The good news: making this soup yourself requires very little “cooking” skills.  Yes, you’ll do some prep work chopping, but other than that, your oven and blender do the heavy lifting.  Butternut squash is an excellent source of immune-boosting nutrients, but commercial butternut squash soups—even those labeled “organic”—often contain excess sodium, added sugars, processed oils (eg., canola) and allergens (e.g., soy milk or dairy) that contribute to inflammation. Though soy- and dairy-free, this apple-butternut squash achieves delicious creaminess via the roasting and blending process.  Its natural sweetness comes from apples.

A nutrient-dense carbohydrate, butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, B vitamins and a good source of potassium and magnesium. Its high fiber content makes butternut squash a great detox food: it takes longer to digest (you’ll feel full longer) and promotes healthy elimination.

Apples are rich in antioxidants, particularly, vitamin C. Use organic apples since conventionally grown apples contain a high amount of pesticide residue. Since the skin of the apple contains nutrient rich compounds, keep the apple skin on when you make this soup to maximize your vitamin, mineral and antioxidant (eg, quercetin) intake.

Parsley also contains immune-protective antioxidant nutrients; it is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. So, be sure to sprinkle a generous amount of parsley on your soup.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup
Yield: 4 servings

2 organic apples with skin, like Empire, chopped
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, well chopped
2 tablespoons unrefined (or raw) coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth OR filtered water
1 small bunch parsley, rinsed well and chopped
Celtic sea salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Line one large, heavy-bottomed cookie sheet (or two medium cookie sheets) with parchment paper.

Add apples, butternut squash and onion to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted coconut oil over the apples, squash and onion and mix well, coating the mixture well.

Arrange mixture on parchment-lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Place on center rack in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn cookie sheet around, and roast another 20 minutes, or until the apple-squash mixture is soft and slightly browned (not burned!) around the edges. Remove from oven.

Transfer roasted apple-squash-onion mixture to a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the minced ginger and the broth OR water. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, apx. 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend soup. Or, transfer mixture to a high-speed blender and blend until soup is smooth and creamy.

Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle chopped parsley over apple butternut squah soup. Add a pinch of Celtic sea salt; season to taste.

Americans often overlook lamb as a nutritious source of protein. It is a mainstay in the cuisines of Australia, New Zealand and Africa. Lamb is also a staple in the much-touted Mediterranean diet (Greece, Turkey, Middle Eastern countries), associated with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. Americans, however, eat less than a pound of lamb a year—and I’ll bet it’s mostly around Easter!

That’s unfortunate because lamb, especially grass-fed and grass-finished, is not only a lean meat that is high in protein, it is a very good source of omega-3, the “good fat” most people associate with salmon, walnuts and flaxseed.

As a ruminant—a type of mammal that chews its cud—sheep have a digestive system that fares best on a natural diet of grasses and forage plants.

Want to get the most nutritional bang for your buck? Then, seek out 100% grass-fed—and grass-finished—lamb at farmers’ markets or at a Whole Foods Market. While conventional lamb may start out grazing on grass, they are finished on grain to fatten them up. Grain is not part of their natural diet and difficult for ruminants (like lamb) to digest. If fed too much grain, a lamb can experience liver failure. Lamb that has been 100% grass-fed will contain at least 25% more omega-3s than conventionally raised lamb.

Grass-fed lamb is also a very good source of selenium and zinc, two minerals that are vital to thyroid and immune health. According to several studies, supplementing with selenium, an important mineral with antioxidant properties, can help reduce inflammation and damage to thyroid tissue in autoimmune thyroid disease, like Hashimoto’s. Sufficient zinc is also needed to help make thyroid hormone (T3) and activate thyroid hormone. As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, zinc bolsters immunity and helps with autoimmune thyroid disease.

An excellent source of vitamin B12, lamb is a good source of B-Complex vitamins, including B1, B2, niacin (B3), B5, B6, folate and biotin.

This is a great, budget-friendly “stretch” recipe and one-pot dish that can be made within 30 minutes.  You can use zucchini, yellow squash or a combination of both.
 

Grass-fed Ground Lamb and Zucchini Braised in Coconut Milk

 
2 medium onions, finely chopped by hand or in the food processor
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/4 pounds organic zucchini, yellow squash, or a combination—well washed, halved lengthwise, then again, and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 pound ground lamb, grass-fed and grass-finished
1 cup canned unsweetened organic Native Forest coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like cilantro, or thyme, sage, oregano—or a combination
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or, season to taste

In a 5-quart Dutch oven (I prefer an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, like Le Creuset; you can also use a stainless steel Dutch oven) over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.

When the oil is sizzling (but not smoking), add chopped onions. Saute about 1 minute, then lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking another 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent and soft (but not browned and crispy!).
Raise heat slightly: add minced garlic and sauté about 30 seconds.

Raise the heat to medium: add the sliced zucchini (or yellow squash). Be sure to coat all of the zucchini in the coconut oil and continue cooking until the zucchini softens, about 8 minutes. The zucchini will release water as it cooks, but if it begins sticking while you’re cooking it, add 1/4 cup filtered water, scraping the bottom of the pot to “unstick”.

When the zucchini is soft, add the ground lamb. Using a wooden spoon, break up the lamb thoroughly, stirring frequently until meat has browned, about 2-3 minutes.

Raise the heat. Add the coconut cream (OR coconut milk), stirring well. When the mixture comes to a high simmer, turn heat to low and cover.

Simmer about 5-6 minutes.

Turn off heat. Stir in chopped herbs and Celtic sea salt, to taste.

Serve with an arugula salad or cooked leafy greens and a sweet potato.

Although I’m not a fan of the common cabbage, I happen to love Brussels sprouts, which, incidentally, rank #1 among America’s “most hated vegetables” according to a 2008 research study conducted by Heinz. They’re gaining an appreciative eater-ship though: earlier this year, Forbes magazine included Brussels sprouts in their “Top 10 Food Trends for 2014”.

I have a bitter bud, so I appreciate Brussels sprouts’ earthy, slightly bitter flavor, which our bodies tend to crave during cold weather months. There’s no denying, however, that Brussels sprouts, a member of the Brassica family, can stink of sulfur—and they will, especially, if you overcook them via steaming or boiling. But that pungent odor is a good thing: it comes from a type of glucosinate, a sulfur-containing compound that helps fight cancer.

Brussels sprouts are the perfect late fall to winter vegetable—hearty, yet low in calories, flavorful, and versatile. They’re also an immune-boosting food, containing double the amount of Vitamin C than found in an orange. A good source of fiber, vitamin K1, manganese, potassium, choline and B vitamins, Brussels sprouts also contain D3T, a rare sulfur-containing compound, that helps your body ward off chronic oxidative stress, linked to cancer and other chronic diseases.

High in fiber, Brussels sprouts help move things along in the digestive tract and may help reduce risk of colon cancer. If you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts (or if you find their cruciferous odor offensive), then don’t boil or steam them, two cooking methods that can exacerbate the sulfur “aroma”.

My favorite way of cooking Brussels sprouts is to roast them. This way, they caramelize, which tames the bitterness—and their strong smell. The following recipe, which combines Brussels sprouts with two other naturally sweet vegetables—carrots and onions—is a classic at my Thanksgiving table every year. The nutritional yeast (rich in B vitamins) adds a subtle “cheese” flavor to the dish.
 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots

 
1-1/2 to 2 pounds brussel sprouts, bottoms trimmed and halved lengthwise
(quarter if they’re big sprouts)
2 medium carrots, peeled and minced (use food processor)
1 medium onion, finely hopped
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional:  1-1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
*NOTE:  I do not recommend using nutritional yeast if you have candida (yeast overgrowth)
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, and more to taste, if desired

Freshly ground pepper
Garnish: 1 cup parsley chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine Brussels sprouts, carrots, onion, nutritional yeast, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, tossing well. Arrange Brussels sprout mixture in single layer in two 9×13 inch Pyrex glass baking dish or ovenproof baking pan.

Place pans on top rack of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts brown slightly.

Remove pans from the oven, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water to each pan and deglaze. Return to oven and cook another 5-8 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. If the Brussels sprouts are sticking to the pan, add a little water to deglaze. Toss with chopped parsley and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt, adding more to taste, if desired.

Serve warm, or at room temperature.