Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Grill Roasted and Marinated Red Peppers

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For those who love roasted peppers and much as we do (and choose to utilize peppers in their food plan) here’s a wonderful, and simple, Grill Roasted and Marinated Red Pepper prep to add to your cook next time you fire up the grill.

I like to make a big batch of these, throw some into tuna, chicken, or just big-assed green salads, eat some as a delicious side or just out of hand, and freeze the rest in single-use sized containers to have available at some point down the road.

This prep is ridiculously easy, can be accomplished in simple blocks of time around another meal preparation and kitchen tasking, and offers a blank palate to spice up (add heat, more salt, thyme, basil, or any other herb) and customize to your heart’s content.

There’s really no special trick to this one; get a good char on the peppers while grilling, give them plenty of time to soften and steam, then stem, seed, and peel and you’re ready to season them up.

We love the taste and color of the red bells, but orange and yellow are delicious as well; we’ve also recently done a batch of these using Mediterraneo Dulce peppers which were delicious, and not quite as sweet as red bells.

6 large red bell peppers (yellow and orange are delicious too)
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp good EVOO or avocado oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp good kosher salt (more to taste)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Optional
1-2 tsp chopped fresh basil
1-2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Fire a grill for medium-high heat; wash and dry the peppers.

Grill the peppers, turning as needed, until the skins are blackened and blistered pretty much all over. Pending your fire’s heat, this will likely take 15-20 minutes.

Pull from the grill, place in a large bowl and cover (stockpot lid, plate, or plastic wrap), let cool at least 20 minutes.

When cooled, stem, skin, and seed the peppers, then cut or tear into roughly 1.5 to 2-inch strips. Add the pepper strips to a clean bowl along with the oil of choice, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, and the optional herbs.

Let marinate at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to an airtight jar and hold in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for future use.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Thai-Inspired Coconut Steak on a Stick

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Though I have to admit we were somewhat late to the realization that Thai-inspired flavors and spices, along with coconut, often play wonderfully with beef, we’ve become big fans of the combination around our camp.

With cooler weather on the horizon we’ll be slipping these Thai-Inspired Slow Roasted Short Ribs and this Coconut Braised Chuck Roast with Gremolata back into the rotation; fall is indeed just around the corner.

Traditionally we’ve always hosted a get together sometime during this upcoming long weekend; ribs have almost always been on the docket for that crowd, though I couldn’t resist putting these on the menu this year.

I happened to run across an amazing deal on some grass-fed rib eyes, but this will work with a number of other cuts; one of the first times I made it recently we used tri-tip and it was damned delicious.

There’s nothing very complex about the recipe, though do note that this works much better with an overnight marinade in the fridge. And the basting sauce is optional, though you’ll need to do something with the remaining coconut milk from the can (other than stir it into your coffee tomorrow), and basting the steak skewers on the grill really does boost the flavor.

My other best suggestion is to make more than you think you and your guests will eat; this one makes a killer lunch the next day over salad or just on it’s own.

2 pounds rib eye, top sirloin, tri-tip, etc, cut into 1-inch cubes

Marinade
1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
6 garlic cloves
4-6 red Thai chiles (Fresnos or red jalapeños in a pinch), stemmed, chopped
1.5-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, rough chop
1/4 cup good fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp lemongrass puree
Optional: 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Optional Basting Sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp good fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp lemongrass puree (optional)

Add all the marinade ingredients to your trusty blender and puree until smooth and uniform; pour over the prepared steak cubes in a large bowl, stir to make sure every piece is coated, cover and throw in the fridge overnight.

When ready to grill, drain and discard the marinade and thread the meat onto skewers, just touching, not tightly packed.

Fire the grill, and use that remainder of the coconut milk from the can to make the optional basting sauce; stir the ingredients together over low heat until combined, set aside.

Now grill over a medium fire, turning and basting every 2-3 with the basting sauce if using, for 14 to 16 minutes until done to your tastes.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Grilled Sweet Potato, Onion, and Chile Salad

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Since late May I’ve been personally pushing my fitness levels fairly hard; starting my fitness and health recovery journey a little over two years ago I never imagined I’d be sprinting and dialing in some pretty danged specific training to compete next spring in Masters track and field events. (I’ve been telling people lately that back then I was a 412 pound weakling; thankfully that’s now very nearly 200 pounds and lightyears of fitness ago…)

Having been in nutritional ketosis for more or less the past 16 months (probably 95% of the time or better) I have noted that my performance did begin to lag on my leanest carb intake days, prompting some experimentation with carb cycling and adjusting my carb targets on my hardest work days.

One of the ways we’ve done that is incorporate sweet potatoes into the rotation a bit more often. Back in our pre-primal/pre-paleo days we had several grilled potato salads we enjoyed, so that set me to playing with several recipes featuring grilled sweet potatoes.

This Grilled Sweet Potato, Onion, and Chile Salad is one that we keep coming back to again and again; we love the Asian-inspired flavor profile in the dressing, the sweetness of the grilled onions, and the herbal tones from the basil added to finish it off. This salad (or side dish if you prefer) is even damned pretty on the platter or plate too.

You can serve it warm just as it’s finished, at room temp, or chilled – my wife prefers it chilled, but it’s good any way you dish it up.

Approx. 2 pounds sweet potatoes, sliced cross-wise into 3/4-inch thick discs
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
1 large or 2 smaller red onion(s)
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 cups basil leaves, torn if large
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Dressing
2/3 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
3 red Fresno or jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
3 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
1-3 tbsp good fish sauce
1 tbsp honey (optional)

Cover the sliced sweet potatoes with water in a large sauce pan; add the salt and stir to combine. Bring to a healthy simmer, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until the potato slices are just tender (use a fork or paring knife to check) – this will take 9-10 minutes pending how thick your slices are. Remove from the water and drain.

While the potatoes are cooling, whisk together the sauce ingredients, adjust for salt, and set aside (you’ll want to whisk again before pouring over the grilled potatoes).

Fire the grill (you only need a medium heat fire here).

Grate the garlic into a large bowl, stir in the 1/4 cup oil, and add the onions which you’ve cut into wedges (6-8 per onion) through the root end (keeps the wedges together on the grill). Toss the cooled potato slices and the onion wedges in the bowl, add a sprinkle of salt.

Now grill the onions and potato slices until well-marked, crispy, and a little charred (10-15 minutes pending your fire). Return to the large bowl (wipe out any excess oil in the bowl first), chopping into bite sized pieces first, toss with the dressing, then gently toss in the basil leaves and sesame seeds, adjusting for added salt one final time.

Can serve warm off the grill, room temp, or chilled – this one’s good any way you take it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Dressing Monday: Easy Home Italian Dressing

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A couple of weeks ago a coaching client asked me if we had a recipe for an Italian salad dressing spice mix similar to “the one in the little box you buy at the grocery store”; she was of course referring to the Good Seasons mix that’s graced grocery store shelves, and many a kitchen, for decades.

While this iconic salad dressing (and oft-used marinade) is unquestionably an Americanized creation that has very little if anything to do with genuine Italian cuisine, I have to admit it’s herbal, salty, garlicky flavor, perked up with a blast of mouth-puckering acidity from the vinegar, sometimes just hits the spot. And in years past, when pressed for time setting up marinades for various meats headed for the grill, I must admit I’ve used it for seasoning in a pinch.

We’ve played with this spice mixture on and off for years; in response to the recent question above, I dug it out the files, dusted it off, refilled a few key spice ingredients so as to have the freshest possible spices on hand, and mixed up a few batches, tweaking along the way.

You’ll note this recipe is similar to a number you can found out there, though most don’t add the fruity heat of red pepper flakes. Most of the recipes for this mixture include a call for sugar; I don’t add it ours, though I might dribble in no more than a teaspoon of a good honey when shaking up a batch.

Finally, just about any vinegar you wish to use works here; our favorites are a good ACV or red wine vinegar. Same for the oils – I typically use a combination of a good EVOO and avocado oil. And it’s easy as pie to shake this one together in a pint jar with a tight fitting lid…

2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp good salt
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp celery seed
Optional: 1-3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Optional: 1 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute of your choice

To Mix
2/3 cup oil of choice (EVOO or avocado for us)
1/3 cup vinegar (see note above)
2 tbsp of the dried spice mixture
2 tbsp water

Stir together the spice mixture; store tightly sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.

When ready to mix a batch of a dressing, combine 2 tbsp of the spice mixture with 2 tbsp of water and 1/3 cup of the vinegar of your choice; mix well. Whisk (or shake, see above) in the oil until well emulsified; the dressing will separate if it stands for too long, simply stir or shake well to recombine.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Spicy Grilled Bacon (Pork Belly) Skewers

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A couple of months ago a friend from Montana sent me a pic of thick-cut bacon threaded onto skewers and slowly cooked on the grill; he was at an outdoor expo and a vendor was cooking these and apparently selling them hand over fist one early summer day in Boise.

My friend is not the handiest guy in the kitchen or around the grill (patience is indeed a virtue, and the lack of it can lead to disaster when cooking over live fire); he didn’t have the best of luck with this one the first time he tried it, leading to him pestering me the past few weeks for help working this one out.

After figuring out that you simply can’t rush these Spicy Grilled Bacon (or Pork Belly) Skewers over too hot a fire, we’ve had great results the past couple of times I’ve grilled these up, including the night before last served over a simple salad with a great guacamole on the side.

When stirring together the basting mixture, note there are three ingredients listed as optional; we think it needs all three, including just a bit of honey to add a hint of sweetness to the heat, and the ginger and lemongrass weave in a couple of other flavor notes that round out the Asian-inspired riff here.

Build a two-zone, fairly slow, live fire or just fire one burner if cooking over gas, and don’t wander off and leave these unattended for long. Keep turning and baste right at the end a few times to build a flavor-packed layer of flavor on that crispy bacon.

1 pound thick-cut bacon or uncured pork belly, cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 tbsp chile paste (sambal oelek)
1-2 tbsp honey (optional)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2-3 tsp good Sriracha
1 tsp minced or pureed ginger (optional)
1 tsp minced or pureed lemongrass (optional)

To serve
Your favorite green salsa or chimichurri, such as…
Quick Columbian Guacamole
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Quick Columbian Aji Sauce
Our House Chimichurri

Lime quarters

Fire your grill and set things up to cook over indirect heat – bank the coals to one or two sides leaving an unheated zone in the middle or on a gas grill just fire one burner.

Combine the glaze ingredients (the Chile paste, optional honey, rice vinegar, Sriracha, optional ginger, optional lemongrass) and set aside. Thread the bacon/pork belly slices onto wooden (soaked) or metal skewers like an accordion (see the images) and grill over indirect heat for 15-30 minutes, pending how thick your slices are. Turn every several minutes, adjusting position as needed, until beginning to brown.

At this point start brushing with the glaze every 45 seconds or so, followed by a turn, for another 3-4 minutes until they’re nicely colored and maybe even a little sticky.

To serve, set out the salsa and limes, and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh

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Here’s another great summer and early fall side bursting with flavor, featuring some of the best fresh produce (late summer tomatoes and cucumbers), and as an added bonus this dish is best served chilled (it still scorching hot here in North Texas these days).

And while it’s a piece of cake to make riced cauliflower at home (hello box grater or food processor), of late given a crazy August schedule we’ve taken to using the organic pre-riced cauliflower available via Costco. It’s been consistent, affordable, delicious – and time-saving.

It is of course critical that you use the freshest herbs and vegetables that you can get your hands on for this one, and we think it’s unquestionably better with a handful of toasted/roasted pine nuts and a handful of a good crumbled feta thrown in at the last minute before serving.

1 medium head cauliflower OR
1 pound bag of pre-riced cauliflower

5 tbsp good EVOO, divided
1 tsp good salt (+ more to taste), divided
2 cups flat leaf parsley (included tender stems)
1 cup mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3-4 green onions, pale-green and white parts only
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 medium cucumber (or more), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6-8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

Optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, chopped

If using fresh cauliflower, grate it using the largest holes on a box grater, then microwave or sauté with 1 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of salt until just tender (3 minutes or so). Spread to cool on a large platter or baking sheet.

Coarsely chop the parsley, mint, green onions, and lemon zest (food processor or by hand if your knife skills are sharp), then combine in a bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 cup EVOO, and the remaining salt.

Now stir in the cauliflower rice until well mixed, then gently fold in the cucumber, tomatoes, feta, nuts, and olives if using. Adjust for salt, and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

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One of the food discoveries we’ve made along the way on our Primal/paleo journey is how incredibly useful flavored mayo’s and aioli’s are when it comes to making mealtime time much much more interesting. We reach for our mayo and aioli jar just about every meal there’s a hot or cold protein on the plate.

Being able to consistently make delicious avocado oil, olive oil, or a combination of the two (our favorite) mayo at home in minutes has revolutionized the way we think about using this condiment. And I’m not kidding, when it’s time to make another batch, I don’t even think about it, quickly gather the goods, and can have it done and in cooling in the fridge in under 5 minutes.

Back a few months ago I posted this list of some of our favorite mayo and aioli flavors and variations, and listed among those a red pepper version.

Here’s the full recipe we’ve been using to make this one, and while you can certainly roast your own red peppers like I did for this Easy Romesco Sauce a few weeks back, using well-drained commercially prepared red peppers works here just as well. You will most likely have everything you need in to zip up a batch of this one in the fridge or pantry; don’t leave out the capers – their briny, tart flavor adds to the final taste ensemble nicely.

As always, consider this a base recipe to modify from, though I’d suggest making a batch as it’s written before deciding where you want to take it next time around.

1 cup avocado or olive oil mayo (use this recipe)
1/3 cup drained and chopped roasted red peppers or roast your own (see above)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp drained and chopped capers
1 tsp good paprika
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Into your trusty blender or food processor go the ingredients; blend/pulse until well combined and smooth. Store covered tightly in the fridge for up to 5 days, though it’ll never last that long.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Ancho Coffee Pork Tenderloin

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Back a few weeks ago when I posted this Crispy Ancho Coffee Chicken recipe I had a hunch that this particular rub would work wonders on a grass-fed/pastured pork tenderloin. I have to admit, and again readily confess I didn’t develop that recipe (see the prior post) – this spice mixture is just damn good (if not great).

In fact I wrote this about it over on our fly fishing blog ChiWulff several weeks ago –

The flavor of ancho chiles has always kinda reminded me of a sorta sweet, sorta smokey raisin, with a little bit of heat added for interest; combined here with the cumin and just a bit of a dark, freshly ground coffee and good salt, the ancho anchors this very interesting, and tasty, crust.

Over the grill these need to watched carefully and managed over indirect heat or the spices will burn; we think the best way to cook a batch of these up is to sauté them in a skillet in EVOO or avocado oil, taking care to give them time to develop a crispy crust before turning.

Amazing in a taco with all the fixin’s, or topping a tostada or a big-assed salad, these were awesome a few days back on a bed of shredded lettuce and a great guacamole. What a great boat lunch on a hot summer day these would make too…

Well, the rub works amazingly well on pork tenderloin as well, and speaking of pork tenderloin, have you tried cooking it medium rare using a sous vide technique? Sous vide is a wonderful tool to use to produce great proteins (and more), and pork tenderloin, along with a great steak (ribeye around our house), might just be the crown jewel of sous vide meats in terms of bang for your buck and return on your (rather modest) efforts.

By all means you don’t have to sous vide these, a careful grill or roast in the oven would work just fine, but if you’re waffling on sous vide, find a friend with a machine and cook this recipe together – you’ll be hooked for life.

And finally, you can serve pork tenderloin any number of ways, but consider a New Mexico-inspired “red and green” plate (as in the image above) using our Easy Romesco Sauce and either this Columbian Aji or this Columbian Guacamole. Wow, was that delicious.

4 parts fresh ancho chile powder
4 parts ground cumin
1 part (scant) good salt
1/2 to 1 part finely ground fresh dark roast coffee

2 pastured pork tenderloins, silver skin removed

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

While not really necessary, I like to paint the pork tenderloins with a bit of apple cider vinegar, then rub with the spice mixture. Cover tightly and throw in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

If cooking sous vide, heat your water bath to 130-135 (F), and cook using routine methods for an hour. Remove, drain, and let rest for 15-30 minutes at room temperature before searing quickly in butter and avocado oil on the stove top or on the grill (my preferred). Don’t sweat it when the rub/spice mixture darkens significantly when seared/grilled – it’s the spices and you’re not burning the outer layer. Don’t forget to be quick about this process to preserve that delightful medium rare cook you’ve just done perfectly in the sous vide bath.

If grilling, cook over medium-high indirect heat per routine, until done to your liking (though I’d personally never cook these past medium…). Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serve as desired, and enjoy.