Some people think that living a Keto lifestyle is awful because you have to basically drink oil, eat cheese and have no variety. It’s so far from reality. Keto diet can be full of veggies, healthy fats from oil and avocados, meat, fish, dairy, nuts & seeds, and coconut products. You will miss fruit. I got it (I do too),  but when it comes down to important vitamins, minerals and nutrients, veggies are far more valuable.

What I like about Keto is that it forces me to be more creative in the kitchen and also look for more recipes. I’m learning about foods and ingredient that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise, such as the Hemp Seed Risotto. I came across the Chicken Jalapeño casserole and decided to pair it with the Hemp Risotto I found on Ruled.me. I haven’t cooked rice for a really long time because I never found it too exciting and I think it’s because I had enough rice growing up. I was curious though to see how the Hemp Seeds turn out if you use them as a substitute and, lo and behold, the Hemps Seeds are way smoother and creamier than rice. The Chicken Jalapeño casserole’s mildly spicy taste together with the mushroom risotto are a marriage of delicious flavor.

It’s a low carb meal, so you can have it any time if you’re following the “Earn your carbs diet”. In Keto you can eat more calories, because all the fat will get burned for energy, especially if you’re active, but if you’re not in Keto, you don’t have this advantage, so you should keep an eye on your portions and calories.

Ingredients for the Casserole
6 Small Chicken Thighs (no bone, skin on)
2 Spinach & Feta Sausages
2 Medium Jalapeños (de-seed them, if you don’t like too spicy)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise (you can use regular organic, or Avocado Mayo, or Olive oil mayo)
12 oz Cream Cheese
4 oz Shredded Cheddar
4 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 tbsp Hot Sauce (make sure you read the label – zero carbs)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Hemp Seed Risotto
1 cup Hemp Seeds (I buy them on Thrive for cheaper)
2 tbsp Grass Fed Butter
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (little baby Portobellos)
2 medium size zucchinis chopped into small chunks
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds (cheaper on Thrive)
1/2 cup Chicken Broth (or make your own and use the poached chicken for other recipe)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Dried Parsley or 1 tsp Fresh finely chopped Parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions for the casserole 

1. Preheat oven to 400F degree. Wrap a cookie sheet in a foil and place a cooling rack on top so that the juices from the chicken thighs can drop onto the foil. Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper, place on the rack and bake for 40 minutes.

2. Cut the sausages into small slices and put them into a non-stick pan over medium heat together with the sliced jalapeños (leave about 1/2 of one jalapeño for later use). The sausages are greasy enough so you won’t have to add extra oil. You can add a little bit of water (2 tbsp) if needed to cook the jalapeños until they become soft. Then add the cream cheese, mayo and hot sauce. Mix together and season to taste.

3. Remove the baked chicken thighs from the oven and let them cool down before you remove the skin. Lay the chicken in a casserole dish and spread the cream cheese mixture over it. Then top with shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 400F. Broil for 3- 5 minutes at the end and top with some extra jalapeños before you broil.

Instructions for the Hemp Risotto 

1. Wash and slice mushrooms and zucchinis into small chunks or slices. Add butter to a non-stick skillet and let it melt over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add the mushrooms, zucchinis, and sliced almonds and let it cook stirring frequently until the mushrooms and zuchinnis are soft.

2. Add hemp seeds, chicken broth and seasoning to the skillet and mix well. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let the chicken broth simmer until it’s absorbed by the hemp seeds.

3. Once you’re happy with the creamy and soft texture of the hemp seeds you can turn the heat off and serve.
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Place a handful of mixed greens on a plate and top with a small portion (the size of the palm of your hand) of the Chicken Jalapeño Casserole. Don’t forget about the crispy chicken skin. As you can see I had a pretty big portion of the risotto and I ate it all but I burned all the calories from fat for energy because I workout daily and I’m currently in Ketosis. If you’re not, I suggest you stick with a small portion for both dishes. The entire risotto is a lot of calories, but you’ll have a lot of leftovers. 1/3 cup of the cooked hemp risotto should be about 200-250 calories. The small portion of chicken casserole would be around 300-350 calories and it’s really filling. If you’re not in Ketosis, I would recommend to eat the casserole as one meal and the hemp risotto as another meal since it’s so high in energy from fat.

Macros for the Risotto:
Calories: 3,366.2
Carbs: 36.3 g
Net Carbs: 32.7 g
Fat: 262.7 g
Protein: 218.8 g

Macros for the Casserole:
Calories: 1,374.5
Carbs: 33.9 g
Net Carbs: 18.6 g
Fat: 118.9 g
Protein: 66.5 g