Day 22

Wow. The days have gone by fairly quickly. Forget all of the other stuff, 22 days without beer is a major accomplishment for me ;) I think I'm too skinny, though. My muscles are definitely more defined and I've dropped 15 lbs in the last three weeks, but I don't feel as 'healthy' as I used to. It's hard to describe, but I feel kind of like I'm wasting away. Perhaps I'm not eating enough.


I went for a 60k cycle on Saturday morning, from my house in Deep Cove out to Lighthouse Park in West Van and back, as part of my training for the upcoming Ride to Conquer Cancer. I felt pretty good the whole time. I actually had a surprising amount of energy in the latter stages, but I felt really fatigued for the rest of the day (and on the following day). I did play hockey on Sunday night, though (4 point night), so I guess I wasn't that fatigued, but I don't feel as though I'm getting enough fuel. 


As I said in an earlier post, I was no cook prior to beginning this thing. My skills were generally limited to washing dishes. Now, though, I feel very competent in the kitchen. My awareness around the foods that I ingest is greatly heightened, and I can't wait to apply my new found capabilities to a wider variety of ingredients. I pulled off my most complex culinary effort to date last night, cooking Sunday dinner for my Mother-In-Law. She is a great cook, so it was a little nerve wracking, but the meal was well-received. I made pork medallions in a pesto sauce, with a coconut custard for dessert. The whole thing took about two or three hours to make (I'm buying a food processor shortly), but it was worth it and it will become a 'signature' dish, I'm sure.


I can't wait to have it with a beer!

Pesto Ingredients:

§  1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only

§  2 large garlic cloves

§  1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thin

§  1/4 cup olive oil (or less, to taste)

§  1/4 cup almond butter

§  1 teaspoon acacia honey (optional)

§  1/2 -1 cup coconut milk

Instructions:

Blend sauce ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth, adding coconut milk until preferred consistency is reached.

Marinade Ingredients:

§  2 pounds of pork tenderloin

§  4 tablespoons olive oil

§  2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

§  2 cloves of garlic, chopped

§  1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Instructions:

Slice the tenderloin into rounds of 1-inch thickness. Mix oils and vinegar, add garlic and ginger.

Marinate the pork slices in a non-reactive glass container for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning at intervals to marinate both sides of the slices. When the pork is ready to cook, prepare the pesto below:

To cook the pork, heat some coconut oil, lard, or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly sear the slices, turning once, until just cooked through. Do not crowd the pan, cook in batches as needed so they sear and don’t steam. Keep each batch warm in a warm oven or covered in foil wrap.

To serve: Put a few slices of pork on a plate with a little bit of pesto on each slice, or serve pesto on the side. (A little pesto goes a long way, flavor-wise.)

Serve with cooked greens with sesame seeds and sliced red peppers for a nice color combo.

Custard
§ 5 eggs
§ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
§ 2 cups Original flavored coconut milk
§ 12 teaspoons (1/4 cup) acacia honey
§ ground cinnamon or nutmeg

      you'll need six petit creuset pots or other small stoneware dishes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan, combine the milk and agave syrup. In another saucepan, heat 1-2 cups of water. Bring both pans to a simmer. Remove the milk and agave from heat. Lower the heat on the water and keep it warm.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla until yolks are very smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the warm milk and syrup to the eggs, whisk together until well combined.

Using a sieve, pour egg mixture so it evenly settles in each dessert cup. Make sure to use oven safe dishes.

Place dessert cups in a baking dish big enough so the dessert cups don’t touch one another. Pour hot water from the warm saucepan into the baking dish so that it comes up to the level of the custard on the outside of each individual dish. This water is to prevent the custard from burning. This step is very important.

Add fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries or blueberries) and a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake until custards are set around the edges, about 40 minutes. Allow custards to further set by refrigerating for at least 2 hours. Or serve them right away, warm.