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Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Fueling - Part II

Posted by: Vince

I watched an interview with a pro triathlete a few years ago where he discussed his race day fueling strategy. He mentioned that he consumed approximately 450 calories an hour on race day. Without further investigation, it seemed like as good a number as any so I adopted it as my own strategy.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Three Spice Chicken

Posted by: Vince

I had a recipe for chicken with spinach and feta but I lost it in one of my piles or maybe it's just floating around in the car. I looked for it for a few minutes but I couldn't find it so I decided to just spice up the chicken and throw in on the BBQ.

This was so simple and yet delicious. The combination of spices blend well together and it was so good that I secretly ate another.... don't tell the Mrs. :)

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Spice Rubbed Salmon

Posted by: Vince

In the last week or so, I said I loved the flavor of salmon by itself but this is my new favorite way to prepare it. It was delicious and wrapping it in foil and cooking it on the grill made cleanup simple.

It's laughable that I have salad on the plate in the picture because it's so itty bitty and my salads are gigantic. But I wanted to capture it in the same picture in order to provide the recipe for the dressing as well.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Garlic Salmon with Grape Tomatoes

Posted by: Vince

Even though my workouts were not that long, I somehow managed to find myself with little time to prepare for dinner. This was a last minute idea due to time restrictions and it worked out well.

I seem to recall cooking something similar in the past but after doing a quick search, I was unable to find it so it was either long enough that I am allowed a repeat or it didn't happen.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Friday, August 20, 2010

Roasted Cauliflower, Garbanzo Beans, and Olives

Posted by: Vince

Despite being a simple dish that was really easy to make, this was absolutely delicious and I couldn't get enough of it.

I had a three hour workout in the afternoon and with the temperature near 90 degrees, I welcomed the saltiness of the olives but the Italian in me LOVED all of the garlic! NOM NOM! The flavors blend well together and I will definitely make this again soon!

Category: Health & Nutrition

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Fueling - Part I

Posted by: Vince

Earlier in the year, I struggled with having enough energy to train properly. In particular, I found that I would head out for a ride and I felt like I was already bonked. In an attempt to correct the situation, I would eat a bar as I walked out the door. While this masked the problem, it was really nothing more than a Band-Aid for a bigger issue.

It all started with my attempt to further clean up my diet. Since I'm not a calorie counter, I only have a general idea of how many calories I'm consuming on a daily basis. What I failed to realize is that in its latest edition, Diet 2.0, I was running a midday calorie deficit. It was hardly noticeable due to "make up" eating at dinner but during the day, I was short on fuel.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Posted by: Vince

I went back to the store looking for butternut squash and they are out. One day I will get to cook what I have in my mind but for now, I'm creating some pretty decent backup recipes.

I was glancing through a cooking magazine and saw a recipe for stuffed chicken which included a few items that I didn't have or didn't want to cook with so I decided to come up with something on my own.... this...

Category: Health & Nutrition

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Spaghetti Squash Pasta Dinner

Posted by: Vince

Without thinking, I grabbed spaghetti squash instead of butternut squash while shopping at the grocery store. I eventually realized it as I was attempting to create dinner. Since the two aren't even close, I had to come up with a last minute dinner idea.

This is my last minute creation and I have to say, I was very pleased with the outcome. This is my first attempt at using spaghetti squash but it definitely won't be my last. The flavor is subtle but the consistency and appearance is very much like real spaghetti. In a pasta dinner, I found it to be a great substitute and I didn't feel guilty for eating pasta. :)

Category: Health & Nutrition

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Mama Said Knock You Out

Posted by: Vince

Of the many things I had planned for today, being naked with two women wasn't one of them. But I'm getting ahead of myself so let's start at the beginning.

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm out on a long bike ride. I'll skip all of the boring details and get to the part where a bee slams into my head, stinger as well, and nearly causes me to crash. I manage to keep the bike upright but it hit me so hard I thought it had pierced me skull. A few hours later, my eye started to swell.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Friday, August 13, 2010

Sweet Potato Curry Chicken

Posted by: Vince

I need a bigger spice cabinet or I need less bottles of spice. While shopping for the ingredients, I wondered whether I had certain spices. I wound up purchasing items I didn't need and not purchasing items I did need. Note to self... we have plenty of curry powder to last for quite some time. :)

This is very tasty but I feel like I'm rushing the process. I would like to make this again but in my next attempt, I would like to let the simmer process go on longer. I have a feeling the spices will blend better over time. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time during the week so it's hurry curry. :)

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Set the Timer

Posted by: Vince

My wife will attest to the fact that I am absolutely dedicated to my training and hardly ever miss a session. Despite my dedication, I sometimes find that I drag my feet before heading out the door for a workout. Email, Twitter, or even writing this blog entry will distract me and my departure is suddenly delayed by 30 minutes.

A few months ago, I got tired of my procrastination because it was frequently causing a schedule pileup. The bike departure would delay the run departure which would delay the swim departure and next thing I know, I'm cooking dinner late at night because I couldn't get my butt out of the computer chair.

Category: Training

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

Posted by: Vince

I like the taste of salmon and I feel like it doesn't need anything other than a little bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice and black pepper. That said, I do this often enough that I felt like I needed a bit of change.

This is definitely a change from my simple salmon! It was very tasty but not so overwhelming that I couldn't enjoy the natural flavor of the fish.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Monday, August 09, 2010

Grilled Chickpea Turkey Burgers

Posted by: Vince

I find that high level athletes have very particular eating habits. I regularly joke with a few friends about what I eat v. what they eat. There are those who are the meat and fat guys. At the sharp end of the stick, you can eat that sort of food and it really won't have a negative impact that I can see. I've personally tried this approach but I find that when I stray from a diet of lean meats and veggies, I lose energy and feel ill.

One of the, if not the, first recipe posts on this site was a chickpea turkey burger. Back then, I was still using the regular turkey which has since been replaced with the extra-lean version. This is difficult to work with because it often turns out dry if you're not careful. The addition of chickpeas adds some moisture back and allows them to remain in the burger form without crumbling apart.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Friday, August 06, 2010

Fat Kid Issues

Posted by: Vince

I was reading this article the other day, I came across the following sentence: "...if you?ve been fat then weight is always an issue!" As I read that sentence, I nodded my head as if I understood exactly what he was talking about. The fact that I "do" understand is amazing since I've never been a fat kid and yet I have fat kid issues.

As a youngster, I was nicknamed "skinny Vinny" and the "bottomless pit" because I was thin as a rail and could've easily kicked Kobayashi's ass in an eating contest. I was capable of devouring a table filled with food and it appeared as if I had a "hollow leg" — which was another term used often.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Mashed Cauliflower

Posted by: Vince

I'll tell you right from the start; this is no substitute for mashed potatoes. I can make a lot of foods taste like a lot of other foods but my powers only go so far.

I definitely ate my fair share of mashed cauliflower last night but the more I consumed, the more I wanted real mashed potatoes.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Basil Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

Posted by: Vince

I went to the store the other day to buy fresh basil and I noticed a large (organic) basil plant for $3.99 and thought that was a better option. Since then, I've been growing it on my window sill and I feel like I made a smart investment.

In the past, we've grown spices outside but the weather has been weird so we decided to not bother this year. I love having fresh spices at my disposal and with the basil plant on the sill, it's right in my face reminding me that it's there.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

No Noodle Turkey Lasagna

Posted by: Vince

I'm really getting the hang of cooking on the fly. I started with a basic idea in my head, I went to the grocery store for the necessary items and then created it in the kitchen while simultaneously writing it down so I wouldn't forget how I made it. :)

This was tasty and the only thing I would do next time is add another cup of spinach. I thought I had more spinach in the fridge but it turns out I was wrong.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Be the Cactus!

Posted by: Vince

When I signed up for Silverman in 2008, I was high as a kite from the rush of Coeur d'Alene and to be honest, I wasn't thinking. It was an impulse decision and when the Ironman high finally wore off, I got a little scared.

Silverman is branded as the "toughest course in North America" and boasts 9700 feet of climbing on the bike. I remember seeing pictures of the course with the desolate desert and I thought... "Oh crap, what did I do?"

Category: Training

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Italian Turkey Meatloaf Experiment II

Posted by: Vince

I'm in search of the perfect meatloaf. If you recall from a week ago, I attempted to make an Italian turkey meatloaf from scratch and ended up with an "ok" starting point.

In this try, I attempted to correct the dryness problem by increasing the amount of zucchini and adding a 1/2 cup of sauce. I recently bought a basil plant and decided to throw in some fresh basil as well.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Mumbai Chicken

Posted by: Vince

I don't actually know if this is something they cook in Mumbai but I probably have a dish titled Indian chicken and I need to call it something. In fact, I believe I literally have a dish named "Something Indian Chicken".

This was really tasty and would've gone well over rice but I was too lazy to fire up the rice cooker. Plus I'm really trying to cut out rice altogether. I thought about making quinoa but I was restricted by time more than anything else.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Grilled Curry Veggies

Posted by: Vince

Do I need to list the veggies? That really seems to be unimportant since you can use whatever you like.

This marinade moves close to the top of my favorites list. The curry powder with the cayenne pepper gave it the right amount of flavor and bite.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Monday, July 26, 2010

Balsamic and Rosemary Salmon

Posted by: Vince

I think I spent well over and hour chopping veggies in the kitchen. You'll notice the side of veggies next to the salmon. You'll also notice they have a yellow tint to them. That's because they were marinated in a curry mixture. The Mrs. doesn't like curry but wanted veggies so I made another veggie marinade altogether. Now you understand why all the chopping. :)

This was tasty and the marinade didn't overwhelm the natural flavor of the salmon.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Sunday, July 25, 2010

10 Weeks to Kona

Posted by: Vince

If you want something done right...

I have learned many skills through necessity but I've discovered that in some cases, my time is more important to me and I'd rather pay someone than learn a new skill.

When hiring someone, I go in prior to my desired start, lay out my requirement and schedule a start date. I find that setting up an appointment and laying out my need allows the project to get done quickly and correctly.
I don?t know if it's the economy or what but it seems lately that doing a half-assed job is acceptable and asking for the job to be done correctly is asking for too much. But top dollar payment is still expected.

Read more...

Category: General

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Spicy Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Posted by: Vince

I'm one for two on the kitchen creations last night. The turkey meatloaf wasn't as good as I had imagined but this dressing saved the evening.

How does one take a picture of dressing? I had a photo of the bowl in my previous dressing creation. Prior to that, I've taken pictures of lettuce. And that's what I did again last night. Perhaps I should get colored bottles. Hmmm. I could take pictures of any colored bottles with liquid and make you believe the dressing is inside. I'm getting off track.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Italian Meatloaf Experiment

Posted by: Vince

I had this great idea that I'd make an Italian style meatloaf. In my head, it was delicious. I set out to create said meatloaf in the kitchen and I decided I would throw a wildcard into the experiment by using bran instead of bread crumbs.

The result was an "ok" meatloaf. I think I know where I went wrong and I'm going to use this as my starting point. In my next attempt, I will add another 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Almond Butter Chicken Soup

Posted by: Vince

Almond butter has become a staple in my diet which I use primarily to add protein to my smoothies but I've also started adding it to my oatmeal as well.

While searching for recipe ideas, I stumbled upon a recipe for grilled peanut butter chicken skewers. From there, I wound up here. :)

Category: Health & Nutrition

Monday, July 19, 2010

Spicy Yogurt Chicken

Posted by: Vince

I've never bothered to look at the carb to protein ratio on a container of Greek yogurt until yesterday. Greek yogurt has quite a bit more protein and less carbs than a standard container of yogurt. Who knew? Anyway, that's an interesting tidbit of information if you're looking for less carbs.

This was very tasty and somewhat different than my more recent grilled chicken ideas. The cayenne pepper adds a bit of a bite to it but I think one tsp was exactly the right amount.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Grilled Chicken Salad with Mangoes

Posted by: Vince

Obviously you could use romaine or spinach or whatever you like but lately I've been into mixed greens.

This was fairly easy to make although I always find it challenging to cut a mango. Does anyone make a product that automatically cuts mangoes? I should buy one of those if it exists.

Category: Health & Nutrition

Friday, July 16, 2010

What Now?

Posted by: Vince

The Trip to Kona

It's been a few weeks since Coeur d'Alene and I've managed to get my travel arrangements nailed down which include a house on the beach with an ocean view. It's my first trip to Kona, my birthday, and it's also our family vacation... I wanted to do it right. :)

The house we rented has a kitchen which means I'm finally traveling to a race where I won't feel the need to detox from all of the dining out.

Category: Training