Comfort food made healthy! With a few smart swaps, enjoy a festive style treat while still keeping within your 721 plan.
Swap out the traditional pastry and give this crumble topping a go. Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and contains iron, fibre, vitamins and protein.
Chicken and mushroom pie
20% Sensible
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
500g free-range chicken thigh fillets, trimmed of fat, cut into 2cm pieces
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 carrot, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Pinch of ground or freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
2/3 cup chicken stock
2 cups shredded silverbeet
¼ cup Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quinoa crumble:
1 cup quinoa flakes (rolled oats are also good)
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
80g ghee or butter
PREHEAT the oven to 180°C.
HEAT the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the chicken and cook until just browned all over. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Then add the carrot, mushroom, nutmeg and thyme and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cornflour mixture, then the stock, silverbeet and chicken and simmer gently over low heat for 5 minutes while you prepare the crumble topping.
TO make the crumble, combine the quinoa, almond meal, parmesan and thyme in a bowl. Rub in the ghee or butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
TAKE the frying pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt and mustard. Taste and season if necessary. Spoon into a pie dish and top evenly with the quinoa crumble. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
SERVE the pie hot with my staple greens or a simple leafy green salad, if liked.
