiny pieces 

2 T shaved almonds

3 T Citrus Dressing

1-2 oz goat cheese (optional but good!)

If using, cut the goat cheese and put in freezer. Don't fully freeze, just a few minutes to make it firm.

Shred the kale, removing stems and tough veins. Put it in a bowl and crush kale with your hands until soft. This really changes the character of the kale and makes for a much better salad. 

Add romaine, pomegranate seeds, bacon, almonds and dressing. Toss. Taste and add more dressing if needed.

Remove goat cheese from fridge and crumble over salad. 

Serve and enjoy.

Citrus Dressing

This dressing is super simple and super delicious. Use on Kale Salad

Ingredients:

2 T fresh squeezed orange juice

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 t Dijon mustard

2 T apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 T honey

2 T extra virgin olive oil

Directions: combine all ingredients together and whisk until well incorporated.

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/citrus-vinaigrette-284409

Asian Peanut Dressing

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 c smooth peanut butter

2 T rice or red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

1 T fish sauce 

1 T soy sauce or tamari

1 T chili garlic hot sauce or 1/4t crushed thai chili (optional)

Water

Combine all ingredients except water, slowly add water to thin. about 1/2 - 3/4c. Try coconut milk for a creamier dressing. Let sit overnight for best flavor.

I used this with a asian chicken noodle salad:

Combine shredded cabbage, grated carrot, chopped green onion, celery, and chicken with noodles (I had penne on hand but any noodle would work) and thinly sliced jalapeño.

Adjust quantity of each to your liking. Mine was rather full of veggies but you may like it more pasta-y.

Enjoy!

*recipe adapted from:http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/asian-chopped-chicken-salad/

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1 T vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, skinless, boneless, cut into 1-inch strips
1 lb Andouille sausage, cubed
1 cup (1/2 lb.) white potatoes, cubed
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup (1/2 lb.) carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium carrot, grated
1/4 cup celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks scallion, chopped
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper, ground
1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced
1 cup (1/2 lb.) okra, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. Add oil to a large pot, and heat over a medium flame.
2. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour begins to turn medium to chestnut brown ~20min.
3. Slowly stir in all the broth using a wire whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. The broth mixture should not be lumpy.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients except the okra. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20–30 minutes.
5. Add the okra and let cook for 15–20 more minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf, and serve hot in a bowl or over rice.

*Recipe adapted from livinghealthy.com