This month's column comes from the Canadian Rockies and remote plains of Montana. We are off on vacation, so these recipes are a few of the things we created to eat.

When planning a vacation, looking for accommodations that have a kitchen will not only save you money, but will also let you stay on track with quality food. It is hard to find Paleo/Zone meals eating out, so having a way to cook where you are staying, at least some of the time, can really help.

For the driving portion of our trip, we created a stuffed pepper recipe—an easy road trip snack. Simply make the night before, and you have a snack to eat on the road so you can avoid convenience store dietary hell. Before each leg of our drive, we grabbed portable snacks at the grocery store, or created portable meals like the stuffed peppers. Simple road trip snacks include carrots, celery sticks, fruits, nuts, canned sardines, and nitrate-free deli meat.

Speaking of convenience stores—it is amazing to me that they are full of goods meant for consumption, but there is hardly a single item of food to be found. Even the things that might be good to eat are loaded with undesirable additives. The jerky has numerous preservatives, nuts are roasted and salted and/or sugared, even the water often has added garbage (not to mention coming in plastic bottles). One thing that you can eat on some occasions are the pork rinds. While not an ideal food, they can be a road trip treat on occasion. Since they contain no carbohydrates, they won't elevate your insulin levels like potato chips or pretzels. They also contain protein, but it is of a low quality. Avoid the flavored versions, as they contain unwanted additives. Look at the label.

Enjoy!


Lamb Sausage with Artichokes

This is a simple, delicious breakfast we whipped up one morning. Don’t worry if you can't find Moroccan lamb sausages anywhere. Simply use some sausages of your choice, then add some Moroccan spices. Moroccan seasonings include cinnamon, coriander, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Try adding any combination of these spices—about 1/8th tsp of each.

Time: 15 minutes

• 1 oz bacon, chopped
• 2 Moroccan lamb sausages, sliced
• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (Trader Joe's)
• 1-2 omega-3 eggs
• sea salt to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste

Chop the bacon, place in a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, slice the sausage and chop the artichoke hearts. Once the bacon has softened, add the sausage and artichokes. If using the spices, add them at this point. Stir well, cooking until soft.

Poach your eggs in the meantime. Cover the bottom of a skillet with about 1" of water, then place over medium heat. Once the water is warm, crack your eggs carefully into the skillet, cook until set.

Serve the artichoke hash topped with either 1 or 2 eggs. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Zone info: This will depend on the sausages that you use. The recipe we made (w/one egg per serving) was 2 servings at 1/2 carb block, 4.5 protein blocks, 8.5 fat blocks.




Spinach Salad with Tahini Cilantro Dressing

Time: 20 minutes

Salad:
• 8 cups spinach
• 12 oz cubed chicken
• 1 small beet
• 1 carrot
• 2 green onions
• 6 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• juice of 3/4 lemon (or ~1 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1/4-1/2 cup water
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken into 1/2" square pieces, place in a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until done. Alternatively, steaming the chicken is an excellent option as well.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Toss the spinach in two salad bowls. Grate the beet and carrot over the spinach; chop and add the green onion.

Prepare the dressing in the blender. Lightly chop around half of a standard bunch of cilantro. Add to the blender with the lemon juice, tahini, and 1/4 cup water. Blend on chop, adding more water if needed to create a smooth consistency.

Add the chicken to the salad bowls, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, then top with the dressing.

Zone info: 2 servings at 1.5 carb blocks, 6 protein blocks, 13.5 fat blocks.




Broccoli with Tahini

This is a very easy way to add flavor to a simple veggie dish.

Time: 5 minutes

• 4 cups chopped broccoli
• 2-4 Tbsp tahini
• garlic powder
• basil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Chop the broccoli, then steam for around 5 minutes until it has softened some. Plate the broccoli, drizzle with the tahini, and sprinkle with the seasonings to taste.

You can also boil (though you'll loose some of the nutrients) or pressure-cook the broccoli if you like.

Zone info: 2 servings at 1/2 carb block, 11 fat blocks (@ 2 Tbsp tahini per serving). Adjust for your fat requirements. 1 Tbsp tahini = 6.5 fat blocks.


Cauliflower Curry

Time: 15 minutes

• 5 small bacon pieces (~1 oz)
• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 small apple
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp chives
• sea salt

Chop your bacon into several small pieces, then add to a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat. Alternatively, you can use a small amount of coconut oil. Toss the bacon periodically until the pan is well greased.

Chop the cauliflower into small (1/4" or so) pieces. Add the cauliflower to the skillet once the bacon has softened, along with the curry powder. Stir well, sautéing for 2-3 minutes.

Halve and seed the apple, then slice it very thinly into 1/8" slices. Add the apple, raisins, almonds, and water. Cover the pot, stirring occasionally. After about 10 minutes, add the chives and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the cauliflower has softened but is still somewhat crisp.

Zone info: 2 large servings at 3 carb blocks, 1/2 protein block, 7 fat blocks.




Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes

• 9 Anaheim peppers (Cubanelle or poblano peppers will work, too)
• 1 cup shredded chicken
• 2 1/2 Tbsp raisins
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• sea salt
• 3 egg whites
• olive oil

Remove the stem end of the peppers, then remove the ribs and seeds. Mix the chicken, raisins, nuts, and spices in a bowl. Stuff each pepper with about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture.

Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl. Coat the outside of each pepper with the egg, and drizzle a bit inside each as well. Lay the stuffed peppers in a baking dish greased with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake the peppers in the oven at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes, or until soft. Eat warm, or chill for a road trip snack.

Zone info: 9 servings at .6 carb block, ~1 protein block, .65 fat block.