Slow Down This Winter

Isn’t this the time of year, evolutionarily speaking, that we should be devoting to hibernation? Even if we aren’t able to disappear into a cave to await the arrival of spring, winter should be a time to slow down and reassess the picture we’ve painted throughout the year.

Cook from home. Disappear into the slows sips of a warm cup of herbal tea. Take deep breaths, filling your lungs with the scents around you: roasted chestnuts, rosemary, pine trees, cinnamon.

“Instead of losing our heads in unnecessary stress, we can celebrate the winter for what it is: a winding down of our systems, so that we can focus on our inner selves and our personal journey of healing.”

But with the increasingly commercialized holiday season, winter puts many of us in quite the opposite mindset. We feel frazzled, irritated, rushed, and ready to hit the “escape” key – if only we could find it in this mess.

READ: 4 Commitments You Can Make to Have Happy, Healthy Holidays

Instead of losing our heads in unnecessary stress, let’s celebrate the winter for what it is: a winding down of our systems, so we can focus on our inner selves and our personal journey of healing. A time to release what we once were, tearing down past expectations and pressures, so we can build new dreams and desires for the coming year.

Even though modern life doesn’t fully accommodate a winter hibernation, embracing slowness in one form or another will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on new ideas and dreams when spring finally does arrive.

Paleo Cave(wo)man Chili

This chili is special because I made it and submitted it to the Ames (Iowa) Famers Market Chili Contest in October – and it won first place for the Peoples’ Choice Award! It seems pretty significant that a paleo chili won the heart (stomach?) of a small town in Iowa.

The recipe has a hefty dose of meat in it, so if you feel guilty for missing out on your vegetables, you can use the chili as a topping over spinach or your favorite leafy greens. Not only does this recipe bring you back to your roots, encouraging balance in your muladhara chakra, but the spices also warm you from within. It’s a great boost for your blood circulation, too!

Yield: Serves 16

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-8 hours

Ingredients:

• 3lb grass-fed ground beef
• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 16 slices bacon
• 2 parsnips
• 4 purple carrots
• 2 red onion
• 2 red peppers
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 28oz. cans whole peeled plum tomato
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 Tablespoon raw unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups butternut squash soup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Note: This is a sweet chili. I don’t like too much spice, so if you do, add more chili!

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake two sweet potatoes in the oven until soft (about 45 minutes). Set aside until cool enough to peel.
2. Chop the vegetables, remaining sweet potatoes, tomato paste, and garlic. Fry in a pan until the vegetables are soft (note: the parsnip takes a bit longer to soften. You can chop it into smaller pieces to shorten the time). Pierce with a fork to check the tenderness.
3. In a separate pan or cast iron skillet, fry the ground beef until browned.
4. In another skillet, or after frying the ground beef, fry the bacon. Cut it into small pieces before or after cooking – whichever you find easier.
5. In a large pot, add the sweet potato from the oven with 1-2 cups of broth. Mash or puree the sweet potato until it reaches a creamy consistency. Alternatively, you can blend the sweet potato and broth in a blender to make it smoother.
6. Add the cooked vegetables, bacon, and ground beef to the large pot. Heat the large pot on medium-high.
7. Add the spices and tomatoes.
8. Cook until the flavors have saturated and the beef is fully cooked. If using a crockpot, this takes 4-8 hours. If using the stovetop, this takes 1-2 hours, depending how strong you want the flavors.
9. In the last hour of cooking, add the butternut squash soup. This makes for a better consistency. You can add more or less, depending how thick you want your chili.

Photos courtesy of Savannah Wishart.

The post Big Batch o’ Cave(wo)man Paleo Chili (Recipe) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

After having shoved a few too many bags of frozen sweet potato fries into the oven, I’ve added this to my instant crowd pleaser menu and tossed those bags for good.

Sweet Potatoes and Truffle Oil

Filled with nutrients – iron, beta-carotene, vitamin B6, fiber, manganese, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium – these bright orange tubers are a great transition into colder weather, especially when sprinkled with warm spices like cinnamon and allspice.

While sweet potatoes decorate most of our kitchen counters, truffle oil brings a whole new level of exquisite, exotic taste to the palate. So many health experts swear by the Mediterranean diet, and truffle oil might be the easiest way to add a bit of Italian to your sweet potato fries.

Rosemary Garlic Truffle Oil Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• An armful of sweet potatoes (let’s go with 3 big ones)
• 1 generous handful of fresh rosemary
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped coarsely
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 Tbsp truffle oil
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into thick wedges. Pro tip: Cut sweet potato in half length-wise. Cut each half into quarters, length-wise.
3. Place sweet potato wedges into a mixing bowl.
4. Cover sweet potatoes with oils, salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. Mix together, making sure the wedges are covered in oil. (Optional: Let sit for 15 minutes. I personally think it helps the flavors stick, but this isn’t necessary)
5. Spread wedges (with all the herbs) evenly over a foiled baking sheet.
6. Cook for 30 minutes, or until they reach desired softness or crunchiness.
7. Devour!

Photo courtesy of Savannah Wishart Photography.

The post Rosemary Garlic Truffle Oil Sweet Potato Fries (Recipe) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Can you believe it’s already autumn? There’s nothing like stagnant weather to push me off the edge into a fantasy land, walking through pumpkin patches and breathing in crisp air. I like the seasons. They remind me that change is inevitable.

Each year I “fall” into my annual love affair with autumn, and it has nothing to do with the pumpkin spiced latte. I’ve been counting down the days until leaves crunch beneath my feet and I can bring pumpkin into the kitchen again.

There’s just something special about autumn. The season is like a close friend who invites you home, wrapped in a fluffy sweater with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon wafting through the house. Each day we’re brought closer to winter, the second best season – both perfect for cooking and warming the house. More than anything, I feel like the harvest season is a reminder of our primal roots: those centered around seasonal hunting and gathering.

Here are six reasons to be excited about the changing of the seasons:

1. We get to heat the entire house with cooking and baking, dusting the air with wafts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. No more sweating in the kitchen while trying to cook something in 100 degree weather.
2. The Equinox (equal night) means that we have equal night and day before we head into darker nights. The moon has been chasing the sun until this day, and having caught up we see it racing ahead for the next six months. It’s the perfect reminder that the world needs darkness for there to be light, and that’s reflected inside of ourselves.
3. The leaves transform before our eyes to remind us of our own life cycles. Like Mother Nature, we remember with the changing of the seasons that there is time for activity and time for rest; time for concentration and time for meditation; for pursuit and for relaxation.
4. Orange leaves reflect the colors on our plates and crunch beneath our footsteps.
5. Community and celebration are in the air, with the light from candles and fairy lights kissing the faces of friends around us.
6. And simply: the first snow, crisp air, fresh apples, pumpkin everything, warm hugs, layers, fireplaces and bonfires, hayrides, and inner reflection.

Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Yield: 8
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup coconut flour
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 4 Tablespoons honey
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Frosting:

• ½ can coconut milk
• ⅛ cup pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon honey
• dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the chocolate. To avoid burning the chocolate, you can boil water in a pot and place the chocolate in another bowl on top. Check it and stir every few minutes so it doesn’t burn.
3. Add the coconut oil, coconut flour, and coconut milk to the chocolate (I found it mixed smoother this way).
4. After the chocolate mixture is blended smoothly, let it cool.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, honey, and spices together.
6. Combine the egg mixture and the chocolate mixture. Blend together.
7. Pour into a greased baking dish (glass or ceramic works fine), about 8×8 inches.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. For the frosting, mix all ingredients together until blended.
10. After the cake has cooled, lather with frosting and serve!

Photo courtesy of Savannah Wishart.

The post Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (Recipe) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

That’s how I’ve started to make my recipes now, too. An “eh, that looks close enough” attitude now wafts through my kitchen. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It took me a while to get here, though. As a now recovering perfectionist (who has time for perfect anyway?), I wanted measurements correct, down to the last herb leaf. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea that no matter what I did to the food, in the end, it would at least be edible. After many years of practicing and many moments of saying, “What the heck” (in cooking and in life), I’ve discovered that playing in the kitchen can be the most fun. (The only time I find this to be questionable is when baking. Compared to cooking up a casserole where it seems nothing can go wrong, baking feels like a complex chemistry experiment.)

Here’s your experiment for today: Acorn Squash Lasagna. Add a little extra spices if you like. Take away the cheese. Try butternut squash if you’re in a hurry and don’t feel like trying to peel between all those acorn squash ridges. Like your meals extra saucy? Add a few more tomatoes. Want more protein? Pile on the ground beef. You got this!

Want a little shove in the right direction to get your play on? One acorn squash is equivalent to one butternut squash (depending on the sizes). Fresh herbs have the best flavor. If you use dried herbs, use approximately ⅓ less than if you were to use fresh (dried herbs are more concentrated and potent). Some of the best herbs for lasagna are basil, parsley, and oregano – maybe even a dash of chili flakes to add a little kick. In my experimenting, those are my favorite herbs to pair with lasagna, but other Italian herbs you might want to try are: marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Buon appetito!

Paleo Acorn Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

• ½ large acorn squash or 1 medium acorn squash
• 2 cans tomato sauce or 3-4 cups freshly pureed tomatoes
• 4 fresh tomatoes, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. organic grass-fed ground beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cheese (optional and depending on your personal dairy tolerance)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the acorn squash in half length-wise. Continue to cut slices between the ridges of the squash (when you embark upon this challenge you’ll understand why people don’t normally choose acorn squash for their paleo lasagna). This makes the squash easier to peel.
3. Take your peeler and peel the slices of squash (the most time-consuming part of the recipe).
4. Once you have the peeled chunks of squash ready, slice them in smaller strips – about ¼ inch thick. Don’t worry too much if you can’t make them as thin as you’d like; you might just have to cook it a few minutes longer.
5. Your lasagna “noodles” are ready!

For the sauce:

1. Head over to the skillet (cast iron are the best!) and brown your ground beef with the onions, until the meat is cooked and the onions are soft.
2. If you are making your own tomato sauce to spread between layers, slice the tomatoes, pick a handful of basil, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Puree.
3. Mince the garlic and slice the tomatoes.

Assemble:

1. Put it all together in a 9×9 baking dish (we used a large cast iron skillet with high sides). Layer the dish in any order you’d like.
2. Start with a layer of tomato sauce to prevent the squash sticking to the bottom.
3. Layer slices of squash (try not to overlap them).
4. Layer ground beef and onions.
5. Layer fresh tomatoes and minced garlic.
6. Sprinkle cheese on between the layers and on top (optional).
7. Repeat!
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Photos courtesy of Savannah Wishart.

The post Paleo Acorn Squash Lasagna (Recipe) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So, without further ado, I give you…

Roasted Squash Soup

Snow flurries swirl and dapple the distant sunlight. The giant star, Sun, he glows from above layers of clouds and snowflakes. His light has dimmed to offer no warmth, only to reveal a light orb in an endlessly white snowscape. Sun mocks you. He laughs, as if to say, “Yes, I’m here, just far enough out of reach.” A reminder of the warmth trapped behind the curtains of cloud.

Those are the days when I want to bundle up in a pile of blankets with a good book, cup o’ tea, a furry friend, and – you guessed it – a creamy bowl of piping hot soup. Squash has a strong place in autumn cuisine, and what could be a more suitable vegetable to add a dash of color to a white landscape? After spending a day tramping through fluffy snowdrifts, each flake melting against your rosy cheeks, almost nothing equates to finding a bowl of soup in your hands as you venture indoors.

Enjoy this delicious winter soup – there will be plenty of leftovers to go around! And even though these squash are often associated with the cooler months, particularly transitional autumn, you can bookmark this recipe to make in the summer, just leaving it to cool for later.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 2 small onions or 1 large
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 tablespoons whole-leaf dried thyme
• 8 cups water or chicken stock
• 4 sausages
• Pepper and salt to taste
• ½ can coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Cut the squash in half and place cut-side up on a baking sheet.
3. Salt and pepper generously. Rub the squash meat with butter or coconut oil.
4. Cook for 50-60 minutes or until soft.
5. While the squash is baking, dice the carrots and onion(s). Fry in the butter until they turn translucent. At this point, you can set the pan aside and wait for the squash to finish. Then add the squash to the onions and continue to cook with the spices.
6. Or you can continue to let the squash cook, and add water or stock to the vegetables and season.
7. On the side, fry the sausages in butter until cooked thoroughly.
8. When the squash is ready, let it cool. When the halves are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the meat out and into the pot.
9. Cut the sausage into bite-size pieces and add to the soup.
10. Cook until the flavors blend together, about 15-20 minutes.
11. About 5 minutes before the soup finishes cooking, add the coconut milk.
12. Voila! You can leave the soup as is, use a potato masher to partially blend the soup, or add the soup to a blender for a smoother texture.

Photos courtesy of Savannah Wishart.

The post Roasted Squash Soup (Recipe) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.