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.

Persimmons and Pumpkin Smoothie Epic Bowl Fun

I've finally jumped onto the Fall Bandwagon! Pumpkin Pie Spices (I don't have the actual mix), Pumpkin, and Persimmon in everything! My favorite time of year (been waiting for persimmons for so long!!!).

Bam: First Fall Breakfast!

I have been into using the frozen Acai Smoothie Packs from my freezer and they've been making some epic bowls. This one went:

• Acai
• Pumpkin
• Persimmon
• Hazelnut Butter and Macadamia Nuts
• Pumpkin Pie Spices (Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves)
• Vanilla Protein Powder

I'm burned out on cloves since I hit them heavy handed a few times and ruined too many foods.  Hazelnut goes epicly with the spices though, and the persimmons are sweet and creamy within the amalgamation of yummy vanilla protein and acai. Also more of my new favorite hot cocoa (note that delicious melty drop of coconut oil, mmmm).

This time in the bowl went:

• Pumpkin (maybe 1/4c)
• 1T Chia Seeds
• 2 Scoops Vanilla Whey
• 2-3T Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• Pumpkin Pie Spices
• Topped with a bunch of Melty Coconut Butter
• Persimmon

At this point when I open a can of pumpkin I can just eat it straight without any extra sweetener or spices, but I've held back for the most part to make it even better first...

The Turtle Shell Chocolate Sauce - Coconut Butter trick is quite delicious (fun?), and I definitely enjoy pumpkin pie flavoring (I've literally had it in so many smoothies/recovery drinks/breakfast bowls recently), but also the Vanilla Whey with Chia Seeds combo makes an epic vanilla poppy seed theme/texture.

I also experimented with Pumpkin Pie Hot Cocoa. Pretty good (just added Pumpkin Pie Spices and 1-2T Pumpkin to my regular combo), although definitely something to be in the mood for since my regular mix is so tasty already. I might try way more pumpkin next time.

*On a side note hard boiled egg yolks mix into the pumpkin quite well for a pleasant creamy taste (I definitely mixed some hard boiled eggs into my pumpkin breakfast bowls a couple of times).

Here's another meal replacement/recovery smoothie party I had:

I went with:

• Frozen Banana + Blueberries
• Vanilla Whey Protein
• Macadamia Nuts
• Ginger Juice/Ginger Powder
• a Persimmon, Macadamias, Coconut Flakes, Cacao Nibs, and a Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroon mixed in

These Cocoroons are straight up dangerous. Way too good.

It was creamy, gingery, sweet and full of delicious cookie like crunchies. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Enough said.

Now I just have to step it up and actually bake with pumpkin and persimmon instead of being lazy and eating them in quickie breakfast bowls/smoothies!  Stay tuned...