Whistler II Home-Mades and More of the Best Ice Cream/Cookies/Burgers

It's so easy to make an awesome creation at Splitz Grill.  I was bummed at first at the no longer avialable gluten free bread, but the wheat wrap slightly toasted actually ended up being delicious.

I got:

• Spicy Lentil Burger
• Baba Ghanoush
• Hummus
• Sprouts
• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Peppers 
• Onion
• Relish

A total Med theme.  Just a bit spicy, it definitely tastes like a burger with just a hint of garden that matches the sprouts. The best additions are the sweet and creamy ones to tame the spice, and the banana peppers were surely too spicy for me, at least on top of the burger.

 The Fuji Market is the best Japanese market ever! Inexpensive freshly made sushi/other foods and more Japanese groceries/items than any other market I've been to. Even than Japan town. I go on the regular.

Another Massive Cookie

There was one Apple Pecan Oatmeal Cookie left so I had to give it a try.  Pecan goes with the roastedness of the oats so well! And there were plenty of them (places often hold back). No chocolate chips and not as sweet as the other cookies.  Combine that with the dense mushiness added by the apple (less airy) and it reminded me of a delicious muffin. It would be even better with a kick of cinnamon! 

The only time i've eaten dairy ice cream in over two years! It's that good.  Cow's only.  At first I wasn't used to it (too sweet/creamy) and didn't care for the taste, but then harniced the flavors. 1 split single scoop in a waffle bowl.

• 1/2 Messie Bessie 
• Chocolate Ice Cream, Moo Crunch, Oreo Cookie, English Toffee
• 1/2 Half Gooey Mooey
• Burnt Sugar Ice Cream (Vanilla+Toffee), English Toffee Marble, Caramel Cups, Chocolate Flakes

    The burnt sugar ice cream tasted like yummy brown sugar or roasted maple syrup, caramelized and delicious. Which of course went with all the carmel and toffee elements.  The on the spot made waffle cones definitely taste like almond oil is a key ingredient and I love it. I could easily go in and buy just the cones. They use all real high quality ingredients and you can tell. The vanilla was epic. I was wishing for more cookies though (my true weakness).

   Unfortunately I found that I still can't digest milk or straight dairy well, only yogurt. I felt this ice cream in my stomach for almos 3 hours!  I also hate the taste of butter since I'm not used to it anymore, and could also taste it/cream on my lips for the rest of the night. Not my favorite feeling, but the ice cream was damn good.

 I went for a turkey burger this time, which is different from the buffalo burger but just as good if your in the mood for it. Also non-corn-fed from B.C.!  I did a sort of sweet spicy Mexi theme. 

• Turkey Burger
• Grilled Pineapple
• Baba Ghanoush
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Tomato
• Onion
• Pickle
• Dijon Mustard
• Cracked pepper 
• Wheat Wrap

The pineapple, pickles and salsa (little spicy) go so well together along with a bit of onion and then some vegginess from sprouts (my favorite sort of rare burger/sandwich topping).  Gotta have the delicious garlic and roastiness from their epic baba ghanoush as well.

I of course need to get my veggies in and threw lots of salads like this together in the room.  Nothing with real prep or complex ingredients. I dress with lemon mostly because it's not worth buying a whole container of olive oil I know I won't finish!

• Sugar Snap Peas
• Tomato
• Mixed Romaine Lettuce
• Sunflower/Pumpkin Seeds
• Kimchee from the Fuji Market 
• Lemon

Another similar salad, except with these additions:

• Avocado
• Corn
• Spring Mix instead of Romaine
• Cucumber
• Hummus

And the main items were Baked Sweet Potato w/ Greek Yogurt of course and some deli turkey breast. Simple and delicious. Hotel room dining at it's finest.

This is where I could almost say I got tricky. No cooked chicken breast at the market = how to cook chicken without buying oil? I used some kimchee and the liquid from the container it comes in with a bit of extra water and sort of sautéed/broiled the breasts in it. Flavor and spice in one simple ingredient (sort of)! Enjoyed with a sweet potato/hummus and another basic lemon salad. The kimchee tasted even better (more sweet/less spicy) after it got cooked with the chicken.

The usual Bungalow Munch Breakfasts! Easy on the go fosho.

The additions I had were generally:

• Blueberries
• Almonds/Sunflower Seeds/Extra Cashews/Pumpkin Seeds
• Dried Cranberries
• Dates
• Crystalized Ginger/Pineapple
• Dark Chocolate!

With Almond Milk every time! This last one was pre race!

Downieville

Downieville Pre XC Race Dinner

 Keeping on the gluten free train, I recruited my Seaweed snacks to partake in Burrito night.  We had delicious chicken sauteed with herbs and spices, accompanied by brown rice, avocado, arugula, and carrot.  Salsa, Hummus, and Lemon all around to kick up the fun!

 This bowl of oatmeal before my downhill race just looked too good to not photo.

• Oatmeal
• Almond Milk
• Strawberries and Blackberries
• Coconut Butter and Shredded Coconut
• Almond Butter
• Bottom of the Bag Rice Cake Crisps!

It was a creamy nutty coconut berry blast!

After pigging out on Bungalow Munch Granola with blueberries, Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, Almond Milk, and Crystalized Ginger, this clean dinner hit the spot perfectly the night before the dh race.  

• Ginger Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks
• Grilled Salmon
•  Quinoa Salad with Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Garbanzos

 All topped with a bit of Tahini! Sesame Ginger for days.

Once again, I felt the need for a light clean dinner after cramming tons of food post race, so hit up a big salad with some sauteed veggies, cashews, rice cake bits, and garbanzo beans. Dressed in olive oil/balsamic and partially wrapped in seaweed.  The mushroom/butternut squash sauté in coconut oil was quite epic.  Definitely going to start using coconut oil more often!

The fastest flavor out there: With Team Specialized! Red Meat Included.

After Oregon came a trip with Team Specialized (only the fastest guys in North America, Max Plaxton and Todd Wells no big deal...).

It's pretty cool when you can say Pro XCT Leader Max Plaxton made you dinner.  If that's not flavor to go fast I don't know what is. He won the pro race the next day and I got third in the juniors and third overall expert (meaning $100!).

Simple clean cooking when resources are limited (rental house) and putting a ton of energy into cooking doesn't fit the bill with trying to focus on racing, but this was delicious anyways. Chicken Breast BBQ'd with Olive Oil, S & P, a Summer Salad of Romaine Lettuce/Mixed Greens, Mushrooms, Red Pepper, Avocado, and Strawberries dressed with basic but dialed Olive Oil, Lemon, S&P, and Mustard. And a baked Sweet Potato. I am definitely down with berries and mushrooms in summer salads now!

More Bungalow-To Go Munch Granola for Breakfast. Had to go with the water-protein powder combo for my binding agent, and since I didn't use a lot I went for a ton of berries which was quite delicious. More crunchy and fruity than usual and I didn't mind at all. Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and Banana for the win pre race (well, at least the 3rd)!

 The second night some friends from Minnesota BBQ'd Venison.  I'm introducing a slight shift to my diet after some knew knowledge. I'll eat red meat occasionally in moderation ONLY if it is free range grass fed etc.  I am digging an idea that was brought to my attention that the reason things like red meat, dairy, and egg yolks have unhealthy aspects is because of our unnatural farming techniques.  My basic healthy ways still apply to most conventional eating, but when there is all natural food available, things change. The main thing to take away is you are what you eat BUT also you are what IT eats.  Aka corn, pesticides, and medical injections as opposed to all natural grass. thank you Specialized Marketing Manager Sean Estes!

This meal fit that bill perfectly. Sean's friend Rich shot and gutted this deer himself. We had meat from the ass (literally labeled 'Big Ass' in a freezer bag) in a loin and some leg turned into Brats.  I had a little bit (moderation still key) and it was pretty good, yet i'm still not a massive fan of the red meat taste.  We all cooked a bit that night so had some more of a similar Summer Salad, a delicious Mexican Black Bean Salad which i'm definitely going to be making more of, Pico De Gallo, BBQ'd Aspargus, and Baked Sweet Potatoes.  The Cilantro-Onion-Lemon-Lime-Tomato combo for the black bean salad and Pico is bomb.

I'm starting this book to explore in detail this new idea to bring to healthy eating (Sean recommended).

Review: Cookies, Muffins, and Tacos!

Taco Jane's!

Taco Jane's is the best Mexican food you can get in Marin. You won't find a massive greasy cheap burrito on the go, but you can get some higher quality less fast food style eating.  I had been wanting to try out my coach's go to order, the Salmon Tacos w/out dairy or pesto! They don't usually serve them at lunch but the super nice owner Matteo was in so they made an exception after some nagging. The Salmon was crispy and tasty, the tortillas are tasty organic blue corn, and everything was well balanced flavor wise and you could tell used only the highest quality ingredients.

Muffin Time!

After having a T-Joes Oat Bran Muffin for breakfast yesterday accompanied by some yummy Carrot Juice with the tastiest protein powder, I felt like keeping the trend going, except this time with my last Lenny and Larry Muscle Muffin that's been eyeing me from the freezer!  Warmed and toasted in a pan really quick and it became a delicious moist super chocolatey treat.  It is totally justified as a breakfast for being an XL chocolate cupcake and paired perfectly with some fresh fruit and more additions to my protein breakfast drink!

• Double Chocolate Muscle Muffin
• Fresh Carrot Juice, 1 scoop Tera Vanilla Bourbon Whey, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
•  Banana/Blueberries

The Best of Lenny and Larry

The Lemon Poppy Seed Complete Cookie is easily my favorite of all there stuff! It seems the most dense/least crumbly, and has the most flavor yet isn't too sweet or rich.  Yummy poppy seed granules and all! Also the least sugar and fat by a hair which I can't complain about either. It's so dense and chewy it's practically doughy like yummy cookie dough!  I had half after a Gu Recovery Drink and then lunch yesterday and the 2nd half after another Gu Brew-Taco Jane's today! (first discovered at Bolinas Ave Market in San Anselmo)

This dinner is definitely a repeat/usual but part way through eating it I was enjoying it too much to not show it off! So much Garlic going on, with complimentary Herbs / Lemon.  Sun Dried Tomatoes are amazing, and I did a combination of 1:1 Farro (Wheat Berries) and Brown Rice, which makes a bit nuttier and crunchier grain combo.  Hummus just brings everything together.

• Oven Baked Chicken Breast (Olive Oil, Almonds, Garlic, Coriander, Chili Powder, Thyme, Lemon, S & P)
• Garlic Lemon Kale Saute (Garlic, Lemon, Pepper, Thyme, Olive Oil, Sea Salt)
• Steamed Mushrooms
• Brown Rice and Farro (1/2c ea)
• Cucumber, Tomato, Hummus
• Sun Dried Tomato!

Flavor Goes Fast for Many!

I spent this weekend traveling with my team to Fontana (east of LA) for the second national race of the season, so below is a combo of cooking for the masses / travel.  I got to coordinate and create the meal plan and shopping list for the team beforehand and as you can see, it definitely worked!  Everything was chosen mostly from Trader Joe's based on quality primarily but also keeping close focus on our tight budget. Here's my race report.

Lenny and Larry Double Chocolate Complete Cookie

This cookie takes the 'Complete' mantra and combines it with delicious chocolate-choclatey goodness.  More protein, no fake ingredients, no dairy, and not too milky not too bittersweet.  Just a chewy not crumbly well done cookie! Thoroughly enjoyed after a hard race. Now my routine post race fuel! These cookies are the original reason I was attracted to Lenny and Larry, they seriously are the best cookie you don't have to make yourself!

 Pre Race Dinner #2: Herb Lemon Chicken w/ Almonds, Leeks, and Olives

A variation of the race prep dinner i've been doing this season, changed for whats available and made in a mass quantity.  12 whole breasts of chicken with two leeks, a can of olives, and a bunch of almonds, in two baking dishes in the oven. Perfect flavor. So many delicious herbs complimented by crunchy leeks/almonds and topped with creamy hummus. Some more cooked vegetables to accompany, had to sauté instead of steam though due to the mass quantity. This was pre race dinner everyone racing expert (Juniors + Team Director Dario).

-Sauteed Rosemary Carrots

-Baked Herb Chicken (Dill Weed, T Joe's Every Day Seasoning, Basil), Leeks, Olives, Sliced Roasted Almonds

-Sauteed Broccoli

-Cucumber, Tomato, Hummus

-Brown Jasmine Rice, Wheat Tortilla

Mexi Leftovers

I got these leftovers together faster than ever before since the team was waiting to leave the house. Having my tupperware was crucial, and I just grabbed a bit of everything from our Mexi Dinner. There was a taco vendor at the venue so I even got to add fresh lemon, cilantro, and spicy salsa verde for free! I had no utensils so I ended up having to break a shard off of a plastic cup to scoop with. This was a pretty dialed meal for zero cost and no prep at all. On the last day we had similar lunches except with chicken, hummus, more vegetables, and tortillas as well from the 2nd dinner. They tasted so good! I will never get over the surprise of how tasty leftovers can be.

-Brown Rice, Salsa, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, Beans, Olives, Ground Turkey

-Cilantro, Lemon, Salsa Verde

 Breakfasts Down: Mass Oatmeal

The team's got experience cooking gargantuan amounts of oatmeal for breakfast. We went with plenty of sweet blueberries and bananas cooked in, and then I went some more delicious toppings.  Clean, simple, and solid. The true breakfast of champions. A little berry jam is the best sweetener! I also normally used raw almonds, but the dry roasted kind is definitely a nice change. Accompanied by the newest issue of Decline. Had the same breakfast on race day, just gobbled down in near darkness since we had to race at 8:00am.

-Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas cooked in

-Soymilk, Cinnamon

-Fresh Blueberries, Roasted Almonds, a bit of Blackberry Jam

Pre Race #1: Burrito Night

 Cooking for the team brought me three good lessons.  We used Brown Jasmine Rice since it cooks faster, and it was totally delicious. #1 It tasted closed to white rice than other brown rices, which I definitely like sometimes, and I also used a little too much water, but it made the rice keep in the fridge so much better (not drying out). We made such a large batch that we were able to use it again for the next two lunches and one dinner. #2 We also used ground turkey, which I've done before but don't usually use at home.  It was really tasty with plenty of Granulated Garlic, Salt and Pepper, just have to make sure to buy the leanest closest to white meat version you can find. A little more interesting and easier to digest than eating more beans for protein (less fiber in turkey). #3 We also used multiple different kinds of beans (so many cans!) and just mixed them all together in a massive pot, and they turned out really good on their own. It's hard to make a bad meal when you just combine all these delicious foods. This dinner was pre race dinner for everyone racing pro (the U23 Squad) on Saturday.

-Sauteed Ground Turkey w/ Garlic, Salt and Pepper

-Sauteed Onion w/ Salt and Pepper

-Brown Jasmine Rice

-Olives

-Refried Black Beans/Pinto Beans

-Amy's Garlic Salsa

-Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado

Sprout Quest, Mexi Salad, Pro Japanese Sesame Ginger Salmon

Japanese Sesame Ginger Salmon and Vegetables!

So pro! Proud of this one for sure. Still enjoying delicious Japanese cuisine even on my 'clean cycle' (most of it tends to have higher sugar/sodium content-soy sauce, mirin etc). Went to the super cheap 'farmers' market across from Genki Ramen for a look when I was there and ended up buying Bok Choy and Gai Lan Broccoli, so that's how this meal got it's legs.  #1 I was also making Kombucha today, and juiced a bunch of ginger since I just ran out of ginger juice (now have a refilled bottle in my fridge, so convenient!). This meal was an epic combo of Sesame and Ginger (hint of Lemon) with crunchy vegetables and tender Salmon and Mushrooms.  So much flavor.

-Sesame Ginger Salmon Sauté (browned both sides in Sesame Oil, Almonds, Lemon Ginger Sauce)

   -Sesame Oil, Lemon, Ginger Juice, Sake (Tahini added when used on top, but not when cooking)

-Steamed Bok Choy and Gai Lan Broccoli

-Brown Rice

-Toasted Sesame Seeds to top

     Almost worth doing a write up, but basically I'll just say: Brown Salmon in Sesame Oil/Garlic/Almonds medium/high heat, then add Ginger Sauce and Mushrooms to simmer covered (just turn off the heat) for a few more minutes/until the rest of the food is ready. Cook brown rice in rice maker, steam broccoli and bok choy-10min medium heat (choy on upper layer since it cooks faster), mix some Tahini into additional Ginger Sauce and drizzle on top of everything with Toasted Sesame Seeds! Total cooking time: <20min if you work efficiently (my life).

I meant to top with Green Onion as well but forgot. Could go well, maybe not depending on your taste.

Mexi Veggie Patty Salad

 There is no Mexican food that is a light and healthy eat. Well I just proved that wrong. All of these vegetables needed to go, so I came up with this healthy Latin American influenced salad. #2 Was going to open a can of black beans for protein, but didn't have to since I just toasted another Chipotle Black Bean Veggie Patty (which i've now decided is worth buying again) in a nonstick pan, and threw together a bunch of appropriate vegetables/dressing/fruit (plantains are sort of a vegetable?).  I love the saltiness of olives, combined well with sweet plantains (raw, just super ripe) and avocado. Enough Salsa to feed a small village as well. I actually also had tomato in there but added it after the photo. 

-Spring Mix, Olives, Red Onion, Plantain, Tomato, Avocado

-Chipotle Black Bean Veggie Patty

-Salsa, Lemon, Olive Oil, Granulated Garlic, Pepper

Sprouts Quest Begin

After learning about sprouted grains by investing in Lydia's Raw Cereals, I am now on a quest to find and or make the best sprouted grain cereal. #3 Benefits: conveniency of no prep night before/morning of, higher protein, raw, and often wheat/gluten free. I've already tested the two best (nutritionally, and my-allergy friendly) Lydia's, Vanilla Crunch (5g protein, sweetened) and Sprouted Cinnamon (11g protein, unsweetened), but now moving on to new brands. Today is Date Spice Buckwheat Granola from Kala Foods, local from Oakland, and so far they are winning! There's dates and spices which combine into delicious crunchy clusters of sweet and spicy chewy (mostly cinnamon?) goodness! And it falls right in between nutritionally with 7g of protein and sweetened. My favorite part of granola is the clusters, and this cereal is absolutely chock full of 'em. Well done.
-70g Kaia Date Spice Buckwheat Granola (not really granola b/c no oats/not cooked!)
-Soymilk
-Blueberries and Strawberries

Umi Sushi, Honey Nut Oatmeal, Last of the Meyer Lemon Chicken

The Usuals

Best Dessert!

Got sushi with my mom for dinner at Umi Sushi, #1 the best dinner for an easy day off the bike. There were plenty of good dishes and highlights, miso soup, Broccoli Goma Ae (sweet sesame sauce), Wakame Seaweed Salad, high quality Uni (Sea Urchin) and Sake (Salmon), Ebi and Ema Abi (raw and cooked prawn), but the dessert was where it's at: Shiratama Zenzai. I'd never had it before, and was so satisfied. I like Japanese sweet red bean paste from Azuki beans in small doses since it is usually incredibly sweet, but this was better. It smelled just like so many places in Japan from when I visited 3 years ago, so that automatically gained mega brownie points. It's a popular dessert in Japan during the winter, and isn't overly sweet or unhealthy (protein from beans!).  The soft white chewy rice cakes are similar to steamed white buns, and go perfectly with the steaming sweet beans/broth. It seems relatively easy to make and since I got the Mochiko (sweet sticky rice flour) when trying to make Steamed White Buns, I'm going to give it a shot soon.

Still Bobbilicious

Reviewed this in detail already, but this time I had to throw it up on the blog because I realized another key delicious aspect. It has the absolute perfect amount of salt in it! Rare for cookies. And you can tell it's quality, #2 100x healthier for you Sea Salt rather than Kosher Table Salt. I dare you to think about it while eating one! You'll see.

3rd Time Meyer Lemon Grilled Chicken

 Enjoyed already for dinner here and here, this was the last of it I swear. Went from Mediterranean Garlic Lemon Tahini to Latin American Salsa and Garlic Plantains to today's Lemon Dijon. A crunchy tasty combo of ingredients flavored with attitude.
-Avocado and Purple Cabbage
-Brown Rice, Grilled Meyer Lemon Chicken
-Lemon and Dijon Mustard

 It's an Almond Butter container!

Honey Nut Butter Overnight Oats

#3 Found this great idea on EBF to use any nut butter container to make overnight oats (they are in there I swear) in once the original contents have completely run out, so you really get the most nut butter out of your purchase (the good stuff is expensive!). My first time and I definitely like it. I went with Honey Almond Cinnamon flavoring and Blueberries with more crunchy bee pollen/slivered almonds. It was so sweet and delicious, I almost put in too much cinnamon, which I didn't know was possible. Also entertaining to eat it for a long time trying to salvage out every last bit of Almond butter. I'm totally stoked on bee pollen.

-55g old fashioned oats, 180g soymilk, cinnamon

-blueberries, bee pollen, slivered almonds

-honey

Ginger Berry Crunch, Cubano Soup-Salad-Sando, Mediterranean Lemon Chicken

Mediterranean Lemon Chicken

I wish I starving so I could of had 2nd's and 3rd's for this meal. It was too good I wanted it to last forever. Garlic and Lemon to the max on everything! Some steamed vegetables, grilled chicken, avocado and other appropriate vegetables, all drizzled with Garlic Lemon Tahini Dressing, partially enjoyed as a wrap and partially just over rice. #1 Everything goes together so well, there's nothing more to say (rightly matched Mediterranean ingredients go a long way)!

-Meyer Lemon Chicken cooked on high heat with Lemon, Garlic, Olive Oil, Parsley, Dill Weed, Lemon Pepper

-Steamed Carrots and Broccoli

-Avocado, Cherry Tomatos, Olives, Cucumber

-Brown Rice mix and a Wheat Tortilla

-Tahini Dressing (Lemon, Garlic, Tahini, Water), Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

 Cubano Soup

 Dijon Dill Balsamic

    For lunch I decided to go with the soup-salad-sandwich combo on account of the cold weather and trying to get healthy right before my race tomorrow (not so convenient).  I haven't really made a vegetable soup before, and got some plantains from Whole Foods yesterday I wanted to try using, so I came up with this delicious combo. #2 Just mix chicken broth with all the vegetables and cook to desired tenderness with herbs and spices mixed in. Simple enough! It had a Latin American flavor with Garlic and Olive but the standouts were Cumin and Bay Leaf, and had plenty of tasty soft vegetables inside like Oyster Mushrooms and Plantain.  My sandwich was a basic Pastrami Turkey Dijon on wheat with Dill and the Salad was Balsamic and Olive Oil. The best Bubbie's Pickles and Diestel Pastrami Turkey for the win.

-Chicken Broth, Carrot, Red Onion, Plantain, Cumin, Bay Leaf, Garlic, Olives, Salt n' Peppa

-Toasted Wheat Loaf, Diestel Pastrami Turkey, Avocado, Pickle, Dijon, Olive Oil

-Arugula, Cucumber, Avocado, Olive Oil, Balsamic

Ginger Berry Crunch

I really wanted to improve my Ginger Berry Oatmeal, and got some Ginger Juice during a massive food shop at the big Whole Foods in Mill Valley, so was kind of excited to use it (and egg whites).  #3 It's perfect to have b/c it's so much easier to not peel and mince/press real ginger yourself. This bowl came out just the way I wanted! Creamy-Chewy-Crunchy with Blueberry-Ginger-Anise flavoring. A nutty bite from the Hazelnuts, sweetness from partially cooked in Blueberries, and uber flavor from Ginger and Anise. And some more delicious crunch from the best granola (only non-sweet Vanilla Munch). The egg was much better than last time I tried to do egg whites and oatmeal, cooking it separately and mixing it in might be the way to go. I used a little Egg's Benedict Ring.
-50g thick oats, 1tsp Ginger Juice, crushed Star Anise, Blueberries
-2 Egg Whites cooked in olive oil, Blueberries
-Chopped Hazelnuts, Blueberries, Galaxy Granola
-A tad bit of Vanilla Almond Milk