One of my favorite go-to comfort dishes, especially when it’s cold outside, is this delicious and nourishing red cabbage and bison ragu.

Red Cabbage and Bison Ragu

Large head (3-4 lbs.) red cabbage, ideally, organic
4 medium yellow onions, finely diced
1 pound ground bison (buffalo)
2 generous tablespoons ground cumin
4 to 6 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt, or to taste
4 to 4-1/2 cups (32 oz to 40 oz) homemade, organic chicken broth
*If store-bought chicken broth, be sure to get low-sodium or no added salt.

2 tablespoons duck fat

To prepare cabbage:

Remove the outer leaves of the head, especially if there are any hard, curled or bruised leaves.

Stand the cabbage vertically (white core side down) on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife’s, cut cabbage in half vertically. Then cut each half vertically again (you will have 4 wedges). Remove the hard white core from each cabbage wedge.

Slice each of the cabbage wedges into shreds, as thin as possible. (It does not matter whether you slice cabbage wedges horizontally or vertically).

Note: if you don’t want to slice the cabbage by hand, you can also shred using a mandolin or using a food processor that has a shredding attachment.

To cook the ragu:

In a large Dutch oven (5 quart or more), melt duck fat over medium-high heat. When the duck fat is hot (flick in a drop of water; if duck fat is hot enough, water will sizzle) but not smoking, add the finely diced onion. Cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden, apx. 8 mins. If onions begin sticking to the pan, add some stock to deglaze.

Once onions have browned, add shredded cabbage. Combine well with onions. Add apx. 2 cups of chicken broth, stir well. Cover. Cook cabbage and onions about 3 mins. over medium-high heat.

Uncover. Stir cabbage well. Lower heat to medium-low. Cover and cook apx. 10 mins.

Uncover. Stir cabbage well. Add another 2 cups of chicken broth. Combine well. Cover and cook another 10 mins. over medium-low heat.

Uncover. Stir in 2 tablespoons of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt. Blend well. Stir in 5 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar. Add the ground bison. Break meat up well, stirring into cabbage mixture until there is no more visible pink (this will take 1-2 mins. since bison is a game meat and cooks very quickly).

Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook another 15 minutes—or up to an hour (or more) over low heat. *Braised dishes take well to long, slow gentle cooking over low heat.

When ready to serve, season ragu with 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt, or to taste.

Serve with cooked zoodles (zucchini noodles) or steamed broccoli and a fresh, organic mixed green salad.

With one exception: cauliflower “rice”.

From cauliflower mash to cauliflower pizza, cauliflower is all the rage as a smart carb, low-carb substitute for common blood sugar-spiking processed “white foods”.

Cauliflower is the other “white food”, of which I eat plenty! Why? Because it is a cruciferous vegetable, and cruciferous vegetables are KEY if you want to reduce inflammation and balance hormones. They are chockfull of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and high in fiber. Eating them on a regular basis—and within the context of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle—can help lower cancer risk and protect against heart disease.

If you are taking birth control pills (or took birth control pills for any length of time); if you are on Hormone Replacement Therapy (a.k.a., HRT, any combination of synthetic estrogen + progestin);  if you have hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s, adrenal dysfunction; PCOS or fibroids; if you are overweight / obese; if you are chronically exposed to environmental estrogens (e.g., plastics, pesticides, perfumes, etc.)….you likely have estrogen dominance.  Unfortunately, most women do today.

The symptoms of estrogen dominance, where your estrogen levels are high relative to progesterone, can manifest as bloating, swollen or lumpy breasts, fibroids, mood swings, weight gain, anxiety and/or brain fog.

In order to help clear excess estrogen out of the body, it is important to optimize liver health. One way to do this is by eating cruciferous vegetables, which are high in fiber and sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound with cancer-fighting, heart protective and blood sugar balancing benefits. They help promote estrogen clearance …as in…you poop excess estrogen out. Personally, I recommend eating COOKED cruciferous (versus raw), especially if you have digestive issues, like constipation, bloating or gas, or hypothyroidism / Hashimoto’s.

I admit…although I have always enjoyed eating leafy cruciferous greens, like bok choy, choy sum, arugula, kale and mustard greens, it took me a while to warm up to non-leafy cruciferous vegs, like broccoli and cauliflower.

But…organic cauliflower rice changed everything! It’s widely available fresh or frozen. It’s easy to cook and easy to digest. It has become my go-to non-starchy “carb” because it’s so versatile. I even include it in smoothies because it adds a delicious creamy texture. Like this Blueberry-Cauliflower Smoothie where cardamom adds a dash of bright sweetness.

Blueberry-Cauli Smoothie

1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/2 cup cooked org cauliflower rice
1 scoop grain-free, sugar-free protein powder*
*I recommend 100% organic pea protein or 100% grass-fed beef protein
2 tablespoons hemp seed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup org unsweetened hemp milk or unsweetened coconut milk or filtered water

Blend in a Nutribullet or high-powered blender until creamy.

Enjoy!