Proper Fueling with Many Feasts

My family friend wanted to cook a feast together.

My Plate Clockwise from Bottom Left: Chicken Tagine, Leeks from Tagine, Sweet Potato Turnip Bake, Persimmon Salad, Kale Salad

I mainly made this Persimmon Salad and my chicken tagine, but using the actual recipe with 1.5 chickens!  The salad wasn't really my style, heavy on the fruit, but fairly tasty nonetheless. The leek mixture from the chicken was probably my favorite, along with the Sweet Potato-Turnip combo from the same recipe as the chicken. Could of eaten it for days!

 Owen cutting Shallots for the Sweet Potatoes

 Tagine Check

The Crew

Then I prepared another feast for my friends.

The buffet line up (close to far): Baked Turnips, Baked Sweet Potatoes/Yam, Roasted Bacon Brussels, Sous Vide Grass Fed Steak

I baked the potatoes and turnips the same as for the first feast because they are too good. A tad spicy a tad herby and a tad sweet.

My Plate

 I also made a Balsamic Reduction with simple Balsamic Vinegar and Ghee (2 cups and 1.5T ea.) which I am stoked to have leftovers on. It's sweet and delicious on everything and easy to make, just boil down to reduce by half, mix and serve.

 First time making Bacon Brussel Sprouts (of course I've tasted and loved them many times), and was very pleased (along with everyone else).  I used Bacon Trimmings which were cheaper from El Salchichero (coming from Devil's Gulch where I ride road to in Nicasio), and just sliced/cooked some up in a pan, poured the grease into a baking tray, put the prepared Sprouts on, and then scattered the bacon pieces throughout and baked with the other dishes at 400º F for 30 minutes or so until soft all the way through.

For the steak I used some Herbs mainly Rosemary with the Sous Vide, cooked to perfect medium rare and then seared the outside afterwards in a tiny bit of the Balsamic Sauce. So tender!

Now onto some more elementary feasting...Post long ride base training! I've been putting in a lot of 4-5 hour rides and it's hard to eat enough carbs afterwards. I need to hit 500 per day which means if there's no lunch involved because of my ride i've got a small window afterwards to cram. It's kind of fun.

 I've been having something along the lines of 2 servings of Gu Recovery Brew Strawberry Watermelon (50g ea.), a sweet potato or yam, a persimmon or plantain or blueberries, and for yesterday a few dates/dried cranberries as well. And an extra scoop of whey protein. Then an hour later I'll eat my meal which has another sweet potato/kabocha squash/chestnuts and some nice meat. Massive.

 These 'ice cream' bowls have been awesome.

• 2 out of the 6 scoops of Gu Recovery Mix
• 150g Blueberries (frozen)
• 12g Whey Protein (1 scoop)
• Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon
• Dates/Cranberries/Yam Optional

I hit 4 out of the 6 scoops of Gu Recovery first to get the speedy fiberless absorption before the even more delicious fruit/vegetable concoction (I should take the skin off for even less fiber but it's too delicious).

While on the topic of eating lots of carbs I tried using fit day and it's pretty cool. Here's how it came out:

I was trying to eat less fiber because without grains it's easy to get too much.

Increasing my carb intake at the right times (pre-post-during) has really helped my training and haven't gained an ounce of weight!

Persimmons and Chestnuts Go Together

Before I dive in to some recent eats I came across this post on healthy living and how to burn fat the other day and think it really sums everything up in a clear and straight foreword manner.

My first Squash and Sweet Potato Parfait! (kabocha as always)

This is definitely as good or better than your standard fruit and granola parfait. I used leftovers that were herb and turmeric baked and then some Full Fat Strauss Yogurt and a little extra plain whey protein. Delish. Extra Cinnamon of course.

Just ate chestnuts for the first time... and now they are a go to carb source! Pure carbs unlike a normal nut. I found some cooked and vacuum packed although also enjoyed roasting my own.

So delicious to get some glucose/starch recovery going in addition to the fructose heavy Persimmon in my smoothie.

If you just use fructose (fruit=mostly), you replenish liver glycogen more than muscle, and also don't absorb the carbs as well compared to when you get some of each.

Roasted yumminess.

I was afraid of consuming any fructose before, but now use it in moderation and don't feel any negatives. Whey, Persimmon, and Cinnamon for the win. Almost like last year! So much has changed.

 Pretty stoked on finding this Persimmon Tree when a friendly fellow customer at Good Earth in Fairfax (can't wait for the new one!) told me about it as I asked the staff if there were any more Persimmons. Used some in a feast of epic proportions which I may post soon.

One of my better meals enjoyed recently. It didn't take much, but each thing was so good individually and together.

• Wild Smoked Alaska Salmon (8 oz)
• 2 Soft Boiled Free Range Eggs (Sous Vide)
• Prather Ranch Bacon
• Baked Yam w/ Cinnamon
• 1/2 Avocado
• Bubbie's Raw Sauerkraut
• Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil

I poured the bacon grease over my Yam which is already so delicious with Cinnamon. The creaminess from the mushy egg yolks, avocado, Salmon, Bacon fat, and even the Yam to some degree, combined with the crispy skin of the Yam and meat from the bacon, combined with saltiness/savory sun dried tomato and kraut, PLUS the smokey Salmon and bacon, is amazing.

Also, I started making some quick videos for my parents to learn about nutrition and good eating without me repeating myself in person all the time! Here's a recent one but they are all available on my Youtube Channel.

Aussie Treats

This post is simply a collection of yummy eats/views from my stay in the Land Down Under!

 View from a road ride.

 My host Joel from Tahoe at the top of a MTB ride. View of Bateman's Bay

 Beets from the neighbors! In a Balsamic Salad w/Avo and Grass Fed Beef Rump Roast.

 A glass of Aussie Cabernet-Sauv at a fine restaurant called Terrace Restaurant in Thredbo (rated on of the best in Aus!).  Since I can legally drink here I have a half -full glass of Dry Red Wine 5 nights a week. I've decided it really is healthy and quite enjoyable (read 4-Hour Body).

 My dish was Prosciutto (almost cooked like crispy bacon!) wrapped chicken with Sage (a whole leaf on top turned into a 'Sage chip'), Lemon, and on top of Roasted Pumpkin and Spinach! Divine.

 We got stuck in Jindabyne for 4 days with a broken car and this was my staple meal downtown.  A large salad half Roasted Veggies Salad (thin sliced Eggplant, yam, Onion, Pumpkin w/ basil)- half Feta Arugula Salad (w/ Sundried Tomatoes and Olives and local Goat Cheese), and the Tandoori Chicken from their wraps on top. I also had it with thinly sliced lamb another time.

 My kind of meal!

 For dinner while stranded we went to Brumby's Bar twice which was also my kind of place! Choose your favorite grass fed meat and then an all you can eat salad bar/ buffet with lots of sald and roasted veggie options. Including lots of beets/yams/carrots/mushrooms. And watch them grill perfection right in front of you.

 I got a sirloin stuffed with scallops one night and the lamb shank the other.

 The beach across the street from home away from home.

Not beef lamb heart, a lamb heart sliced and marinated with garlic, red wine leftover, olives, Rosemary from the garden, and Salt and Pepper.

 This is what bacon back home looks like in my standard breaky.

Look at all the fat! Now this is what we have here... And at half the price for free range. (both egg/meat)

Like extreme Canadian Bacon!

It's good but i'm not partial to either kind. Harder to get crispy but still extra tasty. Yes that yolk is separate from the white, but more on that in my next post...(very stoked on this)

 Now for a big-ass Kangaroo Filet! Green Thai Curry Marinade soooo goood!

 After Green Curry Paste, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Pepper, Garlic, and Turmeric, seared both sides.

 In a roast veggie salad!

 With Cinnamon Pumpkin Coconut Oil Pumpkin Squash of course!

 Another beach pic...

 The rest of the Kangaroo in a Garden Salad with Fresh Herbs from the Garden! Kangaroo is awesome because it's grass fed since it is always wild, it's higher in Iron (you can taste it), it's helping the environment because they have too many in Oz, and it's cheaper than grass-fed beef!

 Including lovely Garlic Chives.

 The view from the Quay West Hotel in Sydney, last night before my flight home.

Teriyaki Beef Heart with Bacon

Since i've been on a roll of Super Foods, i'll keep it going with this Beef Heart Creation I was stoked on.  

Beef hearts, in the super food offal category, are available at most butchers, you just have to ask because they tend to keep them frozen in the back. The demand is low so they are A LOT cheaper than your standard steak (hello cheap grass fed nutrient dense meat!). And they taste the same, just with way more beneficial nutrients...

I knew some free range bacon I stocked up on from El Salchichero since it was 15% off would go well with it, especially complementing the Roasted Brussel Sprouts.

BBQ seared to perfection, I love my meat rare! It's like sushi, traps in maximum flavor and nutrients. Ok I could of cooked it a hair more... You can't overdo tougher cuts of meat though (think things that are contracted/used a lot)

Accompanied by a Roasted Kabocha with the usual Cinnamon and Coconut Oil/Sea Salt combo as well.

One massive 1 lb beef heart made enough for 2-3 meals-2 for me :). It tasted INCREDIBLY similar to a nice flank steak! + Teriyaki deliciousness. So tender.

BBQ Teriyaki Beef Heart w/ Bacon and Roasted Veggies

Slice beef heart into thin slices maybe ~1/2 inch thick and marinate 30min-1 hour in equal parts Rice Wine Vinegar, Sake, Mirin (optional, add honey if you omit this), Reduced Sodium Temari (GF Soy Sauce).

Heat up grill to medium/high heat and sear the outside maybe ~2 min per side depending on how you like it. Rest meat for 5 minutes (otherwise it will be contracted and tough).

Sauté Brussel Sprouts in Coconut Oil until soft, tender, and a darker green shade (high heat first for browning, then medium-low).

Cook bacon as you normally would.

Roast Kabocha Squash and Onion in Oven at 400ºF for one hour. Top with Coconut Oil/Cinnamon/Sea Salt.

Enjoy!

I eat a beef or lamb heart (can't really handle livers) once a week or every other week and it's delicious!