Hi, Hellistile:

My experience with all sorts of stews and casseroles is that provided you use a pan with a tight fitting lid, a lot of liquid comes out of meat and onions like you wouldn't believe! So 1/4 cup is usually heaps. Of course in my pre paleo days I would just thicken up this liquid with cornstarch or gravy mixture, but a more 'paleo' method would be to add tomato paste (triple concentrated) or even some sun dried tomatoes. I bet our ancestors went around with bags of dried stuff like fish and jerky, and probably dried fruits.

Happy cooking!

Michael Gardner