This month, we'll look at some seasonal recipes, along with a few really quick meals for the busy month of December. Eating at this time of year is often like navigating a minefield. Planning ahead, cooking in large batches, and having some simple standby recipes can help you survive while still feeling and performing well.

Try to take advantage of the vegetables that are in season this time of year. Squash, kale, and chard are in season right now, so let's put them to use and get cooking!

Fall Squash Salad

Time: 35 minutes

• 1 Delicata squash
• 3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon peel
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• sea salt
• veggie mix - 8 mixed cups of the following fall vegetables: Lacinato kale, Curly kale, chard, radicchio, frisee.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds. Chop the squash into cubes, then toss with 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with sea salt if you like. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, chop your veggies, then toss them in a large salad bowl. I used a wide variety of seasonal greens from a farmer's market here; you might not want to track all of these down. Your salad will still be good with just a couple of the above.

Next, make the dressing. In a small dish, add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and lemon peel. Mix well, then add to the salad. Toss well, then transfer the salad to serving plates.

Once the squash is done, allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Top the salad with the squash, then scatter 1 Tbsp of pine nuts over each serving.

Zone info: 2 servings at 3.5 carb blocks, 19 fat blocks




Beef Stroganoff

Stroganoff originally came from Russia, but this easy and versatile meal has spread around the world over the last 100 years. This recipe is adapted from my wife's grandmother's recipe, but with an added twist from my mother's recipe (or lack thereof). Grandma Bertie would make this dish on special occasions. Her original version was made with canned cream of mushroom soup. We'll avoid that here by resorting to our favorite dairy stand-by: coconut milk. The added twist from my youth is the addition of fettuccine-like "noodles" made from vegetables. My mother would make Hamburger Helper Stroganoff, and this would have a thin pasta.

This recipe is for a large batch, so you will have leftovers unless you are cooking for a large group. Modify the quantities if needed.

Time: 1 hour

• 2 lbs ground beef (grassfed preferred)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk
• 3 small zucchinis, sliced very thinly
• 1 carrot, sliced very thinly
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, stirring, until the onions are becoming soft (around 5-6 minutes). Add the meat, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Meanwhile, slice the carrots and zucchini. If you have some kind of mandolin slicer, this will be quick and easy. The slicing side of a standard grater will work also, as will a good peeler. Watch the fingers with these! Basically, you are trying to create thin, fettuccine-like "noodles".

Once the meat has browned, add the veggie "pasta", followed by all of the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, giving it a stir from time to time. (You can simmer this longer if you like, this will infuse the flavors further.)

Zone info: 8 servings at ~1 carb block, 4 protein blocks, 12 fat blocks


Easy Beef and Vegetable Soup

This recipe only takes a few minutes of hands on time. If you use pre-shredded cabbage and pre crushed garlic, you can really save time.

Time: 40 minutes

• 1 pound ground beef (grassfed preferably)
• 4 cups beef broth
• 8 oz + shredded cabbage
• 2 oz bacon ends
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon and cabbage in a saucepan for about 8 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, mixing well, until the meat is browned. Add beef broth and garlic, then cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Zone info: 4 servings at .75 carb blocks, 4.75 protein blocks, 12.5 fat blocks


Pork Three Ways

Here is a simple recipe template where we will use the same base ingredients, but create three distinctly different meals by simply changing up the spices. I am using pork and cabbage here, but you can use any other protein and vegetable in this template as well.

Time: 25 minutes

Base recipe:
• 2 lb pork loin, cubed
• 10 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat, tossing until browned. Add the cabbage and your seasonings of choice from below, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Toss a few times while cooking, then serve. You'll have leftovers for later.

For an Indian style meal, add:
• 2 Tbsp minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice

For a Latin style meal, add:
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice

For a comfort food style meal, add:
• 6 oz chopped bacon ends
• sea salt
• pepper

Zone info: 8 servings at 1/2 carb block, 4 protein blocks, 4.5 fat blocks. The Indian style recipe will contain 1.5 fat blocks more per serving. The recipe with the bacon will contain 1 more protein block and 2.8 more fat blocks per serving.


Southern Eggs and "Rice"

Cauliflower makes a great rice substitute. Let's hear it for a much smaller blood sugar response and more nutrients! Here is a basic breakfast dish from the South using cauliflower in place of rice.

Time: 15 minutes

• ~ 3 cups of cauliflower florets
• 5 omega 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 packet Trader Joe's chicken broth concentrate
(or 1/2 cup chicken broth)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Start by steaming or lightly boiling the cauliflower florets. (I prefer to use a pressure cooker, as it only takes about 2 minutes once the pot has pressurized). Place the florets in a medium pot; add either 1/2-cup of water (if using the chicken broth concentrate) or 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Cover and boil over medium high until the cauliflower has softened, but not too much - around 6-7 minutes. Drain the water or broth.

Using a food chopper or similar, chop the florets into small rice sized pieces. A good chopper will make this quick and easy. Return the chopped cauliflower to the pot, along with the olive oil and chicken broth concentrate (if you used chicken broth in the boiling process, you can omit the broth concentrate). Heat over medium for a few minutes, stirring.



Meanwhile, crack 5 eggs into a bowl and beat well. Stir the eggs into the cauliflower. Cook for 4-5 minutes, mixing regularly, until the eggs have set. Serve; adding sea salt and pepper to taste.

There are several other variations of this recipe. One would be to cook a bit of chopped bacon in place of the olive oil; adding the cauliflower after the bacon has browned. Another would be to add some chopped green onion, cooking it for a few minutes in the olive oil or bacon before adding the cauliflower. For an Asian flavor, some Tamari soy sauce (wheat free) could be used in place of the chicken broth. A final option would be to make this into patties instead of a scramble. Experiment and enjoy!

Zone info: 2 servings at 1/2 carb block, 2 1/2 protein blocks, 14.5 fat blocks