All posts by mrfitzer

exercise

Cold Running and a SAD lamp

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I logged one run this week, a chilly Sharon woods loop with Bill, Jeff, Wendy, and Mona. It was a warm 30 degrees and the trail was a crusty dry mix of well packed ice and snow. Large bits of ice fallen from tree limbs gave the trail a sugar frosted appearance. The meadow after the third hill was beautiful. I feel sorry for people who’ve never experienced a run in winter.

My toes were not so happy about the experience. I’m finding that its not necessarily the temperature but the length of exposure to cold. I should have changed into dry socks and shoes before breakfast. A good dousing with salonpas was necessary later that evening to mask the joint pain.

Another revelation has been in the form of a 10,000 lux daylight balanced light. Amazing stuff. A 1/2 hour a day in the morning has doubled my energy over the past two weeks. More to come on this one.

Juice Dujor – Apple, Carrot, Pear, Vanilla YO, bananna, FO (very tasty with the pear!)

recipe

Recipes for the week

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)

Cabbage Rolls:
11/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Splash dry red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and set aside. Cut out the cores of the cabbages with a sharp knife and carefully pull off all the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible, (get rid of all the small leaves and use them for coleslaw or whatever.) Blanch the cabbage leaves in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, or until pliable. Run the leaves under cool water then lay them out so you can assess just how many blankets you have to wrap up the filling. Next, carefully cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang out the sides of the pan. This insulation will prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom when baked. Use all the good looking leaves to make the cabbage rolls. Put about 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the remaining sweet and sour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Fold the hanging leaves over the top to enclose and keep the moisture in. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked.


Chilled Beet Soup

3 pounds beets
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 to 3 cups water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Rice wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
Sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh dill

Trim beet greens at the base of the beet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at a low boil until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Test the beets by inserting a paring knife or skewer. If there is no resistance, they are ready to be drained. Drain when tender and allow to cool or run them under cold water to cool them quickly. Peel, cut into large pieces, and set aside.

Heat oil in a small saute pan, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Combine the onion/garlic and beets in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups stock and puree until smooth. Add water 1 cup at a time until desired consistency, being careful not to make soup too thin. Add the orange juice, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Season if needed with lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill the soup, ladle into bowls. Garnish each with a swirl of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill

exercise

Chilly to the gym

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I ran an icy 4 miles around sharon woods Sunday and a 5k on the treadmill this morning. I need to cut down my evening snacking and get rid of a few pounds added back over break. I’m definately feeling the effects of the cold on my joints. I’m feeling very stiff in the morning after I get up. Running feels fine after I get a 1/2 mile in.

apple and carrot juice blended with a bananna, yo, flaxseed, and fish oil.

exercise

Crawlathon 2k.9

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Bill a running group friend mentioned caving and an upcoming event in Kentucky. As a die hard experience junky I jumped at the chance to go! This will be my first experience caving other than simple walking tours. I’ve signed up for three trips below. I’m also acquiring the necessary gear!

Saturday 10:00am
TRIP #32: Adult Only Bat Cave Backdoor (Level 2) – Duration: 3 hours – Limit: 20 people – Status: 9 Spots Open
Adults Only. This trip starts with a 1/4 mile hike to the cave entrance from the maintenance parking area. Bat Cave is completely wild with the exception for the cave gates. You will be required to navigate through some walking passages, climb over breakdown piles and do some hands and knee crawling. You get the whole package with the cave being a combination of dry, muddy and wet. How wet you get depends on how merciful your guide is. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.

Saturday 1:30pm
TRIP #60: Adult Only Cascade Gone Wild (Level 2) – Duration: 3 hours – Limit: 30 people – Status: 12 Spots Open
Adults Only. This is a tour through Cascade Cave, the largest and longest commercial cave in Carter County. Along the route you will see parts of the commercial route, but you will also venture off the beaten path to visit some of the wild sections of the cave. This is a good tour for beginners or those with assorted aches and pains. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.

Sunday 10:30am
TRIP #101: Visit To Cascade Cave (Level 1) – Duration: 2 hours – Limit: 60 people – Status: 13 Spots Open
Cascade is the largest commercial cave in Carter County. You will experience large cave passageways, bats, beautiful cave formations and finish with a look at a 30 foot underground waterfall. This is a walking tour with some stooping and bending. MEETS AT THE WELCOME CENTER; Transportation needed.

exercise

Getting back into the swing of things..

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5k on the treadmill and quick weights today and 4 miles around sharon woods on Sunday (Bill held me to an 8:30 pace!)

apple carrot banilla flaxseed smoothie, leftover pasta for lunch, and grilled chicken breast for dinner.

My digestive system is thanking me in advance! Two weeks of holiday festivities left me feeling terible.

I’ve also signed up for crawlathon 2k.9 and I have three spelunking adventures planned for later this month!

recipe

Puertorican Style Roasted Pork Shoulder

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Puertorican Style Roasted Pork Shoulder
 
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Puertorican Style Roasted Pork Shoulder with Rice and Black Beans and Fried Sweet Plantains
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Ingredients
  • ½ cup fresh oregano leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 12 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 (8 to 9 pound pork shoulder, skin intact
  • 4 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 cups sour orange juice, or 1⅓ cups orange juice and ⅔ cup lime juice
  • 3 ripe plantains (black with streaks of yellow), cut into 6 slices each
  • ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup Cilantro Crema, recipe follows
  • Rice and Beans, recipe follows
Instructions
  1. In a mortar or food processor, place the oregano, thyme, garlic and black peppercorns. Use a pestle to mash the ingredients into a paste. Once a smooth paste is formed, add the olive oil little by little to the mortar and set aside. Rinse the pork shoulder under cold running water and pat dry. Use a sharp paring knife to score the skin about ¼-inch deep in a cross hatch pattern all over the thick skin of the pork roast. Season with 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt and rub well. Rub the entire roast well all over on all sides with the paste from the mortar and pestle. Place the pork in a plastic oven bag and add 1 cup of the sour orange juice over it. Seal the bag and force out as much air as possible, then place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours. Be sure to turn the bag over once or twice to redistribute the sour orange juice.
  2. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Be sure to pull out the pork at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before roasting. Place the pork in a roasting pan and season with the remaining 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Wrap the roasting pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast the pork for 1 hour before turning the oven down to 275 degrees F. Continue to roast the pork for 3 more hours. Remove the foil and baste the roast with the remaining cup of sour orange juice. Roast for 1 additional hour and remove from the oven.
  3. To fry the plantains, set a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the plantains to the pan and fry in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan, drain on a paper-lined plate, and season with salt. Serve while hot, with the Cilantro Crema on top, pork and Rice and Beans on the side.
  4. Cilantro Crema:
  5. cup heavy cream
  6. tablespoons buttermilk
  7. cup chopped cilantro leaves
  8. tablespoons lime juice
  9. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  10. Combine the heavy cream and buttermilk in a glass bowl or jar with a lid and stir or shake well to blend thoroughly. Allow to sit in a warm place, unrefrigerated, until cream is thickened and somewhat "set," up to 6 hours. Shake well and refrigerate overnight before using. When ready to serve, add cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper.
  11. Rice and Beans:
  12. pound dried black beans, picked through and rinsed
  13. bay leaves
  14. tablespoons olive oil
  15. /2 cup small diced salt pork or bacon
  16. cup small diced yellow onion
  17. teaspoons minced garlic
  18. /2 cup green bell pepper, cored and diced
  19. /4 cup diced cubanelle or hot Italian pepper
  20. /4 cup chicken stock
  21. /2 teaspoon ground cumin
  22. /2 teaspoon ground coriander
  23. /4 teaspoon black pepper
  24. cups long-grain rice
  25. teaspoons fresh lime juice
  26. teaspoons salt
  27. Put the black beans and bay leaves in a large pot, cover with 3 quarts of cold water, and place over medium heat. Cover and cook the beans until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the water periodically; add more, if necessary, to keep the beans covered. Drain the beans and reserve 4½ cups of the cooking liquid (if you do not have enough cooking liquid, use water to bring the liquid volume up to 4½ cups).
  28. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  29. Coat a large Dutch oven or other ovenproof pot with the olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the salt pork and cook until most of the fat has rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Add the chicken broth and continue to cook until the liquid is evaporated, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, and black pepper and stir to combine. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked black beans to the pan along with the reserved bean cooking liquid, lime juice and salt; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the lid and serving

 

recipe

Panini grill

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Ingredients

* 1 ciabatta loaf
* 4 tablespoons white truffle butter
* 1/2 head shredded romaine lettuce
* 8 thin slices hot sopressata (recommended: Calabrese)
* 4 thick slices mozzarella (recommended: Arthur Ave Italian Deli Fresh Homemade)
* 4 thin slices prosciutto Di Parma (recommended: Arthur Ave Italian Deli)
* 1/2 head sliced radicchio
* 1 jar diced sun-dried peppers (not tomatoes)
* 4 to 6 torn basil leaves
* Drizzle unfiltered Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil
* Drizzle homemade reduced balsamic vinegar or store bought
* Salt
* Pepper

Directions

Panini grill

Heat panini grill.

Slice ciabatta bread in half. Over a preheated hot grill or under broiler, using tongs, grill bread until grill marks appear about 2 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula spread 4 tablespoons of white truffle butter on bread. Layer lettuce, sopressata, mozzarella, prosciutto, radicchio, sun-dried peppers, and basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover sandwich with top piece of bread and cut into 4 equal pieces. Place sandwich on panini press until bread is toasted and cheese is melted about 5 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.