Paleo Life: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

People literally think I'm crazy when I describe Paleo to them. There are, I think, two reasons for this. First, we've been indoctrinated by generations of clever marketing to forget that the primary purpose of food is to nourish the body, rather than gratification of our taste buds. This has led to a standard diet loaded with sugar, sodium, artificial sweeteners and flavors, and a blitzkrieg of chemical flavor enhancers like MSG that dull our tongues so that healthy food tastes like cardboard. Second, we've also been indoctrinated over generations to think that fat, which is where the flavor comes from in many foods, makes us fat ("you are what you eat" (no you're not)) and causes heart disease. This was based on junk corporatist science mostly from the sugar and vegetable oil industries, and I can't even begin to imagine how many people met their demise long before their time due to these lies.

I eat a diet that is high in calories, high in fat, and high in cholesterol, and yet, at almost 44 at the time of this writing, I am in the best shape of my life. I recently had to switch life insurance companies and underwent a physical, and my wife and I both received a discount because of our superior health. My body fat percentage is around 12-13%. All I did was shun all processed foods, excess sugars and grains. I eat a whole foods diet, consisting primarily of meats, eggs, and leafy and cruciferous vegetables. Being high in fat, and no longer destroying my taste buds with mega doses of sodium, sugar, and chemical flavor enhancers, I can taste my food, and I eat like a king.

I made this dish for about the hundredth time last night, and will continue to eat it because it's easy, it's cheap, it's healthy, and it's filling. I bought a fancy looking notebook to write my favorite recipes in, and as I do so and remove the bookmarks on my browser, I'll share them with you here. This comes from the food blog Grass Fed Girl - I recommend you give her a "like" on FB and subscribe to her emails.


Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

• 2T coconut oil or other cooking fat
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 medium white onion, diced (use 1/2 onion to cut carbs, if desired)
• Sea salt and pepper
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup chicken bone broth
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk or 1 cup organic heavy cream
• 2 eggs, pastured soy free are best
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole pan with half the coconut oil and set aside. Steam the broccoli until just barely cooked and set aside, uncovered. In a sauce pan melt the coconut oil, brown the onions and season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, saute until cooked and move the pan off the heat. Transfer the broccoli, mushroom, onions, and shredded chicken into the casserole pan distributing evenly. Mix the bone broth, coconut milk, eggs, nutmeg with a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl with a whisk and pour it over the contents of the casserole dish. Make sure the mixture is spread evenly and all the contents are covered. Place the casserole in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until done in the middle. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.