RoadHug

I don’t eat a lot of grains. Why? Because. I don’t have to answer your questions. Oh, settle down. I’m just kidding. It’s a good question. I have a couple really good reasons stored up just for this occasion.

First, thanks to flat feet I have bad knees – I know, bad news when you’re 30 – worse news when I got it at the age of 15. And since gluten (a protein found in most grains) is linked to inflammation – something my joints frankly don’t need more of – I cut it out the majority of the time (something to keep in mind when you recommend a food stop, eh?).

Second, I’ve had a ton of sports injuries. Tons. I practically thrive on sports injuries. The problem is that my body doesn’t really dig ‘em and following an anti-inflammatory diet is just what the doctor orders when trying to recover from a sports injury…or eight.

Third, I try to eat unprocessed, but really freakin’ good foods and I try to stay as close to my food as possible. What does that mean? It means that I want to know the farm my vegetables came from. I want my cows to have eaten grass and not hormones before they hit my plate. And I want the whole trip to be as short and natural as possible. Most grains are tough to eat unprocessed so they end up going through a lot to get to our plates. A loaf of bread has had a hell of a trip to get to me. A bagel. Pasta. Lots of processing.

Forth, I love athletics as much as I love food. On a daily basis (when I’m in prime shape and not nursing anything that falls into the second category above) I’m running, biking, Olympic weightlifting and swimming. Vacations for me are rock climbing, snowboarding, kayaking and hiking. A beach isn’t the same without a football and a surfboard. That means that I want to be fit, lean and at peak performance. Through many many many trial and errors I have found that cutting out grains helps me tremendously in this regard. My food has fewer empty calories and is more nutrient dense.

All this being said, if I’m in Decatur, GA, I’m eating a Farm Burger and I’ll chow down on the bun. And you better believe I won’t be passing up a slice (not a loaf, a slice) of my Dad’s homemade whole wheat bread hot from the oven.

Mini-sandwich (hold the grains)

Cut a large zucchini into quarter-inch rounds. Spread some local wholegrain mustard on one side. Add a slab of natural turkey breast (easy to find – even at your local big box grocery store) and some grape tomato slices. Slap another zucchini round on top and you have yourself a wee snack. Repeat the process three more times and you have yourself a solid pre-bike ride treat.

Fireworks are a great way to end a damn fine evening.

RoadHug is in the business of entertainment. RoadHug is also in the business of collecting mentors and this evening was no exception. Thanks to my ever-expanding network (which is similar in size to my ever-expanding biceps – totally self-proclaimed), the girls rolled into a beautifully designed apartment on the Upper West side. I, of course, made myself at home in the kitchen and whipped up a feast for our hosts which consisted of two corporate art advisors and a doctor who is saving the world one vaccine at a time. More importantly, the night’s hosts are three very successful people who love RoadHug so much they wanted to spend a night plotting its inevitable success.

The wine was good, conversation was great and the future of RoadHug looks brighter than ever. But, since I’m “the food one” I can’t help but get a little too excited about the meal.

The evening started by scrawling a menu on a scrap of paper while pushing a cart through the jam-packed second floor of Fairway (a self-proclaimed market “like no other market”). I gathered all the ingredients I wanted, but this shopping trip convinced me even more that I’m the roadhugger that belongs in the woods. So many people and so many food options make this chef a wee bit dizzy (more on this in a future post).

What did I feed these lovely people? Well, thanks for asking…

The munching began with steamed artichokes dipped in a balsamic chive aioli and a cheese board complete with olives, Rose-infused salami and a fig almond cake.

Breaking down the main course we had…Chicken breasts braised in a pear, walnut, raisin broth. Baked zucchini stuffed with a sauté of leeks, celery, mushrooms and cranberries. And a spinach and endive salad with a mango avocado salsa.

Want to know the best part of the menu? I made it all up. No recipes. No prior experience. No measurements. No stress.

Take that Rachel Ray.

Yup, you heard it hear first…I just challenged the maven herself.

Bring it.

Drunken chicken, some grilled asparagus, prosciutto wrapped melon and a plum vinaigrette.

Grilling can be intimidating…there is something about cooking over an open flame that makes even the most confident kitchen chef a bit antsy in the pants. How do I know this? I was once right there with you. Now, I love my grill like I would love a new Bentley. And even though I managed to singe half my head, burn the hair off my right arm and give my eyelashes and eyebrows a substantial trim, I still adore taking the cover off my grill, cranking open the propane and lighting her up. So, in order to help you love your grill even remotely as much as I love mine, here are a couple dishes to help you get started.

1/Grilled Veggies in honor of Sammy D. Slice zucchini, yellow squash and carrots in quarters lengthwise. Coat them in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (if you don’t own kosher salt or a pepper mill, go get them now…go). Throw them on the grill and close the cover. Let them get almost black, flip ‘em. Blacken again, pull ‘em off and enjoy them hot or room temperature.

BBQ Salmon a la Alex.

2/Alex’s Barbeque Salmon made just for Darla. Take a salmon fillet with the skin still on and generously coat the skin side in kosher salt. Flip it flesh side up and drench it in barbeque sauce (homemade or store bought). Throw it on the grill on high. Carefully flip it once and cook to desired doneness. Extra tip: If the skin doesn’t get done enough, toss it in a pan until crispy and add it on top of a salad.

3/Drunken Chicken to feed the pickiest Julia. Open a can of beer, pour half of it into your mouth. Rinse the chicken, pat it dry and coat the inside and outside with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (see a pattern here?). Sit that baby on the beer can (you can buy a drunken chicken holder for about $5 most anywhere you buy grills) and cook on indirect heat until the juices run clear (over an hour).

Remember, keep it simple. Nothing has to be complex in the kitchen or on the grill. Say no to recipes. Yes to grills. And hello to summer.