Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Back to Basics – Roasting Spaghetti Squash

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Now and again I’m reminded how we in the Primal/paleo/more healthy eating worlds take for granted a few foundational recipes that we reach for often, and yet might not be in the typical rotation for folks eating a standard North American diet.

Of late it seems a surprising number of folks have asked about roasting spaghetti squash, something we do a fair amount of around our camp during the late fall and through the winter season, if you can call what we experience here in North Texas a real winter season. After spending years and years in Montana, much of that time living and working daily on a family operated horse farm and show/training facility, we really began to understand what the winter season brought to the table.

Spaghetti squash are a nifty addition to the menu, and seem to be available just about everywhere we shop for them these days, at least in our greater neighborhood here. My favorite grocer typically only carries organic spaghetti squash of late, and I can bring home a big one (more than two of us can finish in one meal) for under 5 bucks.

Roasting spaghetti squash is so ridiculously easy this really doesn’t even rate a formal recipe presentation here on the blog.

To get started, all you need to do is slice the squash body in half “the long way” and scrape out the seed mass in the center of the squash. Chef friend Libby showed me the trick a few years back of using a grooved ice cream spoon to get this task done quickly.

And by the way, preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

We typically brush (onto the cut side of course) a tablespoon or so of a good olive or avocado oil, dust with kosher or our favorite salt of the day on hand, and dust with pepper. You simply then place cut side down on the prep baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minuets until a knife slides in easily. Some recommend piercing the tough outer skin with a fork, though when I forget to do so it never appears to matter one bit.

When done, remove from the oven, turn the halves cut side up, and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then simply “flake” or scrape the strands of cooked spaghetti squash from the halves with a long-tined fork and serve.

In the lead picture above, we’ve topped the spaghetti squash with this amazing Lemon Bomb Piccata Sauce (and Parmesan Chicken), though my wife probably most prefers it steaming hot, topped with butter and parmesan, and perhaps a bit of chopped parsley or basil.

It really is delicious topped with a regular or meat-enhanced pasta sauce as well, and Libby often serves it with a handful of crisp-sautéed vegetables thrown in too…

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes, and More 12 February 2020

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Been on the road for a bit this week, hence the somewhat truncated and eclectic link list today…

Ouch, so the official dietary guidelines aren’t so evidenced based?

Nifty primer on micro-workouts.

The surprising science behind friendship.

So low carb diets do indeed have a beneficial impact on CVD risk…

Speaking of low carb, the VA is testing a keto diet plan for diabetics.

How about using a keto food plan for binge eating and food addiction?

Time restricted feeding improves metabolic markers.

Another warning for vegans: does the vegan diet impact intelligence?

Erectile dysfunction meds might distort vision over the long term.

So elevated LDL-C is always a problem, or not?

Love and Lhotse.

Nifty olympic marathoner ultra-running story.

Food, Glorious Food

Lemon Bomb Piccata Sauce (wow guys, this one is really good).

Bulletproof reviews and recommends macro trackers.

Beating the February (Winter) Blahs

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It’s gray. It’s cold and windy. There’s snow in the forecast (dammit, there even is here in the DFW metro area today). The flurry of the holiday season has come and gone, as has the shiny gloss on the New Year.

Beginning in particular for our own family roughly two decades ago living in northern Utah and later Montana, we always found the month of February long, cold, and dreary, and often reached the peak of the winter blahs this month.

In Montana especially, while we were running an equestrian operation and show barn (along with my medical practice), starting and ending every day with barn chores in the dark cold dampened enthusiasm of our crew (the entire family comprised “the crew”) mightily.

February in particular was always a challenge for us, if only we’d known then what the past few years have taught to fight back with…

Whole foods, cooked at home. After the flood of indulgent treats tempting you all holiday season (and perhaps the weeks following), now’s the time to dial things back and embrace the better food options that abound – we’re talking nutrient-dense, whole foods, quality proteins, and good fats. Innovate with recipes and reach for a few different ingredients that are novel and interesting.

Sleep, sleep, sleep. Most of us have room to further optimize and improve our sleep habits and hygiene. Short days and lack of true daylight exposure can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle; be intentional and dial this one in.

Move all day. Granted, moving all day during the winter for those in winter climes can be a challenge – some days it’s simply impossible to take that quick walk outside around the office, shop, or school. Intention matters, small burst of movement and activity add up, and incorporating micro-workouts can really help.

Fitness matters (go ahead, change the routine, and grab some new gear). Several clients this year have had particular difficulty keeping their fitness and workout routines in play during Q4.19 and Q1.20. There are a number of ways to address this one – it may be time for a new class, a winter gym membership, or perhaps my favorite – a new home program DVD/subscription or new equipment (heavier kettlebells for us this year).

Update your winter wardrobe. It’s unbelievably easier to be active in winter (and the shoulder seasons too if you live up north) if you update your winter / cold weather gear. Today’s tech fabrics make layering up to meet whatever weather challenge is on the docket today a piece of cake, and you can tailor your updated wardrobe to suit your fashion sense and activity demands with endless options.

Gain strength in numbers. Genuine fellowship is vital for all of us year round, but having a workout buddy, group, club, or even a gym squad can make a world of difference when the winter blahs drain your daily motivation to keep things moving.

Implement a news and social media fast. The world will keep spinning without you updating your social feeds and seeing who said what in the news today. More on this topic to come, and by the way, turn the damned TV off to.

Plan ahead for bumps in the road, and remember how easy it is to recover. Personally I find it most challenging to be compliant with a keto/Primally-focused nutrition plan, the food plan that makes me feel the very best month-in and month-out, during the holiday and immediate-post holiday window.

I’m a HUGE believer in the value of being metabolically flexible, and while that does allow the occasional indulgence without disrupting your health and fitness dramatically, there’s a big difference on what I could and what I really should eat.

Those who thought it was difficult to break your initial carb-dependency need to be particularly cautious of wandering too far off the healthy path (whatever that might be for you). At least getting back on the wagon can always be done, and now you know how to best make that work for you.

Be pro-active when that runny nose and scratchy throat show up. And finally, it’s cold and flu season – even being mindful of exposures there are times when exposure is simply out of your control. Be damned proactive when the first sign of symptoms start or when you’ve had a known, significant exposure.

Hang in there; spring isn’t that far off…

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Greek Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

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As I shared on Monday when chatting about our favorite tzatziki recipe here, my lovely wife and I came a bit late to enjoy Greek cuisine as much as we do today.

We both come from families who, from a home cooking and menu perspective, ate fairly routine American fare during our years at home decades ago; we both grew up in Texas so adventurous dining back in the day was typically either barbecue or Tex-Mex. Heck, I’m not even sure there was a Greek diner or restaurant in my panhandle home growing up…

Later my wife and I lived in Salt Lake City for years, which happens to host a surprisingly robust Greek community, and one of my former business partners and mentors introduced us to the wonders of cooking (reasonably) authentic Greek cuisine at home – and this wonderful Greek salad we’ve served for years (including again this past week!).

A couple of weeks ago we had occasion to eat at one of our favorite Greek eateries here in the DFW metro to celebrate a small but meaningful life victory, we enjoyed a dish we’d not savored in a while – a simple but incredibly delicious marinated and grilled flank steak.

I of course pestered the restaurant team for their recipe, and while they didn’t provide all the details, it was enough to guide my research, which included time on the phone with friend and Chef Libby in Austin.

After a bit of experimenting and tweaking, this is the recipe we’ve dialed in for this Greek Marinated Grilled Flank Steak.

Living in Texas as we do, I often reach for skirt or hanger steaks when preparing fajitas (which granted we enjoy often); it’s been a pleasure to cook with flank again as well – flank shares the same deep, beefy flavor as skirt (and hangers), the same robust tooth when cooked just so, and yet is delightfully tender when thinly sliced across the grain. And compared to some of the other cuts we’ve posted recipes for over the years, grass-fed flank can feel like a true bargain too.

Plan ahead for this one as you’ll really want to let the flank marinate for 24-hours, though 8 works in a pinch. And you can argue if you must, but this one begs to cooked to just medium, rested for 8 to 10 minutes, and thinly sliced across the grain.

2 to 3 lb flank steak
1 cup EVOO or avocado oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup coconut aminos or tamari
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dill weed (dried)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt

This one couldn’t be easier.

Whisk the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, pour over the flank (I prefer to cut our flank into 3 to 4-inch wide pieces prior or marinating) and place in a resealable bag or your favorite non-plastic marinating container.

Marinate for preferably 24 hours, but at least 8, turning the flank occasionally to make sure all sides are well coated and exposed to the marinade.

Fire the grill, drain the flank while the grill is preheating, then grill to your desired finish – though flank begs to be cooked just medium rare, rested for 10 minutes, and then sliced thinly across the grain.

Great hot or cold, make sure you have tzatziki on hand for your Greek feast.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: A Quick, Easy, and Delicious Home Tzatziki Sauce

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For reasons that I still can’t honesty account, my lovely wife and I came to appreciate Greek cuisine, relatively speaking, a bit later in life. It probably had something to do with us both growing up in the South during our formative years, and coming from families that simply weren’t the most adventurous when it came to exploring foods from other cultures and locales.

We’re huge fans of Greek cuisine these days, finding its spice array and emphasis on (for the most part) simple ingredients prepared very well deeply satisfying and delicious.

I’m sure that’s part of our long-standing appreciation of various Mediterranean cuisines, but there something about Greek flavors that my wife in particular just loves, with admittedly Tzatziki Sauce being right at the top of the list of her Greek favorites. Other faves include a slab of salty, fresh, Greek feta, drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with fresh oregano, with a pile of Kalamata olives alongside and freshly prepared, olive oil-drizzled hummus too.

But a Greek meal just wouldn’t meet her standard without a tub of tzatziki sauce alongside. Tzatziki is a flavor-packed sauce based on Greek yogurt, bursting with vegetal and herbal notes from chopped or grated cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice (or vinegar), and occasionally mint.

Neither of us were fortunate enough to have a Greek grandmother working magic in the kitchen to teach us the secrets of Greek cuisine, though after several years of fiddling, we’ve settled on this as a base recipe to work from when making tzatziki at home. My wife prefers the herbs and spices pretty much as written, though left to my own devices, I’d always add more garlic, dill, a bit of finely minced mint, and acid (preferably fresh lemon juice).

We just enjoyed a batch of fresh tzatziki with a Greek marinated flank steak I’ll be posting for this week’s Friday Feast…

1 medium cucumber, peeled, grated (or diced), salted, and drained
2 cups full fat Greek yogurt
1-2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2-3 tbsp fresh minced dill (may include some mint)
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1-3 tsp lemon juice or vinegar of choice
1 tsp salt, divided

Peel and grate or dice the cucumber (I prefer to grate on the large holes of a box grater), then salt with 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and set in a colander for at least 15 minutes to drain. When ready to stir the sauce together, compress as much water as possible from the cucumber before combining.

Stir the remainder of the ingredients together, stir in the drained cucumber, and taste – adjust the seasonings to suit your palate, and add more EVOO or lemon juice to adjust the texture as well.

Will keep for several days in the fridge, covered of course, though we seem to never have any leftovers after a Greek feast at home.

Enjoy.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes and More 25 January 2020

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Top of the Fold Links for the Week

Should we even talk about a PSA? (Free MedScape account required.)
Glucose and Alzheimer’s– Don’t miss this one.

Elevated LDL-C levels didn’t correlate with ASCVD risk for those over 75.
Hip and knee steroid injections may speed joint damage in some patients.

Other Links that Caught Our Eye…

An aspirin a day + DOAC may cause more harm than good.
Speaking of OTC compounds, here’s an interesting perspective on melatonin. (Free MedScape account required.)

Save the planet by avoiding obesity.
Dr. Oz thinks we should cancel breakfast for 2020.
A mathematician weighs in on thinking and new ideas.

Fitness Corner

Walking makes you more productive.
Addicted to exercise.

Food, Glorious Food

Will alcohol kick you out of keto?
Speaking of keto, here’s either a brief history of keto or a hit piece…

Reverse Seared Cowboy Ribeye Steak
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Texas Coast Boiled Shrimp

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Texas Coast Boiled Shrimp

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My parents both grew up along the Gulf Coast of Texas, in or near a little community by the name of Bay City. My maternal grandfather had a beach house very close to the mouth of the Colorado River where it empties into the Gulf, a rustic wood-framed cabin on the tiny spit of land there between East and West Matagorda Bays.

The Camp as it was called by everyone in the family save for my grandfather, who had christened it the Mason Rouge (it was painted a nifty barn red), was a key focal point for summers of my youth as we travelled down to fish, crab, laze in the blistering coastal Texas summer heat, comb the beaches, and just generally live the life of a miniature pirate back in the 60s.

The Camp was wiped out time and time again by a number of hurricanes, most notably by Carla, and each time Pa-Pa (paw paw) would rebuild it a little bit bigger.

Fresh seafood was the order of the day; we pulled crabs from the crab trap every few days, caught fish morning, afternoon, and night, and bought “table” shrimp from the little bay shrimper (his boat was Little Bob) whose ramshackle operation sprawled on the riverbank about half a city block away. We probably had to drive the furthest – about 10 minutes – to pick up a bushel of oysters dredged that morning when the oyster mood struck.

Some of my earliest memories of wanting to learn about the art and mystery of cooking came from standing at my grandmother Ma-Ma’s (maw maw) elbow as she created another masterpiece on the ancient (and dammit, I mean ancient) gas stove in the corner of the first floor “kitchen” at the Camp.

She was a masterful Southern cook, using something akin to alchemy to transform uber-fresh, simple ingredients into some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. Of course, those memories are buffered by time and the myopic, simplistic perspective of youth, but damn, her fish cakes, gumbo, fish, and shrimp were stunningly good.

Though I didn’t appreciate it as I should back then, it was she who taught me to relish the tasty simplicity of a perfectly boiled shrimp, most often back in the day pulled from the pot, iced down to cool quickly, and eaten in a simple shrimp salad or dipped into just-crafted cocktail sauce bursting with nasal-clearing horseradish and savory Worcestershire (the Cajun influence in that part of coastal Texas was welcome!).

Wild shrimp are one of nature’s most perfect nuggets of high-quality protein, essentially free of encumbering carbohydrates, and with very little fat baggage as well. Fresh shrimp might not readily accessible year-round for many of us, but high-quality frozen shrimp are (if you’ll do a bit of digging). (And while not the focus of this post today, here’s a few quick thoughts on sourcing quality seafood.)

As many of you have, we’ve played with various approaches to attaining the best home-boiled shrimp we can over the years.

Our routine these days is simple and easy to reproduce tie and time again for consistent and tasty results. Note that we lean to the Texas Coast style for our shrimp boil – which means the inclusion of some form of Cajun spice into the pot. And next time you’re planning a shrimp meal, consider boiling up 2 or 3 pounds at a time – shrimp hold well for several days in the fridge, and make a great second meal a day or two down the road, a wonderful lunch, or tasty shrimp salad too.

Here’s how we get a shrimp boil done at home, as noted typically 2-3 pounds at a time for my wife and I. Ma-Ma would heartily approve by the way.

Into your shrimp pot goes water to cover the shrimp by at least 3 inches, along with half a (scrubbed) lemon and either a packet of Zatarains’s Shrimp and Crab boil or several teaspoons of their liquid boil mix, though the bagged spices produce a better result with a deeper, more interesting flavor.

Bring the water to a rolling boil, add the shrimp, and maintain high heat until the pot just beings to boil again. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep for at least 5 minutes.

There’s a school of thought that argues you should let boiled shrimp steep for as long as 20-30 minutes, though my most talented shrimp mentor argues that you should add some ice to the pot if you’re steeping more than 5 minutes to cool the water so as not to overcook the shrimp.

I typically don’t steep for more than 6 or 7 minutes, then drain the shrimp, ice them down for at least several minutes, and either serve warm right then, or chill them down for several hours in the fridge. We like to peel them right at service (read as we eat them).

This routine is really child’s play in the kitchen, simple enough that anyone can do it with ease, and yielding perfect results every time.

See you at the shrimp counter this weekend.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Monday: Curry Vinaigrette

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We’re always on the lookout for interesting and flavorful vinaigrettes, not only for the obvious use as salad dressing, but as a quick dip or drizzle for proteins and vegetables, and even for folding into homemade avocado oil mayo to fancy things in the spirit of a high-brow, flavored aioli.

I’ve shared recently that we’ve also been on something of a curry blitz of late now that the weather has finally cooled off here in North Texas, and this Curry Vinaigrette has caught my wife’s eye in particular.

Admittedly the tablespoon (or a tad less) of curry powder sounds like a lot – it is – but the acids (vinegar of your choice below and the lemon juice) really balance this dressing out nicely, as do the garlic and dijon mustard notes. By the way, I’ve made this using a coarse-grind Creole type mustard and it was delicious as well.

Given the use of fresh garlic this dressing should be used within a week of making it; ours is always gone within a day or two!

1/2 cup avocado or good olive oil
1 tbsp (scant) good fresh curry powder

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, your choice
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp good Dijon mustard
A grind or two of fresh ground pepper
Good salt to taste

To get started, bring the curry powder and your oil of choice to a gentle simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and cool.

When the oil has cooled, combine your vinegar of choice, the lemon juice, the prepped garlic, and the Dijon in your trusty blender, then stream in the curry oil (with the motor running of course) to make a smooth, thick emulsion. Add the salt and pepper, adjust to taste, and go to it.

Will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Enjoy.