I've really been enjoying the Sous-Vide Supreme I got my mom for Christmas (unfortunately more than her, but hopefully she'll catch on soon). The benefits are endless. I mostly enjoy the convenience, efficiency, and perfect control of cooking.
This post is all about extremely fine tasting food that's stupidly easy to prepare.
I used it for this Salmon and it came out amazing. Exploding with flavor from the Turmeric and some Green Curry Paste that was all vacuum trapped inside while cooking.
So tender, not over or underdone.
I enjoyed with some Mashed Cauliflower which I was recently really into after my Mom made some. Steam and then food process! It tastes better than mashed potatoes by far (especially because you can eat pounds of it and feel great). I did Garlic, Rosemary, and Sea Salt in mine.
A bit of Ghee melted over everything is always good.
Some Steamed Carrots and Chard Sauté as well.
I threw some Lamb Loin Chops in before training with a New Zealand Lamb Rub Spice Blend that came with the machine. It was done in an hour but I took it out 6 hours later!
And still perfect medium rare, exploding with flavor.
Along with Coconut Oil on Sweet Potato, Sauerkraut, and Sun Dried Tomato. Those three have sort of become a staple as i've been trying to eat less fiber on my bigger days to help with digestion, and that's really all I need (carbs, fat, probiotic fermented food, sun dried tomato b/c they are awesome).
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!
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.
