Chicken Broth

Flu season is upon us as I am not so gently reminded to get a flu shot every where I go.  No thanks, I'll pass...


Instead, I need to stock up on oh-so-good-for-you-and-tasty-too homemade chicken stock!  Chock full of vitamins and minerals needed to boost your immune system, and it can be used for so many things:

• a base for numerous soups/stews
• mashed potatoes
• making rice
• pour it over dried out leftovers when reheating
• ...the list goes on...

Sure it takes time, but most of that time is inactive time, meaning you can do laundry, read to your children, sleep...whatever it is that you do while something is quietly simmering on the stove and releasing a delicious, intoxicating aroma throughout your house.  And best of all, it's WAY cheaper (and obviously healthier) to make your own broth than buy it from the store!

This recipe is pretty much from Weston A. Price:  http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

Homemade Chicken Broth:

*You need a large stockpot*

Rinse your whole, free-range, farm-raised chicken (remove the gizzards and stuff inside) and place in a stockpot.  (Optional:  Cut the wings and neck into several pieces and add chicken feet as well)  

I will also be adding a chicken carcass from my last batch of broth to add more minerals. Bones can be reused over and over until they disintegrate when pressed between your thumb and forefinger. 

Add a gallon of cold, filtered water to the pot along with 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 coarsely chopped onion, 2 peeled and coarsely chopped carrots, and 3 coarsely chopped celery stalks.  You can also add a couple of bay leaves and some peppercorns for added flavor.  Let it stand for 1 hour.  Then bring to a full boil and remove the scum that rises to the top.  Cover and simmer for 6-8 hours (the longer the better!).  In the last 10 minutes, toss some fresh chopped parsley into the broth for some added minerals.

Remove the chicken, bones, and veggies from the broth and let the broth cool until the fat rises and congeals on the top.  Remove that.  (Don't forget that step...it makes for some greasy soup if you use it!)  I pour my broth in 2-3 cup amounts into Mason Jars and then freeze them.

Remove the chicken from the bones and you've got cooked chicken for a variety of other recipes!

Homemade Pizza!

Yikes!  It's been a week since I posted!  My last post was my menu plan, and unfortunately, it's been tossed out the window for the most part this past and current week.  We've had things come up that have made it impossible to cook, we've been with family for dinner a few nights, and then there have been some nights where good intentions only went so far...

The recipe I was planning to make tonight requires cream.  Well, I ordered cream with last week's raw dairy order, but due to a glitch in their new system, my cream didn't come.  So instead of running to the store, I rummaged through the freezer to see what I could find.  GOLD!  I found a batch of homemade pizza dough!  Homemade pizza is not as hard as you would think, it uses great ingredients, and makes everyone in the house HAPPY!

Pizza Dough:

Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1 cup milk (make sure it's room temp)

1 cup water (again, room temp)

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp basil

2 tsp oregano

3-4 cloves minced garlic

3 cups of flour

Directions:

After that is mixed, mix in 1 Tbsp of yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then add 1 Tbsp salt and another 1-2 cups of flour.  You want to be able to knead it and roll it out without it sticking to everything.  Once it gets to that point, you are ready to roll it into crust.

After you've got your dough all rolled out, you need some delicious marinara sauce!

Pizza Sauce:

¼ cup chicken broth

10-12 cherry tomatoes (or 1 quartered regular size tomato)

¼ cup onion (any kind)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp basil

½ tsp italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all these in a food processor until well mixed.  Transfer to a sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes or so to let the flavors blend.

Smatter some sauce on the dough and add your toppings!  My favorite are just cheese, pepperoni, and maybe some spinach.  Nathan goes for the pineapple and jalapenos!  Bon apetit!

What's for Dinner?

Two posts in one day?!  Okay, okay, I just can't help it!  It's the first time I've been able to spend any time in the kitchen in a week!!  We had one of my very favorite meals for dinner tonight.  It's an American comfort food that is even moderately healthy!  I say "moderately" because it does have some sugar in it, but even that can be minimal if you make some modifications.



Sloppy Joes (without the can!)

• 2 T. coconut oil
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3/4 c. ketchup (I use Hunt's because it uses sugar instead of corn syrup. One of these days I'll try my hand at homemade organic ketchup!)
• 2 T. sugar (I used turbinado, but I'd like to try raw honey or maple syrup when I have it on hand again.)
• 2 T. yellow mustard
• 2 T. vinegar (I use Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar instead of white)
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce (make sure it is free of corn syrup like Lea and Perrins!)
• 1/4 t. salt

Saute the onion and zucchini in the coconut oil until soft. Add beef and cook until browned. While meat is browning, combine the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook sauce over low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Once the beef is cooked, stir in the sauce and simmer over low heat for about an hour (you can do it for less time, but the longer it simmers, the more flavorful it is!), stirring occasionally.

Serve on homemade hamburger buns (or if you use store-bought, make sure they are free of corn syrup, like Orowheat). We like to add a side of sweet potato chips/fries as well.