Message From the Universe

I told my wife that I keep seeing our daughter's former classmates at the store, but now they're all grown up!

"What do you think it means?" I asked my wife.  "Is the Universe trying to tell me something?"

"Yes, you're old."

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Introduction

This dish gets nearly all its flavor from the sauce. When cooking bland ingredients such as boneless and skinless white meat chicken as we do here, I prefer to use a pungent sauce such as black bean sauce. Same goes for tofu.

The organic chicken tenders are simply cuts of chicken breast, which I used to concoct this recipe. Feel free to use any finger-sized pieces of chicken.

Salt is not required for this dish. The black bean sauce provides enough.

The poblano provides a bit of spicy "zing." If you use an ordinary green pepper, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Feel free to add more spice.

Broccoli is a great addition to this dish. The florets soak up the liquid and act like "flavor sponges." If using broccoli, add it with the onions and peppers. Feel free to add liquid if the pan seems dry. Bok choy is another addition to consider, but it cooks quickly so add it with the mushrooms.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. It also will stain your cutting board, knife, fingers, etc. I use Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean my knife.

Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin. Pre-ground black pepper can harbor mold; using fresh cracked pepper avoids this toxin.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO Light
• 1.6 lb organic chicken tenders
• 1 onion
• 1 turmeric piece, finger-sized
• 1 poblano (or green bell pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms (such as Woodstock frozen)
• 1/4 tsp ground black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp black bean sauce

Steps

• Pre-heat large cast iron skillet to medium high
• Peel onion, turmeric, garlic
• Dice onion, red pepper (and poblano) to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size
• Finely chop turmeric and garlic
• Set garlic aside
• Coat skillet with EVOO then add the diced / chopped ingredients, except for the garlic
• Saute for about five minutes or until onions start to be translucent
• Push vegetables to edge of pan
• Add more oil and then add chicken to the center of the pan; separate into "fingers"
• Brown chicken on both sides for about two minutes each side
• Add garlic on top of chicken
• Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about ten minutes
• Add mushrooms
• Mix pan ingredients gently, ensuring any raw portion of chicken gets contact with the pan
• Add black pepper and black bean sauce
• Mix pan ingredients again, cutting "fingers" into bite-size pieces, checking for doneness
• Turn off stove, allow juices to soak into chicken as it cools

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260610

Occasionally the Body Composition feature of my bath scale fails to work. When that happens I report a value for the Fat percentage anyway, using a previous value or one that's interpolated. Today is one of those "interpolated" days.

Waist = 44.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Sitting on a Gold Mine

CNN reported that villagers ventured into a nearby mine hoping to find gold. But they became trapped when the mine flooded. After being stuck for days, some intrepid rescuers got them out. And best of all, they did find gold!¹

"I hope they learned a lesson," my wife said.

"Yes, it's that someone will rescue you if you do something stupid." I went on to wonder aloud, "Are there any mines in our town that I can look for gold in?"

"You bet there is. I'm sitting on one."

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¹https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/30/asia/laos-cave-rescue-intl

Chile con Carne

Introduction

This chili recipe is meant to make a hearty (heavy) dish. Hence we do not drain the fat. And like most chilies, stews and soups, it tastes better the next day -- the zing from the tomato mellows.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory,¹ so I use it in every savory recipe that involves frying. Turmeric also will stain your cutting board, knife, fingers, etc. I use Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean my knife.

Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin.² But pre-ground black pepper can harbor mold; use fresh cracked pepper to avoid this toxin. Likewise, I use fresh chili powders, or I omit chili powder altogether and rely on the chiles themselves for flavor.

I prefer low salt (or no salt ingredients). But if you don't have no salt diced tomatoes, just use what you have and cut back on the added salt.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, yellow or sweet
• 1 Pinky-size piece of turmeric root (optional)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 Poblano chile or 1 can green chiles
• 4 - 5 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef, 80% or 85% lean
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) diced tomatoes (no salt, if possible)
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) beans (black or pinto) and liquid
• 2 to 4 oz. EVOO (for frying in large pan)
• 1 tsp or more of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black peppercorns

Steps

• pre-heat large cast iron skillet to medium high
• Peel onion, turmeric, garlic
• Dice onion, red pepper (and pablano) to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size
• Finely chop turmeric and garlic
• Set garlic aside
• Coat skillet with EVOO then add the diced / chopped ingredients, except for the garlic
• Saute for about five minutes or until onions start to be translucent
• Push vegetables to edge of pan
• Add meat to the center of the pan and break into marble-sized clumps
• Brown the meat, then incorporate garlic for about a minute
• Add diced tomatoes and beans
• Saute in order to thicken sauce, about 10 minutes
• Add salt, black pepper, chili powder. Adjust to taste
• Serve hot, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc

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¹ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/expert-qa/turmeric-benefits
² https://www.globalsavors.com/blog/spices/black-pepper/how-much-black-pepper-to-take-with-curcumin

2026-06-24 Updated to add "Set garlic aside"

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260510

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260430

For after-dinner snacking, I'm crunching on baby carrots instead of chips, and grapes instead of candy. The grapes provide sweetness as well as a delightful "pop" sensation. Sometimes I'll add in a high quality aged cheese such as Gouda. Midnight Moon, an aged goat milk cheese made in Holland, has been my favorite so far.

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.