Mexican Squash Casserole

Time: 1 hour

• 1 Pumpkin (not a Jack-O-Lantern)
• 3 Anaheim peppers
• 1.5 lb. chicken breast or thigh meat
• 1/2 tsp cumin seed
• coconut oil, lard, or tallow
• sea salt and pepper

Set the oven to broil. Remove the stems from the peppers. Place them on a roasting pan and broil, turning the peppers until all sides have browned some. Watch carefully so that they don't burn. Remove the peppers to a paper bag to steam and continue to cook while they sit.

Meanwhile, halve, seed and dice the pumpkin. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Now, remove the skins from the peppers and slice into bite-sized pieces.

Grease a casserole dish and lay half of the pumpkin on the bottom. Add half of the cumin seed. Add the diced meat, and then layer with the peppers. Top with the remainder of the pumpkin; sprinkle with the remaining cumin seed. Bake at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes. Add salt and pepper when done.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 10g carb, 42g prot, 8g fat




Slow-Cooked Fall Fruit

Active Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

• 2 pears
• 4-5 apples
• cinnamon sticks

Halve and core the fruits; then chop them into pieces. Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker along with a bit of water. Cook on low overnight and they are ready for breakfast!

This also can be added to other dishes as a topping.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 28g carb


Slow Cooker Curry

Active time: 5 minutes

• 2 lb. diced beef stew meat
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• ~1 Tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 Tbsp wheat-free tamari soy sauce

Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook for 5-6 hours on low.

If you buy pre-diced stew meat and pre-crushed garlic, this recipe takes very little time!

Nutritional info: 8 servings at 2g carb, 32g prot, 25g fat


Autumn Breakfast Hash

Morning active time: 12 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

• 1 acorn squash
• 4 small apples
• 1/4 lb bacon, diced
• 1 lb chicken sausage
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

On the night before, halve and seed the squash. Core and chop the apples. Place the squash cut side down into a baking dish. Add 1/4 inch of water and the diced apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Allow to cool and save for the morning.

In the morning, dice the bacon and add to a large skillet on medium. Chop the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Once the bacon has browned, add the sausage and green onions. Sauté for around 5 minutes, stirring often.

Cut the squash into bite-sized pieces. Add the squash and apples to the skillet. Mix and cook until warm.

Nutritional info: 3 servings at 45g carb, 40g prot, 40g fat




Spicy Cucumber Shots

Though I know most of you are very dedicated to your health and performance, I also know that many like to loosen up on occasion and have a drink. Here is a kind of fun idea if you are hosting a gathering and staying somewhat Paleo. You'll make shot glasses out of cucumbers! The "glasses" hold about 1/3rd of a real shot.

• large cucumbers
• sea salt
• chili powder
• cayenne pepper
• premium tequila

Peel the cucumbers. Carefully cut the ends of the cucumbers off; they will be the bottoms of your cucumber shot glasses. Don't cut too deeply or they may leak once you add the tequila. Cut crosswise again about 2 ½” up from that. With a paring knife, carefully remove the seeds and some of the cucumber to create a small glass. Be careful not to cut too deeply.

In a small dish, add sea salt, chili powder, and cayenne pepper to taste. Keep the cayenne on the light side unless you want it to be nice and spicy hot! Roll the edges of your cucumber glasses in the spice mixture.

Fill the cucumbers with tequila. Set them on a plate carefully and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can even allow them to sit overnight if you like. Enjoy!