Eggplant Lasagna

45 minutes - 1 hour (if making marinara sauce)
25 minutes (w/prepared marinara sauce)

Here is a Paleo version of an old favorite that usually comes loaded with cheese and pasta. Trust me, you won’t miss the dairy or grains! The eggplant can either be steamed or fried, and you can make your own marinara sauce or skip that step and save time. I really like the Pomi marinara sauce, but it is hard to find. Many variations are possible, so experiment and have fun. When we prepare this, the vegetable tends to be whatever is leftover in the ‘fridge that day.

. 1 lb. ground lamb, beef, or turkey (Italian sausage is excellent, too)
. 2 large eggplants
. 2 C vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach
. 3 C Marinara sauce (see recipe below, or use your favorite)
. Olive oil
. Oregano, basil, pepper and paprika to taste

Cut the stem end off of the eggplant, then peel. Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Now, you have the option to fry or steam the eggplant. If frying, an electric skillet works best. You’ll end up using a lot of olive oil, so only use this option if you are planning to eat a pretty high fat meal. The eggplant will soak up quite a bit of oil. Turn the eggplant after a couple of minutes; add more oil when you do. You want the eggplant to be soft, but only lightly browned. Continue until all of the eggplant is done. Set aside the eggplant for now.

I prefer steaming the eggplant. I use a steamer, and do two slices at a time. Turn once, continuing to steam until soft. This will be around 5 minutes or so, depending on your steamer. Another option would be to place the eggplant in a broiler pan with a little water, and bake until soft.

Meanwhile, cook the meat. Brown the meat in a skillet, adding the spices. Set aside when done.

Now, it’s time to assemble the lasagna. In a large baking dish, lay slices of eggplant to cover the bottom. If you steamed the eggplant, you will want to drizzle it with olive oil at this point. Plan beforehand how much olive oil you want to add to meet your macronutrient ratios. Cover the eggplant with some marinara sauce, add another layer of eggplant with oil, and cover again with sauce. Next, layer the vegetables. Follow with another eggplant layer, more sauce, then add the meat. Cover this with the last of the eggplant, and top with the rest of the marinara sauce.
Place the lid on the baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, removing the lid after 15 minutes. Cut into sections and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Marinara sauce
. 2 chopped tomatoes
. 2 C tomato paste
. 2 garlic cloves
. 1/4 red onion
. 1 Tbsp olive oil
. Basil
. Oregano
. Pepper

Place oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes or longer. Add water if needed.

Zone Blocks per Serving: 2.5 C, 4 P, 9 F (Before adding olive oil. Adjust as needed)





Squash with Mincemeat

2 hours total cook time (mincemeat)
5-10 minutes (stuffed squash)

Mincemeat was developed in medieval times as a way of pre¬serving meat. Meat was mixed with fruit, liquor, and spices, then was allowed to cure. Over time, some versions of mincemeat did not contain meat at all, but were really more of a sweet desert. Fast forward to the present, where true mincemeat is almost a lost art. Take a look in your grocery store, and the only mincemeat you can find will be jars of a substance with the first ingredient being high fructose corn syrup.

All is not lost, as you can still experience true mincemeat if you prepare it yourself. You will need to make the mince at least a day in advance, preferably longer, to allow it to cure and to bring out the best flavors. The mince is a combination of meat, fruits, nuts, and liquor. Variations are endless and desirable. Once you have the basic mince down, be sure to experiment and tweak the recipe to suit your taste. You can also easily modify the in¬gredients to suit the macronutrient profile of your diet. Left¬overs can be a delicious recovery meal. The mincemeat can be served any number of ways, but my favorite is to serve it stuffed in winter squash.

. 1 lb. ground beef, preferably grassfed
. 1 C beef broth, or water
. • Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
. 5 dried apricots, chopped
. 1/3 C raisins
. 1/2 C chopped pecans
. 1/3 C chopped dates
. 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
. 1/4 tsp allspice
. 1/2 tsp nutmeg
. 1/2 tsp ginger
. 3 Tbsp canola oil
. 2 Tbsp lemon juice
. 1/4 C brandy (optional)

Place beef and broth or water in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix the fresh and dried fruits and nuts in a bowl. Add this mixture to the meat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the seasonings and oil and continue to simmer for 30 more minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then transfer to a glass or porcelain dish. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. If you are going to add the brandy, add it the next day. Allow the mincemeat to sit in the ‘fridge for several days—it gets better as the flavors mari¬nate and react with one another.

If you’ve gotten this far, most of the work is done! To serve the mincemeat, get a good winter squash. I like to use acorn squash, but again, experiment. Pumpkins will work well, too. Cut the squash down the middle to make two “bowls”. Cut flat slices off of the bottoms to make the bowls stable, if necessary. Remove the seeds and stringy fibers. Set the squash halves on a baking sheet, open side up.

Mound the mincemeat into the squash bowls. Drizzle olive oil around the edges of the squash. Add nutmeg, ginger, and cori¬ander to taste. Cover lightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the foil and bake 30 more minutes. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Zone Blocks per Serving: 4 C, 4 P, 13 F




Quinoa – The Un-Grain
Scott Kustes

Regardless of one’s level of Paleo-ness, every¬body needs a nice bowl of oatmeal or a side of rice occasionally. Quinoa (keen-wa or kee-NO-a), a distant relative of spinach in the goose¬foot family, is a non-grain that cooks and tastes (what taste?) just like a grain. The seeds of qui¬noa can be used as a substitute for oatmeal, rice, and many other true grains as the texture is exceptionally similar. The beauty of quinoa is that it is a complete protein, containing all eight essential amino acids, including lysine which is deficient in grains. Further, quinoa also contains omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, B-vitamins, and is gluten-free for our celiac friends. [This is not entirely true as there is a water soluble fraction from Quinoa that does cause a positive reaction in celiacs despite the lack of gluten. It is interesting to note that botanically quinoa is classified as a fruit and as Scott notes is a member of the spinach family; however, similar needs often produce similar solutions where evolution is concerned. Quinoa although not a grain has developed a full as¬sortment of antinutrients similar to those found in grains. Scott notes some of these antinutrients below. Quinoa is delicious, fairly nutritious and should be regarded as essentially a grain, both with regards to antinutrients and carbohydrate content. -Ed.] It also contains none of the allergens common to grains from the grass family such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn. What wouldn’t a CrossFitter love about this food? While it may not be Paleo, it fills in nicely in the myriad recipes that call for grains of some sort. A note of caution: quinoa has a layer of saponins which may be mild toxins. These saponins are generally washed off prior to purchase, but just to be safe, give the quinoa a good thorough rinsing prior to preparation. Click here for more Information on quinoa.

Each ¼ cup of quinoa contains 2.5g fat, 29.5g carbs (2.5 g fiber), and 5.5g protein.



Quinoa Ostrich Chili
Scott Kustes

45 minutes

. 1 lb. ground ostrich (or ground turkey, chicken, beef, buffalo)
. 2 tbsp olive oil
. 1/2 cup dry quinoa
. 2 cups water
. 1 27-oz can El Pato
. 3 roma tomatoes, diced
. 1/2 medium onion, diced
. 1/2 cup diced celery
. 1 bunch green onions
. 1 each green, yellow, and red pepper, diced
. 2 cloves garlic
. 1/2 tsp cumin
. 1 tbsp chili powder
. 1/2 tsp salt
. Hot sauce, to taste

Adapted from John Berardi. Bring the quinoa to a boil in 2 cups of water. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Brown the ground ostrich (if you substitute, keep in mind that ostrich is a red meat) and onions in a nonstick skillet with 1 tbsp oil. Add the celery and peppers and toss over high heat until vegetables start to brown. When the quinoa has absorbed the water, remove the lid and stir in the tomato sauce until mixed. Add the browned ostrich and vegetables, stir, and then add the spices. Mix com pletely, cover, and simmer on low heat until you have the de¬sired consistency (should be fairly thick).

Zone blocks: 16P, 15C, 18F





Quinoa Tabouli
Scott Kustes

30 minutes

. 2 ½ cups water
. 1 cup quinoa
. ¼ cup olive oil (add 1 tbsp to make a perfect 4:1 F:C ratio)
. ½ teaspoon sea salt, optional
. ¼ cup lemon juice
. 3 tomatoes, diced
. 1 cucumber, diced
. 2 bunches green onions, diced
. 3 celery ribs, diced
. 2 carrots, grated
. 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
. Pepper, to taste

This is a standard Middle Eastern vegetarian salad that is typi¬cally made with basmati rice. It makes a nice side dish and is a switch from the lettuce groves that CrossFitters normally eat.

Boil quinoa and water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature and fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, celery, car¬rots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa and give your pepper mill a few turns. Toss in 4 or 5 blocks of Trader Joe’s pink salmon or some other protein of your choosing to make a 4x meal.

Zone blocks: 20C, 72F = 3.6:1 F/C ratio. 20C, 81F with an extra tbsp of oil making nearly perfect 4:1. Each ½ cup yields 1C, 4F.





Quinoa Eggplant Bake
Scott Kustes

1 hour

. 3/4 cup uncooked Quinoa
. 1 1/2 cups of veggie broth
. 1 large eggplant, sliced approx. 1/2” thick
. 1 large green pepper, cored and cut into rings approx. 1/4” thick
. 1 large red pepper, cored and cut into rings approx. 1/4” thick
. 1 med zucchini, cut into slices 1/4” thick
. 1 onion, cut into rings
. 3 to 4 cloves garlic, diced
. 7.75-oz can El Pato
. Pepper, to taste
. 2 tbsp olive oil
. Parmesan cheese, optional
. 12-16 oz canned tuna or salmon (2 oz per eggplant slice), op¬tional (can also use any ground meat)

This dish can be prepared as a main dish or as a side dish by not including tuna or salmon. Preheat oven to 475 F. Bring broth and one diced garlic clove to a boil, then add quinoa. Simmer for about 15 minutes, at which point the broth should be ab¬sorbed. Take off of heat and let sit. Meanwhile, slice the egg¬plant and place flat in a baking dish. Put the rings of bell pepper on top of the eggplant, where they will serve as a convenient holder of the fish, garlic, and quinoa. Add the fish to each and dole out the garlic on top of the fish. Add a slice of zucchini and onion, then add the quinoa, drizzle the olive oil over the tops, and top with any remaining onion and zucchini. Pour the can of El Pato on top, add pepper and parmesan cheese as you see fit and bake for about 30 minutes. It may not be the prettiest thing you’ve cooked (unless you put more aesthetic effort into your food prep than I did), but it sure will disappear quickly. Makes 6-8 servings.

Zone Blocks: 2C, 3F, 2P (with tuna/salmon)





Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Cereal
Scott Kustes

15-20 minutes

. 1/4 cup quinoa
. 3/4 cup water
. 1/2 apple or 1 block of berries of your choosing
. Cinnamon, to taste
. 1 2/3 tsp Coconut oil, optional

Combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering until the water is absorbed. The grain will turn translucent and the germ will spiral out. Stick the ap¬ple in a chopper and add the apple and cinnamon to the qui¬noa. Eat the other half of the apple for 5-blocks of carbs. Add some coconut oil to cover the fat and throw some eggs and leftover meat on the side for a full 5-blocker. For a nice roasted flavor, you can toast the grain in a dry skillet for five minutes before cooking.

Zone blocks: 5C, 5F



Grilled Pears
Scott Kustes

10 minutes

. 1 pear
. 1 tbsp honey (optional)
. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

This is a quick and tasty dessert, especially in the fall when pears are in season and quite juicy. Cut the pear in half and cut out the core to create a small indention. Now simply coat the cut side in vinegar and/or honey and put the halves on the grill face up. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, remove and chow. They’ll be nice and warm inside.