Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes

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Like many of you, we’re always on the search for new and interesting salads, slaws, and other ways to enjoy lots of colorful, healthy, and tasty vegetables.

Here’s a nifty primal / paleo spin on a classic, what we’re now calling our Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes. The sweet potatoes are subbed in for the baby russets or red potatoes in the classic version, and you’ll use eggs from pastured chickens, healthy oil in the dressing, add a burst of lemon, fresh dill, and radishes (use several varieties for interest, taste, and color). It’s also a piece of cake to crumble some wild caught canned tuna onto this one to up the protein component and add some wonderful flavor to the dish, though you don’t absolutely have to have it.

Three quick thoughts on this recipe: One, consider prepping and cooking the sweet potatoes, eggs, and green beans ahead of time; then chill and hold (separately) in the fridge until ready to put the salad together. This recipe at first glance seems a bit complicated, but in reality, it’s really not at all, and by following the sequence I’ve laid it, it flows very well. Doing a little cooking ahead will just shorten your assembly time later in the day.

Two, the dressing is outrageously good, consider making a double recipe and holding for other salads this week. And three, the crispy capers (pictured below) sounded a little fussy to me at first, though they’re incredibly simple to prepare, and really add a nifty taste and texture element to this one.

My lovely wife enjoyed this one so much, she’s insisting it become a standard in our summer rotation…

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch thick slices
4-5 pastured eggs
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and washed

For the dressing
1 medium shallot, trimmed, and minced
3 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp + 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp good salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)

To finish the salad
1-2 bunches breakfast (or other) radishes, trimmed, larger ones quartered
1/2 cup or more Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted, halved if large
1/4 cup capers, drained, crisped in pan (see below)
1-2 cans wild caught tuna, drained, crumbled
1 tbsp (or more) fresh dill, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; prep the sweet potato and greens beans while waiting.

Parboil the sweet potato slices for 10-12 minutes until a fork penetrates easily; remove from the water, drain, and cut into medium dice when cool enough to handle. Sauté in butter, avocado, or olive oil until edges are crispy and browned, then set aside to cool (when cool hold in fridge).

When the sweet potato comes out, drop the eggs into the boiling water and boil for eight minutes for perfectly jammy yolks (or longer to suit you); when done, drop into an ice-water bath, then peel when cool.

When the eggs come out, bring the water back to a full boil, then cook the green beans 2-4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender; remove immediately to an ice-water bath, chill for 5-7 minutes, drain, and pat dry.

If you haven’t during the cooking sequence above, whisk the dressing ingredients together, save for the olive oil, which is poured slowly in a steady stream while whisking away. Set aside in the fridge.

If using the crispy capers, and you should, pat the capers dry, then sauté in 2 tbsp of the oil of your choice over moderate heat until they being pop and get brown and crispy. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, begin by drizzling roughly 1/3 of the dressing over the green beans in a large bowl, toss to coat, then arrange on a large platter. Repeat with the potato pieces and then the radishes, using 1 tbsp of dressing for each in the same bowl you tossed the green beans in, and arranging each artfully on the platter.

Quarter the eggs; place the eggs and the olives on the green bean bed, then place the tuna as well . Now drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing, top with the crispy capers, and finally the remaining fresh dill.

Enjoy.

The Importance of ABL: Always Be Learning

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My wife’s grandfather, Bascom, lived what many would call a very simple life, deep in East Texas years ago. By all accounts he was a humble, hardworking farmer, managing an assortment of livestock on his land as well, living on the outskirts (if you could call it that) of a tiny country burg called Chester.

By today’s standards, he wasn’t what most would call an educated man (as I write this I’m traveling down in Austin, and can’t reach my wife this morning to confirm that he even finished high school). He was well-known among his family however as being profoundly intellectually curious, reading voraciously, and staying up to date with advances of the day (he was fascinated by the space program for instance).

He suffered a massive stroke in his late 80’s, an event severe enough that for many it would have started the cascade of inevitable decline and death, though he returned home, quite active, and live to the ripe old age of 104, quite sharp up until the very end.

The Power of ABL: Always Be Learning

Bascom embodied a trait that many healthy and successful people around the world, and throughout the ages, have realized – the drive to always be learning, exploring, and fully engaged with the world around us has the potential to keep us energized, growing intellectually, and adapting to changes evolving at what seems like an ever increasing pace.

Granted, there’s a tremendous amount of noise out there today, and it takes some genuine effort to separate the very best information from the rest. But just as physical conditioning leads to better functional performance, the more you use those mental muscles, the better you get at honing in on the information that fits your specific needs.

The oft quoted phrase “Knowledge is Power”, is attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, though it’s been used often by intellectually gifted, and intellectually curious, men and women through history (I’ve recently read a biography of Thomas Jefferson, and he used the quote frequently in his own writings). They were right.

Craft Your ‘Always Be Learning’ Plan Today

During my first couple of years of medical school, back in the day when the course loads were something in the range of 24-30 hours per semester, many of my classmates were simply overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information. It seemed like we were either in class, in lab, or studying damned near around the clock.

I’ll never forget the advice an extended family member gave me back then, he was a very busy interventional radiologist in the area. He said that despite the crush of class loads at the time, in his view, med school was simply a process to lay a foundation of information and skills, upon which we’d all be learning more and more as we progressed throughout our careers, and new technologies and treatments developed along the way. He even went on to suggest, much to my chagrin at the time, that life was to get much busier after finishing school.

He was right. And in fact, in my own experience, the most critical learning and training I’ve ever done has happened long after those past days in the classroom.

Crafting a personal learning plan doesn’t have to be hard, or expensive, or overly complex.

I encourage everyone I coach and counsel to read extensively; there’s an avalanche of information available online (caveat emptor), and a host of great books written by giants in the health and wellness worlds today.

There are great meetings out there to attend as well. I’m in Austin this week to attend a Primal Health Coach Masterclass program with Mark Sisson and Christine Hassler, and then will attend PaleoFx here over the weekend. Do you absolutely have to spend the time, effort, and cash to take in meetings like this to revitalize your health, get fit, and be well? Hell no, but sometimes it’s just fun and inspiring to rub shoulders with other like minded folks. Next year, save up, bring the family, and invest in one of these gatherings yourself.

By the way, that’s where the coffee shop comes in to play here – Mozart’s Coffee Roasters have an amazing location overlooking the Lake here in town, and it was a natural stop after an early morning walk along the water this morning. Coffee, at least in my world, makes learning a little easier.

Always be learning.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: Turmeric Tzatziki

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I’m not sure where or how it came to be actually, but my wife is crazy about tzatziki.

We came to appreciate authentic Greek food in early adulthood, and while she’d traveled and lived internationally (North Africa and Switzerland), she’s never been to Greece and experienced the wonderful cuisine on the ground there. Her family did live and work in Algeria for a while, in a fairly multicultural setting, and there they were exposed to all sorts of Mediterranean delicacies.

No matter what the history, she loves tzatziki.

I was talking with a friend about dips to serve at an upcoming party she was hosting, and we somehow came around to this wonderful Turmeric Tzatziki, one of my wife’s recent new favorites. Blooming the turmeric in the hot oil is a genius step, and this dish really pops with a wonderful burst of lemon (using both fresh juice and zest), ginger, garlic, and of course the essential grated cucumber.

Classically made with greek yogurt, we think this is just as good (maybe even better) when made with sour cream. It’s delicious with a plate of crudite, and a perfect complement to any Greek-spiced protein. And for the bonus today – if you’re handy in the kitchen, this one will talk all of ten minutes to put together (ok, maybe 15).

And don’t forget the fresh ground pepper; you need those pepper based compounds (piperines) to optimize absorption of the curcumin in your turmeric. And is just tastes good…

1 to 2 tsp good ground turmeric
2 tbsp avocado oil (or EVOO)

2 small cucumbers or 1/2 English hothouse cucumber
1 tsp good salt

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves, grated
1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger (peeled)
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint (chiffonade), or more
1/2-1 tsp fresh lemon zest, grated
1/2-1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Good salt to taste (see note)

Stir the avocado oil (or EVOO) together with the turmeric in a small saucepan over medium heat; remove from the heat when it just starts to bubble, stir again, and set aside to cool.

As the oil is cooling, grate the cucumber coarsely, spread on a clean dishtowel on a plate, and salt with 1 tsp of good salt. Let rest for 10-15 minutes, then wring out as much water as possible from the cucumber, add to a medium bowl.

Now add the yogurt or sour cream, lemon juice, grated garlic and ginger, mint, lemon zest, fresh ground pepper, and the turmeric oil. Stir well to combine, and correct the seasonings, including salt as needed.

Best served promptly, will keep covered in the fridge for a bit.

Enjoy.

Easter Weekend Break

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For those who have a spiritual practice (which is unquestionably beneficial for your health and wellness) that recognizes one of the more celebrated days in the ecclesiastical calendar – Easter, our team here at Older Bolder Fitness wishes you wonderful time with friends and family, enjoying tasty and healthy food, and meaningful time spent in reflection and worship.

We’ll be back with our Saturday Inquiring Minds post next week.

Yellowstone’s roads have opened this weekend (some of them at least); that’s a view from the drive into Old Faithful from Madison Junction…

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Crunchy Oven Nashville Picken (Pork Rind Crusted Chicken)

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Years ago, long before getting our heads around healthy eating, and during the years we were running an equine boarding and training farm up north of Kalispell, Montana (and I was still grinding away in my spine-focused medical practice), a little Japanese place opened up on the north side of Kalispell. For a little town in that part of the far-northern Rockies, they served decent sushi and a pretty damned tasty katsu platter (panko-crusted pork or chicken typically).

Some days after chores were done (if you’ve ever actually run an agricultural or animal oriented operation, you know that chores are truly never really done), we’d pop over to Midori for a quick meal.

Inspired by the katsu at Midori, we played with making katsu at home, almost always breading very traditionally with an egg, flour, egg, and panko coating, then sautéing in (deep sigh followed by an involuntary shudder), whatever franken-oil we had in the pantry back in the day.

Back about four years ago, when my wife and I were beginning our low carb, healthy eating journey, we started making a version of this recipe, browning panko in bit of rendered lard (bacon fat) and breading chicken breasts or boneless thighs that had been pounded thin and dipped in a mayo, grainy mustard, and egg wash, to then be browned further as the chicken cooked in a hot oven.

That was a very tasty, and delightfully crunchy prep, though as we eventually purged all process grains and flours from our diet, the recipe fell by the wayside. There are host of decent recipes that mimic a panko-coated or fried chicken made from various nut flours, but candidly, despite a number of attempts, they simply don’t turn out as crunchy as we remembered, and the recipe fell out of our rotation.

Dining with friends a few months back, we enjoyed a version of this recipe featuring crushed pork rinds that had been browned in a rendered bacon fat before breading the oven-baked chicken. It was delicious, satisfying crunchy, and coated with a mouth-tingling spicy drizzle (or sauce), concocted as a primal or paleo version of the very popular Nashville style chicken you read about these days. Turns out, the wife of the pair we were dining with grew up in Sparta, TN, about an hour from the heart of Nashville.

When I prepare this dish at home, I like to crush the pork rinds (make sure you grab some that have been prepared with acceptable oils) with a rolling pin ‘by hand’ instead of using the food processor to give the coating a bit of texture. And pounding the chicken breasts or boneless thighs is much easier if you slide the pieces into a quart resealable bag first, then pound away with your favorable rolling pin or meat mallet.

You don’t have to brown the pork rind breading first, but it does add crunchiness and color to the end result. And while the Optional Nashville Sauce/Drizzle is spicy, it’s amazingly tasty and very, very close to the best Nashville Chicken eatery we’ve seen in the DFW metro.

2 cups crushed pork rinds (see above)
2-3 tbsp rendered bacon fat, butter, or oil of choice

2 large chicken breasts, each cut into 2 pieces, and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness OR
6-8 boneless thighs, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

3 tbsp avocado or olive oil mayo
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp good salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
Fresh ground pepper

Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp good chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Good salt to taste

Crush the pork rinds, and sauté over medium in the melted fat of choice until golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat your trusty oven to 425, foil-line a baking sheet and place a wire rack over the foil.

Combine the mayo, egg yolk, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.

Prep the chicken as per above, it doesn’t have to be perfectly flattened to 1/4-inch; place the pounded chicken in the mayo egg mixture, and stir to coat all the chicken well.

Gather the browned, crushed pork rind into half the skillet, and then take one of the chicken pieces and place it on the breading, pressing lightly to adhere the crushed pork rinds. Turn the chicken to repeat on the other side, gently shake off the excess, and place the chicken on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces; they’ll look something like this when you’re done with the breading.

Throw it into the oven when you’re done, cooking for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is a deeper, richer brown.

While the chicken is in the oven, consider stirring together the Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle – go easy on the cayenne at first, you can always add more.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Veg Wednesday: Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice

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Count me among those who considered rice a staple growing up; around our household it was white rice. My grandmother made a wonderful rice pilaf and Cajun-styled dirty rice, and ever since I tasted a Tex-Mex inspired spanish rice at an elementary school “girlfriend’s” family ranch party in the pasture (replete with a plywood wooden dance floor and two crusty old fiddlers), we’ve been making that same Tex-Mex rice at home.

I should note that rice was a staple up until about four years ago.

Going full on Primal/paleo back then, rice was interestingly one of standby carbs that I initially missed the most. Like most of you, those cravings fairly quickly subsided, and having been eating keto now for just about a full year, the thought of eating conventional white rice hasn’t ventured anywhere near our menu plan in quite a while.

Admittedly we were a little slow to warm up to the cauliflower rice movement, though after some cajoling and coaching from our friend Chef Libby in Austin, and playing around with some better recipes and techniques, we’re now zealots for a well-spiced, flavorful cauliflower rice dish.

There are host of great recipes out there, and this Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice version is an amalgam of some of our favorites, and pulls in some of the defining features of the Americanized-version of fried rice that many of us have enjoyed at Chinese eateries over the years (like a bit of diced carrot, and peas), though packs in much more flavor and spice, including using a generous handful of fresh herbs. (I like this one with a big dollop of sriracha like in the image below.)

Fried rice is a great way to dress up leftover proteins (I really can’t think of one that wouldn’t work), and another great reason to keep a bag or two of cauliflower rice in the freezer for use at any time. The bacon works very well here, and the eggs are a classic touch as well.

Finally, if you have a mini-food processor or chopper, it’s a cinch to mince the garlic and ginger (maybe a jalapeno or serrano too), though grating on a microplane grater is uber-easy too. We think the both the fish sauce and toasted sesame oil are essentials, you make the call.

1 medium head cauliflower, riced, or 1 lb bag prepared riced cauliflower

4-5 slices thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced OR other meat (see above)
2 large pastured eggs

1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced small
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, then cut into small slices
4-5 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed, trimmed, thinly sliced
1.5 inches of fresh ginger, minced or grated (see above)
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated (see above)

2-3 green onions, trimmed, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
2 tbsp Thai basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 tbsp or more good fish sauce
1 tbsp or more coconut or rice vinegar
1 tbsp or more toasted sesame oil

Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 or more jalapenos or serranos, minced
Sub riced broccoli for part of the cauliflower
Add a handful of chopped baby spinach or kale
Thai-style chili paste or sriracha
Bean sprouts, more cilantro or basil to add at service.

Prep the cauliflower if starting with fresh; you’ll speed your kitchen time to prep all the vegetables and herbs as well. Gently whisk the eggs in a cup/bowl.

Sauté the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy; remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; quickly cook the whisked eggs until firm, then remove to a plate/cutting board and cut into thin strips.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (or shallots) and carrots to the pan, once they begin to soften add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have given off their moisture and begun to caramelize a bit. Add the ginger and garlic, along with a shake or grind of salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or so until you can really smell the ginger.

Now add the cauliflower, along with another shake/grind of salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring now and again, until the cauliflower begins to tenderize (you don’t want it mushy).

Now add half the green onions, the chopped herbs, the tamari or coconut aminos, fish sauce, vinegar if using, chopped egg, and the toasted sesame oil. Add the frozen peas now if using, as well as the chopped spinach or kale.

Stir quickly as all the add-ins get warm, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Stir in the bacon and egg, then sprinkle the rest on top at service, along with the remainder of the green onions, and additional cilantro or basil as desired.

Enjoy.

Picking the Low Hanging Fruit: Walk, and Walk Some More

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Continuing our series on picking the low hanging fruit (the simpler, foundational principles) along one’s path to restoring (or improving) your overall wellness and health, today’s installment focuses on an activity that is accessible to just about everyone on the planet and can bring immense health benefits – the simple act of walking.

As noted in prior Low Hanging Fruit posts, what follows is again primarily aimed at those who are following an approach to fitness and nutrition much more aligned with the Standard American Diet (the infamous SAD approach) and largely sedentary modern lifestyle, not necessarily those thoughtful folks who have already begun to take a hard and discerning look at the healthy – and the unhealthy – aspects of their activity and nutrition plans.

And once again, of critical note, your best fitness and conditioning plan will be one that is UNIQUE TO YOU, given, for simple example (out of many possible factors), your current body composition, your overall metabolic health, your daily activity package, your current health, wellness, and fitness objectives, your overall general health, and where you happen to be in your “recovery” journey.

The Benefits of Walking Have Been Known for Years

I’ve been writing about the benefits of walking here on the Older Bolder Life for months now, for example looking at walking and longevity here, walking as a foundational part of basic fitness here, studies looking at walking versus jogging (including specific cardiac benefit and injury rate comparisons) here, and ten ways that walking boosts brain health and function here.

There’s a host of good literature and research that’s been penned over the years covering walking; I’m working on an extensive review to post a few weeks down the road.

So How Much Do I Need to Walk to Derive Genuine Benefit?

Of course the best answer depends on your personal health and fitness specifics as they stand today, though there are some ballpark recommendations you’ll see noted again and again.

For example, the venerable American Heart Association (drawing from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition published by the Dept. of Health and Human Services) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week (or at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity). Using those guidelines, if one were to simply walk six days per week, that’s only 25 minutes per day.

For clients I’m coaching who are faced with the duel challenge of dropping weight AND reconditioning from a very low fitness level, I encourage an initial goal of at least 30 minutes of walking a day, 6 or 7 days per week, with an hour (or more) bringing additional benefits to the table.

Amazing, I’ve had people who have been so astoundingly sedentary they can only tolerate 15 to 20 minutes of walking a day; one is now walking 90 to 120 minutes per day, six days per week, and got there in a matter of months with consistent effort, and has become an entirely new person in the process. It can be done.

I’m a huge walking fan myself, starting off just about every day with a 45-60 minute walk on trails in a nearby park, and taking another 30-60 minute walk later in the day as well, six or seven days per week.

Lace up those walking shoes and git ‘er done.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: Fifteen Mayo (and Aioli) Flavors That’ll Change Your Life

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One of our common daily quests is to prepare and enjoy healthy foods that are packed with flavor, varied and interesting, and (for the most part) easy to prepare.

One of the ways we do that around our kitchen is to use the incredibly versatile avocado or olive mayo recipe we keep referencing in recipes here on the Older Bolder Life; with an immersion blender in hand making this is child’s play, and having practiced a bit, it takes me all of 3-4 minutes to blend up a double recipe in a quart Mason jar every 7-10 days.

Technically we’re making a mayonnaise, even though some good folks out there call it an aioli; they’re kissing cousins, but there are some critical differences (for a reasonable take on the distinctions, see this).

The avocado oil mayo recipe we’ve shared (link above) is a perfect vehicle to carry a host of great flavors to compliment whatever you’re serving; here are fifteen of our favorites. The beauty of every one of these suggestions is your ability to add as much or as little of any ingredient you want to to suit your own (or your family’s) tastes.

Two quick tips: one, when incorporating whole ingredients, for example roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, chipotle peppers in adobo, etc, the more finely you chop them (or blend in a mini-food processor), the smoother your finished mayo will be. Prefer some texture in the finished product? Don’t blend as much. And two, remember that when adding spices to a mayo or aioli, their flavor tends to intensify over time.

Roasted garlic. Cut a head of garlic in half, rub the cut sides with avocado or olive oil, and roast until browned and soft. Squeeze into your mayo, add a bit of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Cilantro Lime. One of our favorites; don’t forget a bit of fresh lime zest along with the juice too.

Roasted red pepper. Roast your own or used a quality jarred brand, allow to drain before chopping or blending in. We like this with a little bit of Dijon or Cajun mustard and lemon juice too. Try with a few soaked and softened sun-dried tomatoes too.

Chipotle. Use either dried and soaked chipotles or those packed in the little cans with clinging adobo (which I tend to reach for first as it’s easier, and the clinging adobo sauce is so well flavored). Consider a whiff of cumin too.

Chipotle lime. Ditto the above; lime juice and lime zest make this one probably one of the all time flavor favorites.

Smoked Paprika. Surprisingly tasty, this one needs a bit of cumin to really bring out the flavors, at least in our book, and is very good with a quality sweet paprika too.

Lemon Dill. Fresh dill is best, though dried works, and use both fresh lemon juice and zest to make this one pop.

Truffle. Just a few drops of truffle oil are all it takes; I have to admit perhaps my personal least favorite but my wife loves this one.

Sriracha. Try different sriracha brands, or use this paleo version.

Avocado or avocado garlic. A recent addition to our rotation, this one is great and even better with roasted garlic. Don’t forget a bit of lemon juice to keep this one fresh.

Roasted garlic and chipotle. ‘Nuff said and better with a splash of lemon or lime juice.

Creole mustard. We keep reaching for Zatarain’s Creole mustard when making this one; even better with a bit of a Cajun spice blend mixed in.

Ginger sesame. Best with minced fresh ginger, though fresh ground ginger works too; try it with a splash of toasted sesame oil.

Blue cheese. Try this one with good blue cheese crumbles, and splashes of Worcestershire and lemon juice.

Curry. This one sings with a good, fresh curry powder, lime (or lemon juice), and perhaps even a whisper of cayenne.