Quick Tasty Experimentation

I made an effort to use up my waffles after having an excess post waffle-testing (and having to leave for home).

This was a bit of the standard set up: Toaster-ovened with or without the Blueberries and Cacao Nibs at the same time, and accompanied/mixed with Vanilla Vegan Protein Powder mixed with just enough water and PLENTY of Cinnamon. Hot Cocoa for occasional dunkage.

Then I had an idea...

Gluten Free French Toast Waffles? Taffles?

After seeing so many delicious egg/quinoa bakes and other similar bakes in the food blog world I decided to just throw some of my favorite free range eggs in the toaster oven with my waffles. Definitely an easy and delicious way to enjoy a French Toast like waffle providing the essential morning fat, carb, and protein! Cinnamon and Cacao Nibs included. A little soggy and a little crunchy for the win.

Another morning I tried out making some high protein more blueberry muffins to use up the last of my brown rice flour and quinoa.

They were a little dry, but rose the right amount. Super sweet, tart, and delicious blueberry clusters were epic (I used a lot!).

Melting coconut oil all over the top makes up for a bit of the dryness and is super tasty.

Epic Blueberry Insides

I don't know if the recipe is sharing but I'll include it anyways for inspiration/if you feel like using up some brown rice flour and quinoa flour or quinoa. And lots of Blueberries!

• 2 Eggs
• 1c Blueberries
• 1/2c Brown rice flour
• 1/4c Quinoa flour
• 1/4c Whey protein
• 2g Baking soda
• 50g Olive oil
• 20g Agave nectar 40g Brown rice syrup
• Dash of Salt
• Cinnamon 6g
• Contents of 1 Vanilla Bean

Baked for 27.5 minutes at 350ºF.

All of these Gluten Free treats make me extra happy because A) I've discovered that the less wheat I eat, the less my knee tendonitis bugs me when I ride (no advil or rocktape needed) and B) Aaron Gwin (best American mountain biker ever thus far, just truly came out of the woodwork this year and won the world cup overall) is gluten free!

Blueberry Bliss

This post is all about breakfast. With Blueberries. Probably so delicious because of the in season Pemberton Blueberries! 

 Blueberry Coconut Muffins

 Since my Paleo Diet kick i've meant to try some grain free recipes. This worked quite well (with some availability based-modifications of course).

• 1/2c Coconut Flour
• 1/2t Baking Soda
• 2T Cacao Nibs
• 2T Dried Cranberries
• Some Sea Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1/3c Coconut Milk
• 1T Vanilla
• 4 Mashed Dates
• 1c Blueberries

I've been using eggs with the yolk since grocer's here carry free range organic, so they are excellent sources of Omega 3's and I'm also siginificantly less worried about cholestorol and saturated fat now. The other modifications were simply what I had on hand.

I've been loving my cooked blueberries soft and on the verge of explosion!

They really made a nice moist muffin! A yummy mushy base of coconut flour and egg, with sweetness from the best blueberries, cacao nibs, and dried cranberries. The crunchy bitter cacao nibs compliment the soft tart blueberries well. An easy grain free-low carb-healthy fats and protein breakfast/snack for sure. Also good toasted with some nut butter.

 Just a quick image of one of the eggs here because they are so good! Super orange yolks and so delicious. 

Blueberry Power Waffle Time

 The other side

 I took my pancake batter to the waffle maker! Minus the chocolate and chia seeds.

With Blueberry Sauce and Melty Coconut Oil (and a plain taste test bite)

  I experimented with a Blueberry Coconut Sauce which was delish, also making up for the slightly drieness of the waffles when eaten plain, which are vanilla-blueberry coconutty and excellent. Good texture and crispiness.  Make the sauce or simply slather with coconut oil / coconut butter.
For one waffle:

• Some Coconut Water and Coconut Milk 
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey
• 1-2t Vanilla 
• 1/2c Blueberries (some for sauce some for waffle)
•  2T Coconut flour 
•  1 Egg

 For the sauce just boil a bit of water with the blueberries (I could have used a lot more) and then top it on the waffle with coconut oil sort of mixing together.

I'll admit I also enjoyed the extras later on toasted with So-Delicious Cookie Dough Coconut Ice Cream. So decadent and so good. (Think I prefer Coconut Bliss but it's not available here currently)

Whistler Final Eats

I have to get this out of the way before I continue with my at home creations! There will be some good ones coming as I am getting deeper into The Paleo Diet Fort Athletes! But first some more splurging from my travels:

Mmmm! I had to try the Banana Toffee Pecan Chocolate Chip edition from Mogul's. The banana goes with pecan and toffee and oats so well! Toffee chips add the sugary touch that berries do so well in the usual cookies, just in a more decadent desserty less tart kind of way. This version ranks high on the mogul cookies list!

The Fuji Market is my savior. I got an epic bag of mixed Japanese boiled root vegetables (refridgerated, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and much more!) and supplemented with Kale. Plus my experimental/always thinking about what to make/eat nature. Still didn't buy any oil/dedicated ingredients for cooking.

I used a soy sauce packet and left over kim chee juice and pickled ginger juice with some lime to make the best flavor/cooking agent! It was a little salty-little spicy-not really a little tangy but sort of. I love the super good kale and root veggies/mushrooms/shoots. The 'cheap' fish ($5 for sushi grade salmon!) tasted good raw and especially yummy with the pickled ginger. So crunchy and delicious all around with the nuts and seeds. Cashews definitely rule butt. Stoked to satisfy my craving for expensive fancy fish and stir fry without the cost!

The perfect 'final' cookie. I was hoping for the rare banana-toffee-pecan, but ended up with the never before seen Raspberry Toffee Pecan Chocolate Chip!A perfect suprise/end of my trip after my last big ride 4 hour xc ride (the most challenging of the trip for sure). I decided to hit up all the post ride routines in one. Coconut water, Gu recovery drink and cookie sesh.

  Combine the classic go-to raspberry with the sweet nuttiness of the toffee/pecan!   The extra crunch and flavor from the toffee chips and pecans brings the raspberry cookie to a whole new level.  Nuttier/sweeter/crunchier yet STILL tart and chewy.

 

This was actually the last cookie, I had to try the Apple Cinnamon since before I had Apple Pecan and thought how good it would be with some cinnamon. It really was just like a slightly denser chewier muffin top and made for the perfect oaty doughy breakfast cookie (half with dinner half in the morning).

And i'll end with some brief randoms

The Last Splitz Grill Wrap

Buffalo Burger with almost every topping

• Sprouts, Lettuce Tomato, Cucumber, Pickles
• Baba Ghanoush, Hummus (lots of it), Dijon

 Daifuku

A Japanese Mochi Red Bean Paste Cake from the Fuji Market! Sweet, gluten free, and delicious.

Fuji Market/My own Combo Salad

• Fuji Market: Seaweed Salad (Arame), Spinach Goma Ae (Sesame Sauteed), Pickled and Sweetened Pickled Ginger
• Turkey, Romaine Lettuce, Cashews, Almonds, Blueberries
• Lemon Juice

Mogul's Mega Muffin (Blueberry Oat Bran)

Plenty of deliciousness to choose from!

Only in Whistler! Part I

My favorite time of year! Racing in Whistler, B.C. I try not to dream or think about it because it's so good all around that it's painful for me to not always be here. I'll start with Mogul's Coffee/The Gone Eatery.

 Begin: favorite cookies in the world!

 Holy Wow! (salt shaker for size ref)

I thought about these cookies for one year. I was almost a little worried my taste would have changed  and I wouldn't appreciate them as much. But they are just as good! Even bigger than I remember. I've pretty much had one per day. That's impressive considering they are 1400 calories for a whole one (word on the street is). At least there's oil instead of butter and they do have fruit/oats/wheat flour in them!

Raspberry Blueberry Oat Chocolate Chip

I never want it to end when im eating it and it almost never does! it has all the best aspects of a raspberry, oatmeal, chocolate chip, and sugar cookie somehow. The raspberry is strong and sweet yet fresh and moist. The texture is perfect. Not overly airy or dense. The baking time is perfect creating ease to break apart sans crumbling and with delightful chewiness. Damn. I'd pay a lot of money for the recipe!

The outside gets more cooked so the middle is like fruity tart chocolate chip cookie dough while the outside remains more crunchy less sweet oatmeal choco chip. Stoked on both blueberries and raspberries together although solo raspberry is just as good. Bite into what ever section your in the mood for!

The popular banana version is quite delicious as well.  The doughyness comes out more and the banana pairs nicely with the slightly salty oaty goodness!

I discovered they make the cookies from a mix and just add fruit. I bought some but think it might be a Canadian Quaker product re-labeled. More on how that goes soon!  I also need to try the apple pecan and strawberry editions (they are more rare)! Checking for availability every day... But onto the muffins!

They do epic XL Muffins.  Massive Blueberry Oat Bran are delicious, and many more.  Of course I got my idea for pumpkin oat bran pecan muffins from these last year! They pair so well together. So big and mostly muffin top, the way it should be! Also such a delicious spice combo of nutmeg and cinnamon and cloves with raisins too! I think some hints of roasted maple too? I enjoyed with a little extra nuttiness from Almond Butter and some blueberries for my daily fresh fruit/antioxidant fix.

The Morning Glory Muffins are pretty sweet as well. Literally. A carrot muffin gone occasionally tart with apple, currants or golden raisins, and pineapple. So moist and delicious with just the right amount of chewy crunchy morsels!

 Bring on The Splitz Burger.

 With the best burgers to choose from such as Spicy Lentil, Buffalo, Lamb, Turkey, or regular, Splitz is the coolest burger place ever.  You can also get chicken breast, or teriyaki salmon.  With or without Yam Fries! Served on white or multi grain bun, or a wheat wrap, OR GLUTEN FREE BREAD! You choose your burger and then move down the line with all sorts of toppings.

 My first was the local B.C. Buffalo (grass fed). It tastes more earthy/gamey which pairs perfectly with the semi earthy gluten free bread by Food For Life.

• Baba Ghanoush
• Grilled Pineapple
• Guacamole
• Carrot
• Sprouts
• Pickles
• Cucumber
• BBQ Sauce

The baba ghanoush was amazing, exploding with garlic and roasted eeggplant. The bbq sauce from the burger with the pineapple paired a perfect sweetness.  I will be going back for the lentil and turkey burgers (so be ready for some more epic combos!). 

 

The 2 dollar meal! Local trail/race organization, WORCA, puts on 'Loonie Races' every Thursday night. They cost a loonie (Canadian $2 coin) and include apres meal and beer. And the winner gets $50! 150-300 people usually attend. I only made it 1/4 of the way through the race due to a flat tire, but was in around 6th with 300 people behind me! Sponsored by the Lift Coffee Company this time, the meal after was delicious. Pretty gourmet for $2! I want to make all 3 of these items! They also had wraps and cookies which I skipped.

• Quinoa Salad (Black Beans, Corn, Parsley, Tomato) 
• Roasted Cauliflower (Lemon, Red Pepper, Fennel)
• Kale Salad (Garbanzos, Barley, Tomato, Onion)

Another well known: The Mongolie Grill

 Get your bowl and put in your ingredients!

 Choose your sauces/flavorings!

What I got:

•  Broccoli
• Cashews (for the crunch and source of fat)
• Water Sprout Shoot (white things?)
• Water Chestnuts (I love them and they are so rare!)
• Carrot
• Lemon 
• Coconut Milk
• Onion
• Olives (had to give it a shot for stir fry b/c I could)
• Shrooms
• Garlic 
• Ginger (such bomb flavor)
• Chicken
• Zucchini
• Asparagus

 And it gets stir fried and mixed up right in front of you!

 Most people go with various noodles/meats and sugary sauces but I opted for the more veggie-base flavor options.

 My veggie combo stands out among the rest...

All done! Topped with Sesame Seeds, a tid bit of soy sauce, and accompanied by your choice of jasmine/brown rice, and miso/hot 'n sour soup.  I love that you can get it exactly the way you want. So customizable in every way!  My garlic-ginger-coconut-lemon flavoring was bomb and I got my veggie fix for sure.

 Next up will be everything I actually made (didn't eat out all the time, gotta save some $$$) and the remaining foods I have to try!

The Final Stretch: Sun Valley Nationals Celebration!

Post XC RACE AT NATIONALS! I've been talking about overeating post race, but this topped it all. With the biggest race of the season out of the way, I felt no need to hold back. That's saying something since I already hold back very little after races.

 I haven't had ice cream in almost a few years (froyo doesn't count), and only recently realized how many awesome alternatives there are.  Coconut, Almond, Rice...  The markets in Ketchum had a ton to choose from, including some REAL Froyo as well (ingredients: Greek Yogurt, Honey), which was quite impressive but unfortunately I didn't get to try.  I went with the coconut option, and ginger caramel cookie sounded to good. I planned on eating 1/3 or 1/2 of the carton as a foreseeable amount, but ended up eating the entire thing! thats nearly 1000 calories of deliciousness. I see more coconut bliss in my future...

 I've become obsessed with coconut water recently. It hits the spot perfectly when I need some rehydration, and the health benefits are insane.  Just google it. The gluten free selection in town was also pretty epic, and these muffins did not let down. Cinnamony, Coconutty, sweet crunchy Carrot-Currant for the win. This was after the ice cream! After all that and a real lunch I felt full for about the rest of the day!

 One of the better leftovers lunches!

A Ginger Seared Ahi Tuna Steak along with some salad/avocado/carrot and a Sweet Potato, topped with some Cheesy Kale Chips I finally decided to buy, and Tahini/Almond Butter on the sweet potato. I am officially a fan of kale chips, although would prefer some basic non-'cheezy' ones.

Toppings for sweet potatoes even though they are delicious alone are all too good, so I usually do half and half. Greek Yogurt and Hummus this time!

Probably my favorite meal, we had numerous times during the trip. Tender chicken breasts baked with Chile Flakes, TJ's Gyoza Sauce, Basil, and Lemon Pepper, accompanied by Baked Sweet Potato and Vegetables sauteed with the same spices.  The veggies are soft and sweet but occasionally spicy, and supply the perfect combo of flavor with broccoli, different bell peppers, and cauliflower. Also a balsamic salad with avocado! 

  Next up, ALL THE BEST WHISTLER EATS. This is what I wait all year for. Seriously. I've tried to remake the Whistler cookies 50+ times and have to force myself not to think about all my favorite eats their to avoid the pain of not having it! Coming Soon.

Whole Athlete-Specialized Tahoe Training Camp Part I

If you remember my posts from living with the team before, these may be similar, but i'll try to include what's new and exciting! Also check out the girls team's blog/log from the camp!

 A non-oatmeal breakfast for once. The best TJ's Gluten Free Blueberry Raspberry Oatbran Muffin toasted and topped with Artisana Coconut Butter (frosting!), Almond Butter, and Sea Salt. Accompanied by Hard boiled egg whites for some protein and fresh cherries for some sweetener / antioxidants!

Sorry for the bad photos, the lighting wasn't so good but the taste was superb! Slightly spicy yet sweet all around.

One of the more epic dinners: a massive baked sweet potato along with the best baked chicken and summer salad! Inspired by the salads from Wisconsin.

• Romaine Lettuce, Raddichio, Tomato, Carrot, Avocado, Peaches, Olive Oil/Balsamic, S&P
• Chicken Breast, Artichoke Hearts, TJ's Ponzu Sauce, Basil, S&P, Chile Powder

The accompanying salad was sweet and delicious from the plenty of olive oil/balsamic and a hint of peach, the chicken sweet yet spicy from the sauce and chile powder/basil, and well, sweet potatoes are obvious.

 A quick throw together salad for lunch! Super easy salad fixings, canned tuna, and toasted gluten free bread. A bit of salsa, hummus, and spice brings it all together!

• Lettuce, Carrot, Tomato, Olives
• Olive Oil / Balsamic
• Brown Rice Bread toasted
• Canned Light Tuna
• Salsa and Garlic Hummus
• Sea Salt, Lemon Pepper, TJ's Every Day Seasoning

I am loving toasted brown rice bread and the tuna goes great with olive oil, spices, hummus, and salsa.

We do oatmeal a lot and I've got a couple goodies on hand to mix it up. This one was Chocolate Cherry Almond. The breakfast prep crew went with Cinnamon, Apple, and Banana cooked in (the standard) and I topped with:

• 100% Cacao Baker's Chocolate
• Almond Butter
• Honey
• Cherries

With no added sugar in the chocolate, a bit of honey adds just the right touch! You can either wait for the oatmeal to cool and enjoy crunchy choco bits of melt it in right away for a more pudding mix in theme. I enjoyed the warm melty delicious version! AB and Honey go so well together as do Dark Chocolate, Almond, and Cherries!

Speaking of Oatmeal, I used the leftovers with some other on hand ingredients to make into muffins! TJ's muffins ain't got nothing on my resourceful Bread Pudding Oatmeal Muffins!

I didn't really measure anything out, just added a bit of each thing as needed and it worked out pretty well.  No egg/flour/oat bran required! They are pretty much gluten free too except for the tiny bit of crunchy cereal added. I've been keeping gluten/wheat free quite well!

• Leftover oatmeal with Banana/Apple cooked in (maybe 2-2.5 cups)
• Vanilla Whey protein powder (2 scoops)
• Baking powder (~1.5T)
• Greek yogurt ~2.5T
• Organic Cane Sugar ~1/4c
• Pumpkin/sunflower seeds 1/4c
• 2 Dates
• Raisins/Cherries (small handful)
• Cinnamon/Sea salt (couple shakes ea.)
• a bit of Ezekiel Flax Sprouted Grain Cereal (for the crunch factor)
• 20-30min at 400º F

 The tops become muffin texture, slightly crispy and nice while the bottoms maintain an oatmeal bread pudding state (especially with the cooked banana/date/apple!).  They are delicious vanilla/oaty/cinnamony baked deliciousness! Especially good with some Almond Butter and a bit more Sea Salt/Cinnamon sprinkled on top. Off to do some more shredding.