Ooh, I was just waiting for an opportunity to share this:

Rice Salad
6-8 cups of cooked rice (white or mix of white and brown)
1 large tomato (or 2 small) chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 sticks of pepperoni, cut into bite-sized chunks
(you could also try another spicy cooked sausage)

2-3 cups of a simple vinaigrette (e.g. 1 part red wine vinegar to 3
parts oil, salt and pepper to taste).

Mix everything together and let sit at least overnight in the fridge.

(I never measure any of the ingredients, so feel free to experiment.
The idea is to have enough of the non-rice ingredients to get some in
each mouthful.  Also, you may want to reserve some of the vinaigrette to
add later, as the rice will absorb it over a few days and may start to
dry out.)

Good luck on the bicycling routine!

-Caroline S.

Well, if it's been a while since you've ridden a bike, I'd suggest
taking it easy.  (This is in direct opposition to my own personal
experience, in which my aunt and hubby took me on a 12 mile dirt ride
the first time I'd ridden in something like five years.  It didn't
kill me, though ...)  Take some time to get used to your bike.  Figure
out if the dimensions are right for you -- specifically, make sure
your seat is at the right height.  Women tend to set it too high; men
too low.  When your foot is at the bottom of the rotation, your knee
should be slightly bent.  You shouldn't have to reach for the bottom.
But if it's too bent, you're working too hard and putting too much
pressure on the knee.  If any of your joints hurt, take the bike to a
bike shop and have them look at your fit.  Try to grip the handlebars
lightly and use your core (abs) to keep you up (easier said than
done).

Learn your brakes.  Your front brake is much more powerful than your
rear brake, but it's an important part of the stopping process.  Learn
to use both together -- if you grab too much front brake, you'll go
over the handlebars, but if you don't use enough, you'll be skidding
to a stop without much control.  Different brakes have different
capabilities -- when I visited my dad and told him one of his
bikes had weak brakes, he told me they were actually pretty good for
an around-town bike.  My mountain bike brakes, which need to be able
to stop me on steep, loose terrain, are much more powerful, and
therefore require more caution.

Test your brakes, both front and rear, before you ride.  Every time.

Stretch, before and after.  Hamstrings and quads especially.  I like
to stretch after a bit of warm-up, so I like to find a spot on the
trail, usually just after the first climb, to stop and stretch.

As you're riding in the evening, get some lights for your bike.  You
never know when you'll get delayed.

Bring water!  More than you think you'll need.  Water bottles are
good, but personally I prefer Camelbaks because it's easier for me to
get at the mouthpiece while riding; I haven't quite managed to drink
out of a water bottle on a ride.

As a female cyclist, I would definitely encourage you to check out the
boards at http://forums.teamestrogen.com/ ... they address all sorts
of issues, from fit and food to choosing bike shorts and dealing with
heavy flow days.

For food ... hrm.  One, bring snacks.  If you're feeling at all
peckish, eat something.  It's better than bonking, which is the term
for hitting your energy wall and crashing (metaphorically speaking)
hard.  Sugar provides short-term energy; in a pinch, I've found that
even a Jolly Rancher can give a bit of a boost.

Two, I encourage you to have a small snack just after the ride.
Something that has some protein, fat, and carbs, like a half a bagel
with peanut butter.  A couple of years ago, I would go on rides and
always try to put off eating until I got to the restaurant.  In that
half hour, I would become ravenous.  A few calories invested in a
snack are much better than getting to the restaurant and going
through a huge cheeseburger and three trays of fries with ranch
dressing because you're so hungry you can't see straight.  (This was a
tip from a pro mountain bike racer who used to have the same problem.)
By giving your stomach something to work on, you'll actually eat less
in the long run.

For dinner ... well, the problem you describe is one that I have every
day.  By the time I get home, either from work or from a workout, I'm
so hungry that I can't wait to eat.  So instead, I eat, then (if I
want to) cook some stuff that keeps well or even benefits from a few
days in the fridge, like home-made sloppy joes, chili, or soup.
Grilling is also fast and easy.  On hot nights, sandwiches with cold
cuts and some cut-up veggies on the side may be more appetizing than a
hot meal, anyway.

I'm looking forward to quick and easy recipes from other people =)

Pasta is seriously good. Currently I am carbo-loading Nathan as he has a
*serious* event at the weekend. After cycling strenuously, I also make sure
Nathan has some protein within 30 mins of the end of exercise - it aids
recovery. His current favourite in that department is a high protein
milkshake in any flavour, as long as it's strawberry ;-)

Today's pasta for Nathan was plain pasta tossed in a light pesto dressing.

Cheers, helen s

Nothing better than something cooked in a slow cooker. Chuck in what you
have in the cupboard, turn on and leave for at least 4 hours (8 is better)
and come back to a house smelling wonderful, and a nice warm stew / soup
that you'll never be able to repeat again!

Yowie

I'm not a cook, but I read a pasta recipe that sounded good -- canned
artichoke hearts, sliced olives and cherry tomatoes.  Seasonings were
added to olive oil(wish I could remember what they were), but a clever
cook could improvise.  Good luck.   MLB