Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Grilled Leeks and Zucchini with Pecans

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I promise this will be the last zucchini recipe I’ll post for a while; the zucchini coming in now are just so good, so available, and such a good buy right now I couldn’t resist this one.

That said, the real star of this dish is actually the grilled leeks, something you don’t see all that often, though they’re delicious and should be on everyone’s radar during the summer grilling season.

And besides tasting great, leeks are packed with a host of nutrients and phytochemicals, including impressive amounts of vitamin K, manganese, copper, vitamins B6, C, A, folate, iron, the flavonoid kaempferol, and a number of antioxidant polyphenols.

This recipe is easy-peasy, just don’t overcook the vegetables on the grill; they need to crisp-tender and not soggy. By the way, you can use whatever nuts you favor or have on hand, we used pecans given the Texas penchant for pecans, though this would be great with walnuts as well…

1/3 cup pecans
5 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
Good salt
Fresh ground black pepper

2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, see below
2-3 medium zucchini (about a pound), scrubbed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (generous) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Toast the pecans (oven or skillet) until fragrant, chop coarsely, then throw into large bowl along with 3 tbsp of your oil of choice, the lemon juice, grated garlic, a generous pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
Fire the grill and prep the vegetables; leave the root end of the leeks intact and slice in half lengthwise once trimmed to length. Coat the vegetable with the remaining oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Now grill the vegetables over a hot fire, turning every minute or so, until well marked and they begin to tenderize – be careful to not overcook, you want the vegetables to be “al dente” and not mushy.

When done, pull the vegetables and place on a cutting board; cut into bite-sized pieces (trim the root ends of the leeks of course), and add to the bowl with the pecans and vinaigrette along with the parsley. Toss to combine well and coat the vegetables, adjust seasonings for salt, pepper, and lemon.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salsa Monday: Simple Salsa Criolla

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Recently on a trip to Austin my wife and I strolled by one of the many famous eateries on South Congress (what a fascinating slice of life to be seen there) and I stopped to read the menu posted outside. Their special that evening was a grilled, grass-fed, house-made hot dog (bratwurst for the purists out there) served with a Salsa Criolla.

I hung around long enough to see a platter of these come out, and I have to admit, the salsa looked delicious.

When back home I added salsa criolla to my recipe research list, and even pestered friend Chef Libby in Austin for her favorite version. She kindly responded with this recipe, and reminded me that both Peru and Argentina claim salsa criolla as regional salsas or side dishes, and of course there are a number of regional variations pending who you ask.

She seemed to think that the Peruvian version was a little more simple and typically made with red onions and rarely tomato, while the Argentinian version was more often made with sweet white onions and tomato.

Regarding the peppers, she also noted that her South American recipes for salsa criolla almost always call for an ahi amarillo pepper, native to South America, though here in the States recipes call for 1/2 of a bell pepper (use yellow or orange for the color), serranos or jalapeños, though she and I agree that the Texas-born Mediterraneo Dulce peppers is a nifty choice here if you can find them.

The lime juice adds the perfect burst of citrus tartness, and Libby and I prefer cilantro, though parsley might actually be more true to the salsa’s South American roots.

1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium red or white onion (red is more traditional)
1/2 bell pepper, 1 Mediterraneo Dulce pepper, or 1-2 serranos or jalapeños
1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Juice of one lime (roughly 3 tbsp)
1-2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp good salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Optional
1/2 clove fresh garlic, grated
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
Additional lime juice or white vinegar to taste

Blanch your tomato for 10-15 seconds in a pot of boiling water, then immediately immerse it in an ice-water bath to cool. Peel, cut in half, seed, chop into a 1/4-inch dice, and add to a medium bowl.

Slice the onion into thin slices, the pepper(s) of choice into 1/4-inch dice, and thinly slice the green onion; add everything to the tomato bowl. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and oregano if using, then the lime juice, oil of choice, salt, pepper, and garlic if using. Stir well to combine, correct the seasonings to taste.

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes, and More 20 July 2019

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This week I’ve ended up doing a fair amount of research and reading about aging, including things to do to mitigate or modify risks that accumulate as we roll down life’s highway. Some of the interesting links included….

Increased activity in middle age lessens mortality risk. (Duh!)
Extending US life expectancy – another no-brainer type report for many adherents to ancestral health principles, though a stunning reminder of how poorly US health markers have evolved over the past few decades.
Lifestyle and dementia risk.

Anti-aging gurus are still talking about this NAD+ study; and big Pharma is chasing the holy grail (read as the magic pill) to impact the aging process without lifting your metaphorical finger.

Ben Greenfield posted a fascinating, and related podcast, on the 6th.

In the battle against aging, remember the “young blood clinics” from last year?

Looking at the link between TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), often offered the “aging” male, and increased risk for CVA and MI.

And what about the link between chronic inflammation and Alzheimer’s?; chronic inflammation is a bad actor, and critically impacted by easily addressed lifestyle factors.

Hearing loss is tied to other impactful ailments as we age.

An Interesting Poke at the Gym and Muscle Culture

Gym, Eat, Repeat: The Shocking Rise of Muscle Dysmorphia. A lay article, but interesting…

The Older Bolder Bookshelf

This week I’ve added a feature to the blog we’ll call The Older Bolder Bookshelf; I’ve shared many times before that we’re huge fans of reading, both for pure recreation, as well as continually learning new things.

There’s such a rich, and interesting, body of work that’s been produced (in terms of readable and worthy books) in the ancestral health world, I’m going to add a more or less weekly post about books you should at minimum read and consider for adding to your home library. Some reviews will be short and sweet, some will be a bit longer.

Oh, and we’ll be sharing a pile of our favorite cookbooks as well…

Food, Glorious Food

What did medieval peasants eat?

Crispy Ancho Coffee Chicken
Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata
Quick Turmeric Zucchini Dills

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Crispy Ancho Coffee Chicken

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I don’t know about you, but occasionally on these blisteringly hot summer days I just don’t feel like cooking through a big production in the kitchen (or on the grill).

That’s one of the reasons we often grill (or sous vide, or sauté) enough protein at a time to eat for several meals upcoming; it doesn’t take a huge amount of creativity to present good proteins in a variety of ways, and what a great summer lunch chilled grilled proteins make too.

A residency mate of mine married a wonderful woman from New Mexico; she was a delightful and skilled cook, and her delicious food was instrumental in growing our appreciation for the unique flavors of the American Southwest.

She would often make a big batch of these Crispy Ancho Coffee Chicken thighs (breasts work too) for parties; she’d set out the crisped chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces, and the makings for tacos, tostadas, and salads to pile on your plate and devour with gusto.

This chicken works amazingly well over a spicy slaw, colorful salad, or wrapped in your favorite wrap (I recently trialed some pretty danged tasty keto nearly-corn tortillas that worked really well too – I’ll share that recipe soon). As in the images above, I even like these over a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with guacamole (try our simple House Guacamole if you’re looking for a great go-to recipe), and maybe a pickled onion or jalapeño or two.

And please note, with the ancho chile powder and the coffee in the rub, the crust darkens significantly as these cook, though they’re not “burned”; actually the sweetness of the ancho really shines through in the end.

These are really good cold for lunch tomorrow too, you may want to throw another pound in to make sure there are leftovers…

4 tbsp fresh ancho chile powder
4 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp (scant) good salt
1-2 tsp finely ground fresh dark roast coffee

2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

Combine the ancho powder, cumin, salt, and finely ground coffee in a small bowl, stir to mix well.

Toss the chicken with at least half (we use more) of the spice mixture in a large bowl making sure every piece is well coated (use more of the rub if needed). Cover tightly and throw in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you intend to quickly sear these in a skillet over medium-high heat and preferably avocado oil (though I’ve used ghee in a pinch, it was delicious).

Remember you’re building a crispy seared crust here, so place the thighs in a single layer in the skillet and let them sit undisturbed for at 4-5 minutes before turning, and don’t turn them until a good crust forms (peeking is fine near the end). They’ll need 3-4 minutes on the second side to cook through and get crispy.

Let rest a few minutes, cut into bite sized pieces, drizzle with any accumulated juices, and go to it.

Enjoy.

Introducing the Older Bolder Bookshelf

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We’ve decided this week to add a new feature here on the Older Bolder Life, our blog for Older Bolder Fitness, a more or less weekly book recommendation, sometimes even a more detailed book review, for those among us interested in good health, longevity, protecting and preserving brain function, and good eats.

My lovely wife and I have been avid readers since we met in college several decades ago (and long before that actually), and invest a fair of time and effort to curate what in our minds at least is a very interesting and eclectic home library.

And while it’s perhaps in this day and age considered to be a dated and old-fashioned concept, I remain utterly convinced that it’s possible to become deeply knowledgable (dare I say even develop legitimate expertise) about almost any topic on the planet via reading and study, and one of the venues to gain that knowledge is by reading great books.

My intent will be to focus on solid reads, both current and foundational in the Primal / Paleo / ancestral health worlds, as well as great cookbooks (hey, it’s obvious we love great food around here…). I’ll do my best to see if I can wrangle some books to give away as well.

More to come….

The Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata

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It’s not zucchini week here on the Older Bolder Life, but I have to admit we’ve been enjoying the bounty of fresh zucchini coming in now in North Texas several days a week.

We’re still crunching through the latest batch of Quick Zucchini Dills I shared on Monday, and my lovely wife has been pestering me to grill up another recipe of this Grilled Summer Squash, Feta, and Pepper Salad from a few weeks back.

Here’s another fresh zucchini dish perfect for that handful of young, very tender, smaller zucchini you picked up at the farmer’s market and weren’t quite sure what do with – a Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata.

Of course don’t shave in that delicious cheese if you’re intolerant or hard-core, never venture off the trail Paleo, but you’ll be missing something here.

This happens to be another one of those recipes graced by a simple, tasty, and fresh vinaigrette-type dressing, and we think the red pepper flakes are essential to balancing out all the wonderful flavors here.

The mint is an almost surprising, and danged refreshing, flavor in the mix, as are the cashews (I’m sure other nuts will play, you’ll just need to experiment a bit.). And by the way, if you’re not familiar with ricotta salata, the saltier, aged, firmer-after-pressing version of fresh ricotta, you’re in for a treat…

3 small zucchini (roughly 1.5 pounds), trimmed, thinly sliced (see below)
1 cup mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews
5-6 ounces ricotta salata, shaved into very thin slices

Dressing
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
2-3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp good Dijon mustard
1 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of good salt

First whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Now thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise into wide, long ribbons; it’s a piece of cake with a vegetable peeler or a mandoline.

Place in a large bowl and coat with roughly 3/4 of the dressing, tossing gently so the ribbons don’t break. Now add the mint, cashews, and shavings of the ricotta salata you’ve shaved off with your vegetable peeler again. Again gently toss to combine, then drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Serve immediately, and enjoy.

Would a Quick Phone Call Have Prevented a Tragedy?

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My lovely wife and I live in a little community just north of sprawling DFW metro; at the last census there were only a little over 6,000 residents recorded, though it’s growing by leaps and bounds these days.

We choose to live out here as we’re not really big city folks, and we like driving through agricultural fields (mainly cotton, corn, and wheat) much more than suburbs and skyscrapers coming back “out to the house”. There’s a single high school, they still have a parade through “downtown” for homecoming, and there’s still movie nights now and again on the town square.

Of the things I enjoy the most about our little place is a nifty smallish sports park on the edge of town; it’s nothing fancy, just a cluster of soccer and football fields, ample parking, playgrounds, and some ambitiously designed baseball and softball fields. There happens to be a network of gravel trails in the complex, stretched out over nice gentle hills among a few water features, that I often head to for my early morning, get the day started walks.

Today Was a Little Different…

Pulling into the parking area this morning a bit after 6 AM I noted a cluster of police vehicles parked around a late-model, fancied-up pickup; it was close to my trail for the day, so I inquired of a pair of officers standing close by if any medical help might be needed.

Sadly one of the officers (probably an overly loquacious one given the circumstances) shared that a young man in his mid-30s, apparently a married dentist with young children living a few miles away, had taken his own life a few hours earlier and just been discovered a few minutes before my arrival. The officer went on to share that evidence at the scene suggested marital issues were somehow part of this sad story.

Could a Quick Phone Call Have Prevented This Tragedy?

Behavioral issues weren’t by any means the focus of my career in medicine, though I did practice for years in a field that dealt with individuals and families coping with extraordinary, catastrophic events; during those years I watched and marveled at the resiliency of people (and their loved ones) to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges time and time again. These victories were often damned hard fought, many taking years to fully manifest, and exerted draining, gut-wrenching, and deeply emotional tolls at times. Despite the hardship and effort required, to the person every one of them insisted it was worth it in the end (yes, I asked every single time).

Many of my patients, in the earliest days post their spinal cord injury, severe burn, stroke, or other calamity would talk of losing their will to go on, some even openly talking of contemplating “ending it all”, though with expert support and guidance, almost all passed through the dark days and went on to fulfilling lives.

Whenever I hear stories of a young, vital person taking their own life, I’m still amazed by the sense of loss and bewilderment that follow. There are so many resources available today, even a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1.800.273.TALK) manned 24/7/365, you have to wonder if a quick phone call could have prevented this tragedy today?

If you, or if you know of anyone who does, feel despondent, out of options, or at the end of your metaphorical rope, reach out for help. Please.