Recipe: Grain Free Smokey Quinoa Stuffed Chook & Stuffed Vegan Seitan Roulades

Festive holidays call for festive meals. Most of them are quiet heavy, containing some not-so-healthy ingredients, leaving us sometimes with a full feeling. While there's no shame in enjoying the festive season with a good meal and I am never one to say no to good food and dessert but we can add a healthy twist to it to make it all more enjoyable. At the end we will have a great, delicious meal and can definitely dive in for seconds without feeling bad about it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 free range organic chicken VG: 1 bag of Seitan powder
• 1 cup AOP tricolored organic Quinoa
• 1/4 cup AOP Celtic Coarse Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Dr Superfoods Organic Dried Cranberries
• Mingle Natural Seasoning Blend Sass (as much as you like)
• Planet Organic Black Pepper Cracked Spice (to your taste )
• 1/2 cup of organic dry white wine
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup of Lotus Organic Almonds Raw
• 1/2 cup of Australia's Own Liquid Stock Chicken Style
  VG: Be Broth Vegetable infused with Beetroot Broth
• 250g unsalted butter VG: margarine/ nuttelex
• 1 bulb onion
• 1/2 bunch tarragon
• 1 pack of good quality streaky bacon VG: ignore it

METHOD: (vegan version down below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rub salt all over the chicken, then wash and pat try with a towel.
In a blender combine the butter and tarragon and blend it together, season with a teaspoon of Sass and a pinch of pepper (TIP: add a pinch of nutmeg, if you like).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put aside 2 tablespoons of butter to saute` the diced onion until soft. Add the quinoa, wine and stock and bring to a simmer.

Stir until the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is still underdone. Add the lemon zest, chopped almonds and cranberries. Use this to stuff your chicken then wrap the bacon around it, starting with the breast pieces. 

Squeeze lemon over it when it's in the pan.

Roast your chook, according to the size, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 170 Degrees Celsius. If the bacon starts to overcook, cover it with foil.

Carve and serve with kale sauteed in your tarragon butter and your quinoa stuffing. 

Enjoy your healthy, festive meal!

VEGAN METHOD:

Prepare the seitan as described on the back of the package, roll it out so we can later roll them up as roulades. (Tip: Season the water with Sass, Pepper or the vegetable broth to give it a bit of tasty spice)

Combine the vegan margarine and tarragon and blend it together, season it to your heart's content with Sass and Pepper (you can add a pinch of nutmeg, if you like that).

Take aside 2 tablespoons of our tarragon spread to saute the diced onion until soft. Add the quinoa, wine and broth and bring to simmer. Stir until the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is still underdone. Add the lemon zest, chopped nuts (you can also use a variety as walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts) and dried cranberries. Use this to put on our seitan and roll it up and fix it with a cord.

TIP: If you fill it in lines and roll it up in steps it doesn't get as messy as normally. You might need a cooking partner in crime though. But what is more fun than cooking a delicious and healthy meal together.  

If you want to you can roll the roulade first in a mixture of water and organic soy flour and afterwards in chopped nuts and breadcrumbs to give them that extra crunch and a great crust. You can also roll them up in cabbage to add extra veggies. (TIP: Use vegetable chips as a crust.)

Squeeze some lemon over them, when they're in the pan.

Roast your vegan roulades, according to the size you rolled them up, for 40 to 60 minutes. If you have the feeling that our crust is getting burned drizzle it with water or broth or cover it with foil.

Carve the roulades and serve them with kale or capsicum sauteed in our tarragon margarine or some beetroot for a unique and exotic touch.

Enjoy the festive season with this amazing dish and share your ideas with us and the rest of the AOP family!

What is on your plate this Christmas? Show and tell us about your favourite recipes. We can't wait to get more healthy, festive meal impressions.

Australian Organic Products + More wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We look forward to another great year full of amazing recipes, new and favourite organic products and healthy adventures with you!