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!

4th of July?

I know i'm behind but i'm about to catch up! 4th of july = must bbq. Turkey Burgers, Bacon (not for me), watermelon, and salad for everyone.

• Turkey Burger
• Garbanzo Balsamic Salad w/ Artichoke Hearts
• Garbanzo Cucumber Mint Salad
• Annie's Goddess Dressing
• Avocado
• Brown Rice
• TJ's Everyday Seasoning

I enjoyed part of the festive treats but also a bunch of leftovers. The Goddess Dressing goes perfect on sandwiches, just like in Ashland. A little Fresh Lemon pepper and seasoning on everything!

 Officially one of my favorite meals. I wanted some greek yogurt AND tahini topping for my sweet potato so I went half-half. Both epic individually as well as mixed together! The TJ's Tahini sauce was better suited to the chicken/kale because it adds more flavor.  I topped everything with resh grated lemon pepper for some kick. Everything in this meal tastes amazing, makes you feel amazing, and is amazing for you! And is easy to make! And the leftovers...

• Chicken Breast Baked (Olive Oil, TJ's Gyoza Sauce, Basil, Pepper)
• Kale Sauté (Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, S&P)
• Baked Sweet Potato
• Nonfat GReek Yogurt/TJ's Tahini Sauce/Tahini 
• Lemon Pepper

I'm stoked on this simple yet unconventional breakfast.  A rest day calls for more protein and I get to eat yogurt since I usually avoid it before training due to it's mucous forming properties.

Adding a ton of cinnamon to nonfat greek yogurt is delicious, just as it is to Almond Butter with a hint of Sea Salt. Both also go well with blueberries and sweet potatoes, so combine all of the above and vuoala!

• Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• Sweet Potato
• Blueberries
• Almond Butter
• Cinnamon/Sea Salt

Tastes like plenty of cinnamon and creamy sweet nutty goodness all blended together. I'm toying with the idea/looking into a more paleo-oriented diet (mostly just vegetables/nuts/meat) and this fits the bill perfectly!

And i'll leave you with a leftovers lunch:

Kale and garbanzo beans to make the world go round with the epic Tahini-Nutritional Yeast combo. I also finally got some Coconut Butter melting onto my Sweet Potato and it is amazing.  Tomato is a must include in this plate.

Carrot Cake Oats/Date Time, Signature Rice Dish, India TakeOut

We got take out Indian food for my whole visiting family (12 people total), and ordered a ton of dishes online! So easy and so tasty. You can eat an Indian feast and keep it healthy, here's how it's done:

India Takeout Experience: Taj of Marin

It's been a long time since I've eaten Indian food out, mainly because the only memories I have are eating mass quantities of Naan, Raita (Yogurt Sauce), Chicken Tikka Masala, and other heavy creamy meaty dishes (good but not nearly in my current diet/desirable at all). So when it was decided to have a massive family Indian feast I first planned on cooking my own meal, but then remembered that there is Indian food in my diet! RHS Cooking Club Indian day was the healthiest of all our meetings, and I've been making Daal quite a bit.  #1 Just stay away from any butter/cream sauce dishes and lots of red meats. I chose a few classic vegetarian (and vegan!) options, as well as Tandoori Chicken, which I've been itching to make recently anyways! These dishes may seem liquidy and rich but they really are just a vegetable/legume cooked, mashed, and mixed with vegetable oil, water, and a ton of delicious spices. Nothing to be concerned about, and all the herbs and spices are really good for you.

-Channa Masala (Garbanzo Beans and Spices) was probably my favorite, the flavor is top notch, a little spicy, but mainly the chickpeas actually give it some good texture/substance

-Yellow Dal (Yellow lentil simmered and tempered with ginger, garlic and herbs, a bit liquidy, but tasty nonetheless)

-Bengan Bhartha (Eggplant clay oven baked w/ onion, ginger, garlic and spices)

-Tandoori Chicken (Chicken marinated in yogurt, blend of colorful Indian herbs and spices, cooked in a clay oven, everyone knows it's good, and super clean yet full of flavor)

-Brown Rice and Cucumber from Home (really helpful to balance out all the spice w/out Naan, Basmati Rice, and Raita)

-A sample of Rosemary Garlic Naan and Raita (I couldn't skip out on this classic completely due to the dairy/wheat, it's too good)

-I also tasted the Coconut Shrimp Masala (the flavor was Masala just w/ Coconut, which made it similar to a delicious Thai Curry, this was definitely the best flavored dish)

Signature B-Sprout Tofu Rice Dish?

For lunch I went with my classic grilled yet moist and tender B-Sprouts, but paired with more ginger, Herb Grilled Tofu, and some leftover Sweet Roasted Garlic Rosemary Purple Carrots. These Brussel Sprouts and Tahini Dressing just might be my own go to signature creation, and they went perfectly in this rice dish.  #2 The creamy slightly sweet ginger tahini dressing makes everything mold together perfectly, and could have been even better with a bit of avocado for some added creaminess. The tofu actually has a taste, its flavored from the herb/spice yet still tastes clean and balances out the exploding flavor and gingery kick from everything else. The brown rice is nutty yet tames everything down as well. Delightful!

-Grilled B-Sprouts (Mustard Seed, Ginger Powder, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)

-Grilled Herb Tofu (Firm Tofu, Cilantro, Mustard Seed, Ginger Powder)

-Left over Roasted Garlic Rosemary Purple Carrots (Oven at 400º, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, Rosemary)

-Leftover Steamed Bok Choy

-Creamy Sweet Bite Tahini Dressing (Ginger Powder/Juice, Citrus-Lemon or Orange, Rice Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Tahini)

-Brown Rice and Tomato

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

I just searched for a while on my blog and surprisingly haven't posted any Carrot Cake Overnight Oats before! So simple and good, the only reason I felt the need to include it this time is because it got super-fied with dates and a ton of carrot juice. I tend to have fresh in the fridge but you could easily make this with store bought carrot juice really conveniently!  Kind of super tasty like the Date Spice Granola I enjoyed and loved for so long (the best of Kaia).  #3 Dates are definitely one of the best (and healthiest) breakfast/dessert sweeteners, I'm stoked I reintroduced them to my pantry. They got banned for a long time because I would literally just eat way too many all the time whenever I walked by, but now have enough self control to save it for delicious meals like this. Just one is all you need for a tasty breakfast bowl! This one was full of carrot flavor, sweetness, and the proper carrot cake spice! And nice texture variations with the mushy oats, soft blueberries, crunchy almonds, and chewy date pieces!

-65g oats, 200g carrot juice

-Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves

-Almonds, Blueberries, a Date

PreSeaOtter: Coconut Nutella Crunch, Go To Garbanzo Kale Plate and ThaiCurry Salmon

So I've been a bit behind with Spring Break and focusing on the Sea Otter Classic trip with my team, but am catching up now! Flavor definitely went fast on the race trip with my team (another national race junior podium sweep!), and I learned a couple more awesome tricks and things i'll be implementing soon! Here's the report but the food will come soon!

 Another JapaCurry, except Thai

 It ended up being more of a Thai creamy salmon complimented with a bit of sweet and a hint of red curry. That dressing is not your average mayo creation! #1 Just super tasty Tahini given a kick with Thai Red Curry Paste.  Tasty Red Curry and Sesame all around in this one!  Another go to meal for sure, I referenced this version. 

-Salmon Fillet, Sauteed in Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds, Chicken Broth/Red Curry Paste, Curry Powder, Turmeric, Ginger

   -Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, Ginger, Tahini, Water

-Purple Cabbage, Tomato, Cucumber, Broccoli

-Brown Jasmine Rice

 Kale Garbanzo Tahini Plate

    This meal is now going to be one of my go to repeats. So much flavor and favorite ingredients that are so healthy.  Sweet dressing from mirin and lemon with a ginger/alcohol kick and #2 the nutritional yeast and tahini combo is cheesy! Ginger and garlic explosions all around as well. I referenced this dinner to make it but will use the more current version from now on.

-Tahini, Sweet Rice Wine (Mirin), Ginger, Water

-Kale and Carrots Sauté with Olive Oil, Turmeric, Cloves, Garlic, Lemon, Sea Salt

-Baked Sweet Potato, Garbanzo Beans

-Tomato, Olives

-Nutritional Yeast

Coconut Nutella Crunch Oatmeal

    This was one of those times where it's so good that your mind focuses in on it only for a moment.  The coconut kefir and chocolate definitely worked together and the crunchy texture of the quinoa combined with creamy oats was perfect as well, like a mix between cream of wheat and oatmeal. #3 Cacao nibs made it more like a dark chocolate nutella and added a nice crunch along with the chopped hazelnuts. Phenomenal.  Worth using coconut kefir for although I bet it wouldn't be differ much with just coconut water since it's cooked in not just soaked like overnight oats. I enjoyed it creamy once I added soymilk so you may choose either forté. Quinoa coincidently was the perfect choice for the nutella theme because its crunchy and nutty!! And there's not even any added sweetener, just a bit of banana, cocoa powder, and coconut kefir make it good with plenty protein from the quinoa, oats, and soymilk! The banana added just a hint of flavor, I couldn't convince myself to skip it.

-1/4c sprouted quinoa, 1/4c oats, 1/2c coconut kefir, vanilla extract

-1t cocoa powder

-1/3 banana

-chopped hazelnuts, cacao nibs, shredded coconut

-blueberries

 Mixed with Soymilk

Curry Chickpea Delight, Review Bungalow Munch Granola

Curried Chickpeas and So Much More

Curry and Cumin all around! Inspired by this recipe, I was thoroughly pleased with the flavoring of this meal.  I stir fried some onion/garlic/fennel with 'the epic spice mixture' and then added some chickpeas and tomato with some more of the spice mixture just to heat up/mix in.  Accompanied by even more similarly spiced vegetables, chicken, and an Avocado-Cumin Vinaigrette Salad. #1 Chicken went well with the avocado and salad and the chickpea stir fry went well with the carrot and sweet potato! A delicious combination for sure. Spices all around! And Orange Blossom Iced Tea.

-Cumin/Turmeric Baked Sweet Potato

-Curry Powder/Turmeric Steamed Carrots

-Chickpea Stir Fry (Fennel, Red Onion, Garlic)

    -Cumin, Curry, Ginger, Turmeric, Parsley, Coriander)

-Leftover Chicken

-Cumin Avocado Vinaigrette Salad (Spring Mix, Green Onion, Avocado)

    -Avocado Dressing + Cumin


 I met Jeri from Bungalow Munch through the cycling world, and could not be more glad! She's totally awesome on top of being an amazing athlete and granola-creator.  Since i'm not cashew-friendly she made me some nut-free to try.  There's so many great things about Bungalow Munch! From the reusable aesthetically pleasing containers option to the quality short list of ingredients. It's got amazing flavor and isn't dry like many granolas. Don't let the nutrition label fool you either, the fat content is a result of healthy fats and the sugar from natural sources, so although other granolas tute their low fat low sugar mantras, this has only real ingredients and is much better for you. There's just no need to add your own healthy sources of fat.

Review: Bungalow Munch

     The benefits to this granola are far from few! The 1st wave of awesome comes with the initial flavor from sunflower seeds and coconut. 2nd the Vermont Maple Syrup with a hint of maple, and making the granola just sweet enough and not chalky.  Sugar content low enough so there's no need to sweeten but is still nutritionally sound.  Finally you realize the pleasant compliments of the baking/roasting process and canola oil, finishing off the flavor.  The texture is not dry like many brands.
    It masters all proper granola aspects, but what really makes it stand out is the ingredients, or lack thereof.  While someone who has tasted few granolas might think safeway generics could taste the same (not even close!), the majority of other granolas have 2x the ingredients, especially the low fat chemically altered versions.  #2 Although the nutrition facts may not impress as far as granolas go, with slightly more fat, the key is the sources are all good for you. No evaporated cane juice (sorry galaxy granola) or other less beneficial sweeteners here. Sunflower seeds, cashews, and coconut provide healthy sources of fat that you need, and you conveniently don't need to add fat sources.
    This time I let the granola get soggy with soymilk and so the flavor was the highlight, but I also enjoyed with Coconut Kefir immediately, maintaining the crunch and it was even better.  Haven't even tried it with traditional yogurt!

-1/2c nut free Bungalow Munch

-Blueberries and 4oz Soymilk

New Ginger Curry, Easiest Tastiest Lunch

Japacurry?

Had this meal I wanted to try out in mind, and am pretty stoked on it. Also realized taking this photo how all my food relies primarily on vegetables and secondarily on grains/main carbs and meat on the side.  #1 I think Thomas Jefferson was the one that said meat should be a side dish. Not in American culture I guess... Anyways this is a Ginger Curry Salmon Saute with Vegetables. It was sweet and gingery, garnished with Sesame and Green Onion, and supplemented with extra Ginger Lemon Tahini Dressing. The B-Sprouts absorbed most of the sauce (making them epic as you munched into sweet tenderness with a bite) so next time I think I need to cook the Salmon and veggies separately each in a bit of the curry.  Super tasty anyways!

-Salmon Fillet, Onion, and B-Sprouts, Sauteed in Lemon Ginger Red Curry
   -Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, Ginger Juice, Lemon, Ginger Powder, Mirin
-Beets and Sweet Potato
-Short Grain Brown Rice
-Sesame, Green Onion, and Ginger Tahini Dressing to top (Lemon, Ginger Juice, Tahini)

Brown Rice and Chickpea Salad

Some cuisines really cook. Spices, time, and preparation galore. Others are simply all about ingredient selection. Maybe salt and pepper, but it's all about content. #2 That's what this lunch is all about. Ok, enough embellishment, it was easy to throw together out of leftovers quickly but is a quality meal!

-Spring Mix Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Olives

-Spinach Artichoke Sabra Hummus

-Long Grain Brown Rice

-Chickpeas

-Olive Oil and Rice Wine Vinegar

Mediterranean in a previous life!

Lunch and dinner today were both heavily influenced by my epic feast at Rumi last night celebrating my win! Can't get enough of Mediterranean food! Less cooking but more tastiness!

The Rumi Influence

   Combination of leftovers and some needed to be cooked vegetables created this meal.  I still didn't have enough Mediterranean food in me so I made Tzatziki (yogurt cucumber awesomeness). I also whipped up the classic Garlic Thyme Chard which is also impossible to mess up.  All the foods I decided to eat in combination were the key to this meal, it was amazing. And the little bit of cooking I did do for the Yogurt Sauce and Chard. #1 The chard was amazing with a bit of hummus, and everything else went perfectly mixed with a little yogurt sauce and pita. The Carrot soup is from woodlands but wasn't good so I didn't eat it...

-Leftover Brown Jasmine Rice and Pita

-Spring Mix, Cucumber Tomato, Garbanzos

-Leftover Hummus + Steamed Carrot

-Rainbow Chard (Olive Oil, Garlic, Thyme, Sea Salt and Pepper)

-Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt, Dill Weed, Mint, Garlic, Vinegar, Olive Oil, Cucumber, Green Onion)

My Mediterranean meets Your Mediterranean

   I combined the leftover Meyer Lemon Garlic Chicken from my race prep dinner with all the Rumi leftovers for this epic lunch. It was all perfect together. Too many delicious fresh herbs, spices, and flavors going on to count. You'll have to see the previous posts to dissect the experience.

From Rumi: 

-Jasmine Rice with Saffron, Caramelized Onion, and Zereshk

-Fresh Herbs (Coriander Leaves and Anise I think)

-House Salad

-Tahini Sauce

-Tiny Falafel

-Pita

From Me:

-Garlic Lemon Chicken with Almonds and Leeks

Sweet Ginger Tahini Veggie Deluxe, Standard Lunch Wrap, Mint Chocolate Chip Breakfast

Sweet Ginger Tahini Vegetable Plate with Attitude

Mainly a Sweet Creamy Ginger Tahini Sauce but this dinner had almost too many good combos and phenomenons going on to describe! #1 Today's breakfast and dinner really do go with the theme of the more ingredients and preparation the better the result. Garbanzo Beans with Tahini (just like Tahini with Hummus). Creamy Tahini with Creamy Avo. Cloves worked in the Kale with Turmeric, and then with the Sweet Potato. Nutritional Yeast really does taste like cheese, so combined with the hint of sweet rice wine in the Tahini Sauce it reminded me a lot of Fondue. Classic Mustard and Ginger Bite with the B-Sprouts. All combined into one super vegetable plate. Semi inspired by this lunch experience.

-Tahini, Sweet Rice Wine (Mirin), Ginger Juice

-Kale and Oyster Mushrooms Sauté with Olive Oil, Turmeric, Cloves, Garlic, Sea Salt

-Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Olive Oil, Ginger Juice, Coriander, Mustard Seed

-Steamed Carrots, Avocado, Baked Sweet Potato, Garbanzo Beans

-Nutritional Yeast

My Usual Mediterranean Wrap

 This has become pretty standard for my lunches. Lemon and Hummus plus a bunch of yummy Med-influence ingredients for a delicious and nutritious wrap. #2 Easy prep the night before.
-Wheat Wrap, Diestel Pastrami Turkey, Long Grain Brown Rice
-Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Olives
-Hummus and Lemon

Mint Chocolate Chip Overnight

This time I really felt like I was eating Mint Chip Ice Cream. Pretty awesome. I finally have Spearmint extract and it's epic. #3 All kinds of yummy crackily crunchies in this bowl and more cacao nibs than you can see (sooo good)! Couldn't decide between Pecans to go with creaminess or Brazil Nuts for some bite so I went with a bit of both!

-55g oats, 160g soymilk, 1tsp Matcha Powder, several drops Spearmint Extract, Agave Nectar

-Galaxy Granola, Blueberries, 

-Dried Cranberries, Cacao Nibs, Chopped Pecans and Brazil Nuts

Flavor for Days

How do you make vegetarian meals delicious?  Use the right ingredients and spices!

Lentil Soup and Salad

This Lentil Soup has pasta shells and fennel in it, and extra crunch from almonds.  It is bursting with flavor due to star anise, cumin, fennel seed powder, carraway seeds, and olive oil.  I used a Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette on the Salad.

Garbanzo Bean Salad

 Spinach Bolani, Hummus, and avocado are the tasty ingredients for this meal while the dressing adds all the flavor with lemon, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil.  Kiwi for dessert!
-Arugula, tomato, avocado, garbanzos
-Spinach Bolani and Hummus
-Lemon, Olive Oil, Ground Pepper Dressing

 A tender bowl of thick oats full of flavor from cooking in cinnamon, banana, and strawberries, topped with more strawberry, almond butter, dried cherries, and a lil' almond butter.