Past Articles

Rainy Day Lunch In Arizona

Rainy Day Lunch

Rainy Day Lunch

Claire’s fresh from the oven multi-grain (no knead recipe) bread, Gorgonzola, avocado, tomato, a salad with raspberry vinaigrette and pecans.

Gorgonzola, pears and walnuts for desert

Gorgonzola, pears and walnuts for desert

Nice rainy day lunch and together time. Life is good.

Thanksgiving Dinner 3: Leftover salmon medley

Leftover Salmon Medley w/coconut milk and more

Leftover Salmon Medley w/coconut milk and more

A thanksgiving celebration for two, of a 70degree sunny day of bike riding in the lovely Sonoran desert with good friends, and the apparent rapid healing of my buggered ribs and shoulder.

Ingredients: 1/3 cup dry Whole grain rice and wild rice mixture, leftover wild salmon, 2 medium zucchini, 1 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1/3 cup mushrooms, LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves garlic, 1tsp tarragon, 1/3 cup coconut milk, white wine of your choice.

Pour the cook a glass of wine.

Cook the rice 35 min. in extra water and a little sea salt, drain, cover and put aside.

Stir fry onions, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms in LOTS of olive oil. Add garlic, tarragon, leftover salmon and coconut milk  near the end.

Serve with wine and love.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2: Salmon, yam and broccoli.

Simple salmon dinner

Simple salmon dinner

A thanksgiving dinner for a wonderful day that included sunshine, fluffy clouds against a deep blue sky, and a couple of hours on a bicycle among the saguaros of Saguaro National Park, East Unit.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound frozen wild salmon, one large yam, two cups broccoli,  one tomato, Trader Joe’s Coastal Syrah.

Preparation:

Open wine to breathe. Cook should have a glass to test.

Fry salmon, skin down in a hot covered iron skillet with lots of extra virgin olive oil, top with garlic powder and tarragon, drizzle with olive oil.

Microwave large yam, turning several times until easily pierced with a fork, cover and put aside.

Remove salmon from skillet before opaque in center, cover and let stand.

Begin frying broccoli in salmon juices with garlic powder and Trader Joe’s 21 Salute mixture, brown then finish off with chicken broth and water to steam.

Remove skin from salmon and place on plate with yam, broccoli and sliced tomatoes.

Optionally, grind sea salt and/or black pepper on yam, tomatoes and broccoli to taste.

Be thankful you have the health and means to enjoy such a meal. The Thai eat a  bite of rice before each mean as thanksgiving for their staff of life.

Desert: A bowl of red grapes, or whatever fruit you have available.

Thanksgiving Dinner 1: Fuel for Adventurous Living

Stir fry with ginger, garlic and mushrooms.

Stir fry with ginger, garlic and mushrooms.

What’s up with this?! You thought this blog was about adventurous travel, overcoming hardship, embracing risk and growing a strong relationship. What’s this little, really little, plate of food got to do with anything. Well, all those things are true, but like any endeavor, a full life requires food, good food, joyously prepared and enjoyed food, hopefully with someone(s) you love.

So, now and then we’ll share a meal on this site. This one might look at first like something you would avoid, too much green stuff, not enough red meat, and where are the potatoes swimming in butter? Well, this is good stuff, but healthy stuff, that will give you the energy to overcome any obstacle, even that grumpy boss, or recalcitrant teen, or a bicycle ride across the U.S., or an Ironman. It could happen.

Recipe for two:

Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, ginger, three or four colorful vegetables, one onion and 1/2 cup mixed dried mushrooms re-hydrated. For vegetables I chose broccoli, onions, carrots and red peppers; what’s on sale. You can’t have too much of any of these!

Whole grain rice, 1/3 cup dry

Skinless boneless chicken breast, one

White wine, your choice, one or two glasses per person.

1/4 cup nuts, optional, your choice

Two 8 inch desert plates. Chopsticks.  When you taste this you will think these two ingredient are cruel, but trust me the plates will hold enough to satisfy, and the chopsticks will assure that you eat mindfully, slowly.

Preparation:

Cook rice per directions.

Pour the cook a glass of wine to keep his creativity sharp.

Fry chicken breast in LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, with spice of your choice (I used Trader Joe’s 21 Salute seasoning) don’t overcook, put aside.

Chop veggies and onion, not too small, and stir fry in LOTS of olive oil, as soon as the rice is done. Do not over cook; should be bright in color and a little crunchy. You should use at least 1/4 cup of olive oil. Keep adding it, it is the secret to keeping your weight in check and your heart healthy.

Dice chicken and add with several cloves of pressed or diced garlic, and a couple of tablespoons, or more of grated fresh ginger (don’t bother to peel, it’s good for you too). Fry for a couple more minutes, but don’t overdo the veggies!

Divide rice on two plates, add stir fried veggies and chicken and nuts.

Serve with more wine. Clink your glasses, look into your partner’s eyes and appreciate your good fortune.

Later a plate of fruit, sliced pears is a favorite of ours. Later still, have two or three squares of dark chocolate.

All this is to be enjoyed with your favorite music, candles if you like. Concentrate on your company and your food. Absolutely NO TV. TV can ruin the best meal.

Try it and let me know what you think.