Megan Stevens

Creamy Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Mushrooms

April 14, 2016 by Megan Stevens 6 Comments

This casserole’s aroma and visual appeal had my kids ogling: first the smell of the easy roux cooking (think browned butter and cream!), then the grating of the Gruyere, the toasty smell of quinoa bubbling in bone broth, and, of course, the redolence of sauteed mushrooms with garlic and herbs.

I first made this casserole when we were phasing off of a grain-free diet, to see how we’d do with quinoa. I soaked the gluten-free grain overnight, to reduce phytic acid and improve its digestibility. (That’s an easy step- just a little salt water overnight: instructions below.) We all loved it and pronounced it an instant creamy classic.

Although the recipe is topped with a roux (homemade cream sauce), I hope you’ll know this is one quick-to-assemble casserole that provides 8 big servings; so it’s great for guests or a weeknight meal. Melted cheese atop chicken and cozy, high protein quinoa (that cooks while it bakes!) provide a comfort food that’s fun to make and sure to please.

The main ingredients are all accessible at Trader Joe’s- an easy way to grab what you need for a plentiful dinner. (There are a few additional basic pantry or fridge ingredients you may already have on hand at home.) The ingredients aren’t all inexpensive, but they’re high quality and relatively affordable; (let’s face it: organic chicken isn’t cheap). When you buy a couple of the ingredients, the Gruyere cheese (or jack, for a milder flavor) and quinoa, you’ll be able to use leftovers of these ingredients another time as well; the recipe only uses half of what you’ll buy. Or perhaps you already buy quinoa in bulk?

The whole casserole costs about $18.25 to make. If you serve 8 people, each servings costs about $2.25.

Here’s the price breakdown if you purchase your ingredients from Trader Joe’s:

$4.58- 1 pound organic mushrooms

$1.75- 1 cup quinoa

$8.50- 1.75 pounds organic chicken thighs

$3.15- 1-1/4 cups grated Gruyere (or less for jack cheese)

$.25- 3 cloves organic garlic

The additional ingredients you’ll need are bone broth, a cup of cream or milk (we use raw cream), a teeny bit of white rice flour, butter, herbs, salt and pepper. The casserole is loaded with chicken; so if you want to save money, make a really big salad and give smaller portions of the casserole, or use less chicken, if you’re really stretched budget-wise. It’s the spendiest ingredient by far.

Enjoy!

Creamy Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Mushrooms

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 cups water + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup bone broth
1 cup organic, grass-fed cream (or raw cream or milk)
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1-3/4 cup bone broth or water
1.5-1.75 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″/bite-size cubes/pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or use jack for a milder flavor)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons animal fat, butter, or avocado oil (for sauteing)
1-1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence or mixed Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium size bowl, soak the quinoa in the 1-1/2 cups water and apple cider vinegar overnight. When ready to assemble the casserole, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and set aside. It will cook in the oven.

Grease a large casserole dish (9″ by 13″ or similar) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup rice flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes, to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. (This part smells really good.) In a steady, thin stream, constantly whisk in the bone broth, then the cream, allowing the liquid to absorb the flour, as it becomes a creamy sauce. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, stirring, and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons preferred fat over high heat. Add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, stirring briefly. Cover for 2-3 minutes, to produce steam. Uncover and add herbs. Saute over medium-high heat for 8 minutes more. Set aside and allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Add cubed chicken and stir to combine.

Place soaked, rinsed quinoa (uncooked) into greased casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. Top with chicken mushroom mixture, spreading it out over the quinoa. Add about 3/4 of the total grated cheese to the roux (cream sauce), stirring briefly to mix. Top chicken and mushrooms with cream sauce. Spread the sauce to within 1″ of the edges of the casserole. Pour the 1-3/4 cup bone broth or water in around the edges. Carefully transfer dish to oven and bake 45 minutes, until edges are bubbling rapidly and all water is absorbed.

Serve with an optional side of wilted greens or a green salad.

Creamy Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Mushrooms

Author:

Megan Stevens

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 cups water + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup bone broth
1 cup organic, grass-fed cream (or raw cream)
¼ cup white rice flour
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1-3/4 cup bone broth or water
1.5-1.75 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1"/bite-size cubes/pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or use jack for a milder flavor)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons animal fat, butter, or avocado oil (for sauteing)
1-1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence or mixed Italian herbs
½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

In a medium size bowl, soak the quinoa in the 1-1/2 cups water and apple cider vinegar overnight. When ready to assemble the casserole, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and set aside. It will cook in the oven.
Grease a large casserole dish (9" by 13" or similar) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place ¼ cup butter in small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the ¼ cup rice flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes, to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. (This part smells really good.) In a steady, thin stream, constantly whisk in the bone broth, then the cream, allowing the liquid to absorb the flour, as it becomes a creamy sauce. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the ½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon white pepper, stirring, and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons preferred fat over high heat. Add mushrooms and ½ teaspoon sea salt, stirring briefly. Cover for 2-3 minutes, to produce steam. Uncover and add herbs. Saute over medium-high heat for 8 minutes more. Set aside and allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Add cubed chicken and stir to combine.
Place soaked, rinsed quinoa (uncooked) into greased casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. Top with chicken mushroom mixture, spreading it out over the quinoa. Add about ¾ of the total grated cheese to the roux (cream sauce), stirring briefly to mix. Top chicken and mushrooms with cream sauce. Spread the sauce to within 1" of the edges of the casserole. Pour the 1-3/4 cup bone broth or water in around the edges. Carefully transfer dish to oven and bake 45 minutes, until edges are bubbling rapidly and all water is absorbed.
Serve with an optional side of wilted greens or a green salad.

Instant Chai Latte Powder- A great DIY gift (dairy-free option)

December 11, 2015 by Megan Stevens 11 Comments

This creamy, foamy, hot beverage epitomizes pleasure for many tea drinkers. Even those who enjoy coffee have a hard time resisting the sweet comforting spices, ones we smell first and then savor as we taste them. During the holidays the incense and flavors of chai are even more nostalgic and pleasing: the familiar flavor of cinnamon, the healthy bite of ginger, the peppery quality of allspice, and the earthy excitement of cloves, the subtle exotic presence of cardamom, and the pungent, almost bitter flavor of nutmeg.

We’ve all seen instant chai powder at the grocery market. But most instant drink powders contain refined sugar, hydrogenated oils and overall, less than healthful ingredients. These are unnecessary. Whole foods, full of nutrition + a spice or coffee grinder quickly makes this dreamy, creamy drink into a real food reality!

One main difference? There will be settling with this real tea version. If you wish to avoid this, simply steep the drink for 3-5 minutes, once blended; then pour through a strainer into your cup.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS:

There are two approaches to this recipe: either buying a high-quality mix of bulk chai spices or measuring them out individually. Both create pretty much the same outcome, although whole spices ground fresh are more flavorful. The choice depends on your preferred sourcing.

For example, Mountain Rose Herbs has an excellent chai blend. If you like ordering from them, their mixture works perfectly for this recipe. You can also order through our affiliate Amazon this Frontier Organic and Fair Trade Chai blend . One recipe option uses this measurement.

However, if you have most of what you need already, and you only need a couple more spices to get started, I give the quantities below for measuring the spices separately.

This recipe can be made with whichever milk you like best. Instead of using powdered milk, as most factory-made chai latte blends do, this recipe uses milk instead of water to create your latte. Choose raw milk, goat milk, coconut milk, nut milk, whatever suits your diet. All will work well and taste great.

Regarding the tea, you can also choose which tea suits you best: black tea, decaffeinated tea, or red rooibos. All blend beautifully in the spice grinder, creating this instant tea delight!

NOTES ON EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

I tried out few spice grinders before landing on (affiliate) my favorite . If you have a coffee grinder at home, it is likely the only tool you’ll need. The recipe requires a fine powder. I purchased my grinder just for this recipe and am excited to have it from this point forward, finally a spice grinder in my very own kitchen! If you don’t have one yet, they are inexpensive and effective, so nice to have on hand.

INSTANT CHAI LATTE POWDER
Makes approximately 1-1/2 cups powder or 8-16 oz. servings of Chai Latte
Recipe can be doubled

2/3 cup loose black tea or rooibos (this will measure out to slightly less than 1/2 cup tea powder, once blended in spice grinder)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or substitute granulated sweetener of choice; or add honey to taste at the time of serving)
1/2 cup collagen or gelatin (optional)
2 tablespoons whole spice chai blend
-OR-
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon each: allspice, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg (these spices can be measured once powdered)

Place 12 oz. hot milk of choice and 1 tablespoon Instant Chai into a blender.
Blend 12 seconds on medium speed. Serve and enjoy.

Bulletproof Variation- Use hot water and 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, in place of hot milk.
Iced Latte Variation- In warmer months, use collagen instead of gelatin. Blend cold milk with spices. Pour, strained, over ice.

Instant Chai Latte Powder

Ingredients

Makes approximately 1-1/2 cups powder or 8-16 oz. servings of Chai Latte

Recipe can be doubled
⅔ cup loose black tea or rooibos (this will measure out to slightly less than ½ cup tea powder, once blended in spice grinder)
½ cup coconut sugar (or substitute granulated sweetener of choice; or add honey to taste at the time of serving)
½ cup collagen or gelatin (optional)
2 tablespoons whole spice chai blend
-OR-
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon each: allspice, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg (these spices can be measured once powdered)

Instructions

Place 12 oz. hot milk of choice and 1 tablespoon Instant Chai into a blender.
Blend 12 seconds on medium speed.
Serve and enjoy.

Paleo Meat and Veggie Muffins

October 5, 2015 by Megan Stevens 33 Comments

By Megan, from Eat Beautiful

These protein-rich, savory muffins are studded with delicious vegetables and make an excellent breakfast or snack. They don’t contain almonds or almond products, and can be made nut-free with the use of sunflower seeds. So many Paleo or GAPS-friendly baked goods contain almonds or almond flour, so I’d like to share a recipe with you that doesn’t.

There is a glut of almond flour recipes in the Paleo baking community and while they are delicious they are also high in omega-6s, which already inundate the standard American diet. Additionally, most commercial almond products (meal, blanched meal, flour and butter) are not sprouted. In my opinion, all nuts and seeds should be sprouted before consumption for digestibility, and mineral absorption.

What about a muffin that has no flour at all? Truly Paleolithic in spirit, and even healing in its gentleness and nutrient profile, a muffin of meat, soaked seeds, eggs, veggies and fat is in order!

Soaked pine nuts are the secret ingredient in these lunch-inspired savory treats! The pine nuts do not, however, need to be dehydrated. They soak overnight in salt water (this takes less than 5 minutes, including their morning rinsing) and then get pureed right into the muffin batter. Easy.

For a more economical version, raw sunflower seeds are used.

The Sausage and Egg Muffin is also full of grated veggies. So you’re getting a walloping dose of goodness, a meal, in the form of a delicious handheld snack. I make a batch of these and freeze them. Then I alternate putting them, or leftovers from dinner, in my daughter’s daily lunches. She loves them and they look “normal” to her friends who do not eat Paleo diets. (That’s helpful when you’re 14.)

These are also great for road trips, or whenever you’re overly hungry but have no time to make a quality meal. They defrost beautifully in a toaster oven, straight from the freezer.

We love them plain. We also love to break them in half and top the halves with slices of butter or cheese.

You may notice; the recipe indicates the muffins are baking soda-free. For those on healing diets, such as GAPS, this plays in. Baking soda makes the stomach less acidic. Having an acidic belly is important in terms of triggering the digestive mechanisms to secrete digestive juices. (I even take a supplement called Betaine HCl with Pepsin that adds more acid to my stomach.) The muffins rise beautifully and stay their risen selves without the leavening agent.

Try these nourishing, protein-packed muffins that offer nothing but good stuff to give you energy toward wellness!

By the way, this recipe comes from my cookbook; and it’s one we make in our Paleo café. If you enjoy this recipe and approach to grain-free baking, check out my cookbook where you’ll find lots more treats that are customer-approved and genuinely healthy! My cookbook is Eat Beautiful: Grain-free, Sugar-free and Loving It and can be purchased as an eCookbook or in softcover from Amazon.

Cheers, friends! Enjoy.

Savory Meat and Veggie Muffins, aka Sausage and Egg Muffins

(nut-free, dairy-free, baking soda-free)

Intentionally GAPS-friendly, these muffins are an easy meal in your hand. Accompanied by a mug or Thermos of bone broth, they make the diet easier when you need to be away from home. Make a bundle of them and keep them in the freezer, easy to grab on the go. They also are free of baking soda, an added GAPS bonus, for a healing and satisfying food.

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked raw pine nuts, wet* (see how-to below), or sunflower seeds (for a more economical option)
1 cup zucchini or carrots, grated, or a combination of both
1 cup cooked ground beef or other ground meat (ideally cooked up with a little sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon per 1 pound meat)
6 eggs, preferably pastured
1/2 cup olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or rendered animal fat, melted and cooled
1/3 cup coconut flour or chia seeds
1 dried teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon powdered stevia (or 10 to 15 drops liquid stevia — NuNaturals brand preferred) or 2 tsp. honey

Yields 6 large or 12 small-size muffins.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Directions:

Prepare 6 extra-large muffin cups or 12 medium-size muffin cups by lining them with cut squares of parchment paper. (Or use good-quality muffin cup liners that won’t stick.)
Place the pine nuts, eggs, oil, coconut flour, oregano, sea salt and stevia into the blender.
Puree the ingredients until they are smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.
Fold in zucchini or carrots and meat.
Pour the muffin batter into the prepared tin and bake until they are puffed, golden and a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean — about 25 minutes.

Variations:

Substitute grated apple and bulk pork for the zucchini and beef. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 1/2 teaspoon sage for the oregano.
For added protein, use the full 1 pound of cooked ground meat, folding it into the batter as described. This version turns out great.

*How to soak raw seeds- For every 4 cups raw seeds, cover by two inches with room-temperature filtered water and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Stir well to dissolve the salt. Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight, then drain and rinse well in the morning. They are now ready to be used in their wet form.

Paleo Meat and Veggie Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup soaked raw pine nuts, wet* (see how-to below), or sunflower seeds (for a more economical option)
1 cup zucchini or carrots, grated, or a combination of both
1 cup cooked ground beef or other ground meat (ideally cooked up with a little sea salt, ½ teaspoon per 1 pound meat)
6 eggs, preferably pastured
½ cup olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or rendered animal fat, melted and cooled
⅓ cup coconut flour or chia seeds
1 dried teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon powdered stevia (or 10 to 15 drops liquid stevia — NuNaturals brand preferred) or 2 tsp. honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 6 extra-large muffin cups or 12 medium-size muffin cups by lining them with cut squares of parchment paper. (Or use good-quality muffin cup liners that won’t stick.)
Place the pine nuts, eggs, oil, coconut flour, oregano, sea salt and stevia into the blender.
Puree the ingredients until they are smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds.
Fold in zucchini or carrots and meat.
Pour the muffin batter into the prepared tin and bake until they are puffed, golden and a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean — about 25 minutes.

Notes

Substitute grated apple and bulk pork for the zucchini and beef. Substitute ¼ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon sage for the oregano.
For added protein, use the full 1 pound of cooked ground meat, folding it into the batter as described. This version turns out great.

*How to soak raw seeds- For every 4 cups raw seeds, cover by two inches with room-temperature filtered water and 2 teaspoons sea salt. Stir well to dissolve the salt. Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight, then drain and rinse well in the morning. They are now ready to be used in their wet form.

Megan Stevens

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