Sundays Food

I decided that I might as well start in on my new "diet" now, I mean why wait until Monday? To me, that's like a New Year's resolution, (which I don't believe in), if you have to wait an entire year to make a commitment to yourself, it probably won't stick. If I decide to do something I do it right away.


I had my usual meal replacement shake when I woke up before heading off to the gym. I didn't set the alarm and woke at 5:20, I took my time getting ready.


I trained Back and Biceps and then headed home and had my protein shake with a small banana blended in, then coffee.


Off to the Farmer's Market to stock up on goodies.


Next I had 100% grass fed ground beef mixed with sautéed chard and kale and a pasture raised fried egg on top  (see above). Yum!


Kale steaming

Chard in a little olive oil and red pepper flakes, I sauté it then add the steamed kale to it.

Cook the ground beef

Mix in the greens

Then top with an egg.

Then all morning cooking and I had more beef and vegetables. I had a grass fed flank steak from Prather Ranch that I bought at the Farmer's Market so David sliced it really thin for me. I sautéed it with steamed broccoli.

Next I will have rotisserie chicken and more vegetables. We bought a small chicken from Prather Ranch, these little beauties do not taste like the ones you buy in the grocery store.  I brined it all day in a recipe that Chez Panisse restaurant uses, and I use it for my chickens and my Thanksgiving day turkey. It makes the chicken taste even more sublime.


Here it is brining away!

The chicken gets tied and threaded through the long metal rod and will slowly turn on the wood fire rotisserie for about an hour and a half, it will be moist and falling off the bone.

The vegetables will be grilled first on a super hot fire then served at room temperature.

The boys will also have an orzo salad with goat cheese and tomatoes.


Here are the cooked vegetables

And my dinner, I added some ripe, creamy avocado too.

Fish Skewers and Spring vegetables

Looks great doesn't it? It was stupendous and healthy too.  This is really called Spiedini di pescatrice con fave e asparagi (monkfish skewers with fava and asparagus), it is from one of my cooking magazines La Cucina Italiana.

I didn't have everything they called for so I made due with what was fresh and in season. I first shelled fresh English peas, then I trimmed sugar snap peas and I par boiled them just for a couple moments, then into ice water to stop the cooking. I also had fava beans which are typically way more work than most people are prepared to put in, but we love them so I did.

Shaved carrot and thinly sliced turnips, was added next, asparagus spears, then it all  got dumped onto a paper towel to drain. It will be served room temperature- couldn't be easier!

I bought tuna (and to the left is beef for Cooper)....the fish was cut into big chunks, coated in a small amount of fruity olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and smoky Spanish paprika then threaded on the skewers  and grilled.

Then the vegetables were placed on plates, drizzled with olive oil (but not mine, the fish had enough for me) and the skewers were placed on top.

A balsamic vinegar reduction was made (easy!!) and drizzled over.  OK, I made this sound simple and it was. You need to use your imagination. Go to the market and buy what inspires you, this can be created with anything in season and the protein can be beef, pork, fish, chicken.

If you want the real, actual step by step recipe, visit me on Pinterest and you can find it on my board called Great Food. And be sure to follow my boards as I pin all my favorite recipes there.

Peppered Cauliflower

Sometimes the simplest things are the best! I love spicy foods, I suppose that's because I eat so many "one dimensional" things, meaning since I am forever on some sort of calorie restricted diet, I don't eat a lot of stews and sauces and things like that,


I eat vegetables. I eat meat. I eat starch. I don't typically mix them either unless its one of my "bowls". So......

SPICE!

I was making my tilapia and it is covered in Vindaloo Curry, so I wanted something to compliment that, but not anything too complex as I already have the curry. I opted for pepper.

Plain, black, coarse ground pepper.

Delicious!

The oven is at 400 degrees, I line a baking sheet with foil (cause I am lazy and don't want to scrub and scrub), and I cut up the cauliflower into fairly large florets and wash them, then drain and place them on the foil lined sheet. They are still moist from the water clinging to them.

I have a big container of coarse ground black pepper, Virginia gets it at Costco for me. I use freshly ground as I eat, but for cooking I like this as it is really coarse.

I put a handful in one hand and generously sprinkle it all over the cauliflower, making sure it all gets a generous amount of pepper. Because the cauliflower is still slightly wet, the pepper sticks to it.

Into the hot oven it goes to roast to desired doneness, anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Cook it the least amount as possible to preserve nutrients. A crispy or al dente vegetable is the best.

I like it when a few get a little brown on the edges.

Done, it is great served with anything!

A New Year Diet

It's that time of year, everyone is thinking about losing a few pounds, it's America's favorite pastime.  Many people have mentioned it to me over the last couple weeks, they want advise, they want help. "What really works?" "How do you stay slim?" "What exercises should I do?"


In my opinion, it's not the exercises that will sculpt your body, it's the food you fuel it with.


Don't walk away thinking that weight training isn't important, it is, I wouldn't look the way I look if I didn't lift heavy weights on a regular basis. But you can lift heavy weights all your life and if you eat like crap, you will look like crap, simple as that.


Oh I have seen some young males who can get away with eating all sorts of fast food and still have beautiful hard bodies, but they should at their age, they are in the prime of life with testosterone surging through their bodies. Testosterone is natures way of making muscle and males have about 10 times more than females do.


So to get the body you want, the body we all want, you need to take a look at your diet.  Unless you are competing, you really don't have to weigh or measure everything, but you can if you are OCD or just plain bad at eyeballing portions.


Stick to the foods that have proven to be successful: lean protein sources, good fats and complex carbohydrates.


I was asked just Saturday, where to start? The obvious first choices are eliminate garbage like chips (they are evil), alcohol, candy, crackers, all packaged snack type foods.  


Then make the right healthy choices. 


Protein: This is the most important, after all the word protein comes from the from Greek prōtos, first.


Be sure it is a lean protein source which can be any number of things: skinless turkey breast, skinless chicken breast, fish, shellfish, beef, buffalo, canned tuna, eggs (or egg whites). Sure, you can eat some pork on occasion. Stay away from sausages though- bad joo joo!


Then, your carbohydrate, the "starch": whether it is potato, oatmeal, brown rice, other whole grains; CUT IT IN HALF. That's right, whatever you would normally put on your plate, take half away and leave it like that.


Now, vegetables: DOUBLE the amount you would normally have. Yes indeed, and no butter or oil please. And if it is salad, don't put on salad dressing, that bottled stuff is typically chock full of calories. Of course, you can go in search of a nice low cal dressing, just be sure to check out the serving size and stick to it. Your best bet is to make your own with a very small amount of olive oil (good fat) and vinegar or lemon. 


Get used to eating and enjoying vegetables, they are your friend. Take a look at the picture at the top of the page, these are the vegetables I made on Monday for the next couple days. Some are plain, some are not. 


Clockwise, starting at the front with the red vegetable: Radicchio, a bitter green like a small red lettuce. I cut this up in thick pieces and tossed it with a fat free vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, grainy mustard, truvia, pepper); then I roasted it in the oven for about 15 minutes.


Sauteed mixed peppers with some olive oil; curry cauliflower and carrots (I will explain below); Soo Foo (my very small container of a mixed whole grain); steamed broccoli, eggplant that has been roasted in the oven, and in the center, sauteed mushrooms.


Over the course of the next three days I will eat all that, and I will get a delivery of more and cook yet more produce.


The cauliflower is great! I will combine it with chicken and mushrooms, or maybe peppers, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.


To make the cauliflower, preheat the oven to 400 (hot oven); cut the cauliflower into small florets, place in a baking pan or large dish so they will be in one layer. Sprinkle over a very small amount of olive oil, toss well. Sprinkle a small amount of kosher salt and a generous amount of curry powder, toss well. Spread evenly over the baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake 10 minutes to steam, then remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until some start to lightly brown, toss and serve warm or room temperature.

Feeding Body and Soul

I am referring to two different meals. Mine is to feed "THE body" and the other meal is to feed the souls of my boys. It's right about now where I really start to feel guilty for all the garbage I put them through so I can compete. I have said it before, it's not good for a relationship unless you both follow the same path.


The rigid schedule of training, regular "feedings", massive supplements, two times a day sessions at the gym, need for extra sleep, food cravings, mood swings, need I go on? It's not pleasant to live with someone doing what I do, and

David and Cooper: Thank you for being so patient and understanding.

It will be over in three weeks, then the fun begins for us all. Anyway, close to the end here as my diet becomes even more strict, I start cooking more for the boys.

Above you can see my "favorite of the week", fish stew. I call it that but it probably would only be tasty to someone on a diet. I actually love it and can eat it year round anyway. 

Below is what I made for David and Cooper after I ate my stew. Rabbit. Bunny, Hare, yes those cute little things we call Thumper. Rabbit coated in French mustard, salt and pepper then sauteed in olive oil. After it has browned on both sides, add white wine and fresh thyme (I have massive amounts of all herbs in my vineyard out front). Simmer about an hour until tender, turning occasionally. 

I served it with some of the best gratin potatoes in the world. Rub the dish with fresh garlic, then layer thin slices of russets, creme fraiche, gruyere cheese, salt. Bake for about one and a half hours till hot, bubbly, creamy and crunchy on top.


They wanted no vegetables to ruin their dish (ha ha).

You can see them enjoying the dish, wish I was sitting there eating it too! 

This is soul food. 

Back to my stew, it was quite satisfying for being on a diet. I have been eating massive amounts of greens lately, so I saute several different kinds separately so they are just cooked exactly the way I like them, and then add them to a big bowl and mix them all together.


This is mustard greens, kale, chard, collard greens (my favorite) and broccoli raab. I added some of my greens mixture to a big soup bowl and also added some thinly sliced and cooked leeks, mushrooms and broccoli. There was about three cups of vegetables I think.


I then added one cup of water and warmed it all in the microwave.


I cubed up cod and liberally sprinkled chile powder all over and quickly sauteed the cubes in a tiny bit of olive oil. I placed the cubed fish on top, added a perfectly cooked organic egg then squeezed lots of lemon all over.

This is fuel for THE body.

Scallops Fit for a Queen (or King)

Sunday night and I am making scallops with vegetables for myself (above) and bangers and mash for the boys (below). Not familiar with it? That's because it is a British dish, David's mother was Welsh, and now Cooper is a British Citizen, you gotta eat like your people!

Mash are mashed potatoes; bangers are pork sausage with bread in them, very mild, but highly loved by the British. They are pan fried, and served with gravy and peas.

I did not eat this!

I fed it to the boys and they were pleased as pie! I made them a nectarine crostada for dessert too.

Below is another view of mine, half eaten so you can see the broth and the colors and the great dish I made.

I had slices of Italian squash that had been sauteed, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, sauteed leeks and 2 ounces of Maria's "sweet pots". Those are sweet potatoes that have been chunked up, and tossed with small amount of olive oil, cinnamon, splenda and pepper and then roasted until tender. 


I put all the vegetables, which had been previously cooked, onto a plate, then warmed it in the microwave (I use mine a lot).


I then heated a cast iron pan and placed a small amount of coconut oil in it, and seared the scallops (I had salted and peppered) for 2 minutes a side. I placed the scallops on top of the warmed vegetables then added some water to the very hot pan, to deglaze the juices. 

Now the last touch: Taste #5 Umami Paste! What is Umami?
For a long time, scientists debated whether umami was indeed a basic taste; but in 1985 at the first Umami International Symposium in Hawaii, the term Umami was officially recognized as the scientific term to describe the taste of glutamates and nucleotides. 


Now it is widely accepted as the fifth basic taste. Umami represents the taste of the amino acid L-glutamate and 5’-ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and inosine monophosphate (IMP).


Although it can be described as a pleasant "brothy" or "meaty" taste with a long lasting, mouthwatering and coating sensation over the tongue, umami has no translation.


Umami has a mild but lasting after-taste difficult to describe. It induces salivation and a furriness sensation on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth 

YUM! I added a small squeeze of Umami paste and whisked it around, then poured the broth over my dish. One of the biggest problems with diet food is the dryness, lack of sauces and condiments, but a nice tasty broth can change everything.


I bought the paste in Santa Cruz, and have seen it in several gourmet shops since then. I bet Whole Foods even carries it now! Try some!

High Protein Low Starch

Fish, it's what's for dinner! I love fish and I buy it fresh, then cut it into portions, wrap each piece then freeze it. 

I am not too keen on buying packaged frozen things from Trader Joes or Costco  as I am not confident in the freshness or quality. I buy my fish from guys I know, guys I can talk to about it.

I have played around with my "diet" quite a bit- I wasn't on a calorie restricted diet since breaking my rib, when I was prepping for a competition. That was way back on March 28 or so. I only recently started back eating clean and adhering to my regular "diet".

I always watch what I eat though, and I incorporate lots of vegetables.

I have been reading quite a bit on "Paleo" type diets- getting back to what man ate for a couple million years.

Although I eat starch, I have been trying to reduce the starchy carbs and eat more fibrous carbs (vegetables).

I have substituted my rice with beans and lentils quite a bit. I am not going there- I know that they are not considered "Paleo" but I am not sticking to a "Paleo" diet, I am trying to move away from processed foods and more to whole, natural state foods.

My meal above was great!

I always have big bowls of cooked vegetables in the fridge, and after they get to be a few days old, I will freeze them. Sometimes I mix and sometimes I don't. This means I always have vegetables on hand.  No excuses.

So for dinner I took out a bag of mixed, cooked vegetables. It was broccoli rabe, mushrooms, and peppers. I defrosted it in a bowl.

I then had a big head of red cabbage (very good for you) from the CSA delivery so I cut it up into thick slivers and mixed it with the vegetables. Everything was heated together and resulted in soft cooked vegetables with slightly crunchy cabbage.

The fish was rock cod, I seasoned it with smoky paprika and water, then cooked it (covered) in the microwave about 4 minutes.

The flavored water from the fish was poured over the vegetables, then the fish placed on top.

Fresh lemons squeezed all over and it was wonderful!


I enjoy some "bad" food once in a while, but I really like my "good" food better. My body is like a machine, it hums along with the proper fuel, short change me, or treat me like a 2 stroke and I don't perform well. I need premium for this fine piece of machinery. I can feel and see the difference in my body the next day after having just a couple drinks or a meal full of processed empty carbohydrates. 

I have enjoyed the results of my changing diet, and I am not sure how to describe it, other than "not packaged or processed".  It is evolving, just like me. I will write more about my successes, my failures, my oops as I progress.

Who knows, someday I may even more in the "Paleo" direction, I am usually not one to state "absolutes" until I have tried it and proven it myself, or I have seen extremely bad results from others.

Right now? I am happy with it. I am looking full and lean, feeling full and lifting heavy  What more could I want?

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Market

David and I will drive up to San Francisco to have fish tacos and red wine for breakfast whenever we can. I know that sounds a bit odd, but don't knock it till you have tried it!


We head straight for the Ferry Plaza Market. Saturdays is a huge outdoor market in addition to the regular shops and restaurants. 


The last time we were there was after my last competition in October, 2010, so you can see we are rather busy and don't make it there very often. Lacrosse season in the spring pretty much eats up the weekends....


I am enjoying my red wine in the sunshine, on a glorious day, it's only 9:00 a.m. 

Fish taco on the right there, and we split a quesadilla.  They make their own tortilla's at Mijita Restaurant, and that can't be beat!

We bought fresh oysters and clams at Hog Island Oyster Company.

Bread at Acme, this is where I get my rustic rye and spelt bread.

And I left David at Cowgirl Creamery as he tasted his way through all of the goat and sheep cheese!

Loaded up on pork and beef at Prather Ranch.

Then had a glass of sparkling wine.

We wandered around the outdoor market, sampling wonderful fruits, vegetables, cheeses, oils, nuts, tasty treats from myriad restaurants. 

It's fine to do this, in fact its a healthy way to eat (well maybe not the wine with breakfast), but the point is, you can enjoy life and food without going overboard. You can eat what "normal" people eat and stay lean, you can look great and be healthy. 

Shop in the right paces, enjoy the good foods, splurge on occasion. Enjoy life!