{Recipe} Homemade Chicken Stock

Mom's Turkey Soup

I grew up eating homemade stock only in the winter and during Thanksgiving/Christmas season.  Every year, my Mom would make a turkey and create the most lovely turkey stock which was turned into turkey soup.  For her, this included the "innards", bones, meat still on the carcass, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and LOVE.

The smell of the turkey stock cooking would permeate the house while cooking for at least a whole day.

She would then strain the broth, then pick the turkey from the bones (not a funtastic task at all!).  The Broth and meat was then portioned together and frozen for use throughout the winter.  YUM.

I have longed to do the same at my own home, and I have tried to do this for over a year without getting that perfect stocky flavor using chicken.

Mistakes I made:
*using onion (end result was onion soup)
*using carrots (bitter tasting)
*using too many spices (not good tasting)
*not cooking it long enough (not a good chickeny stocky flavor)

This week my house finally smelled similar to my Mom's house the day after Thanksgiving when the turkey stock was cooking all day.  Hooray!

Here's what I did...

First, I cooked a small whole chicken in the crockpot.  I seasoned it with garlic salt, pepper, and paprika.

Then, I picked the chicken.  You know, taking the meat off the bones after it is finished cooking.  I really dislike this part...but it is worth it!  Since I want to make soup from this, I left a good amount of meat on the bones to cook with the stock (mainly the dark meat, which is awesome for soup!).

Next, I put all the trimmings back into the crockpot.  This included everything...bones, meat, skin.  I filled the crockpot with cold, filtered water and let it sit for 30 minutes before starting it up on low.

I didn't add any veggies or any extras this time.  I figured I could season it later if it was a little bland.  And, oh am I so glad I didn't season it!  It smells amazing, and I finally achieved that sort of golden color with stock!  Yay!

Then, I cooked the heck out of it!

 I let the first batch cook for at least 12 hours on low in the crockpot.  I actually cooked two whole chickens this time and put all the trimmings together in the crockpot.  I got 3 batches of stock out of this which yielded about 3 gallons.

When it has the color taste you are looking for, strain the trimmings from the stock using a mesh strainer.  I put the stock in gallon sized canning jars.  Let it sit on the counter to cool before putting in the fridge.

2nd batch of broth, a little lighter than the first but still pretty!

After it has cooled in the fridge for a while, the fat will harden and rise to the top.  Skim this part off before storing or using.  Although, I might keep the fat separately this time and use it in other cooking...we'll see...

And the trimmings?  Well, my least favorite part is picking the trimmings.  My Mom always had 3 bowls for sorting:  one with the trimmings, one to keep, one to pitch.  This can be super tedious, but so worth it in the end!

Portion, freeze, and soup's on!

Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Although not the healthiest appetizer in the world, definitely a tasty one!  I got this recipe from one of my friends many years ago, and it is usually a hit at parties.  The only thing that isn't too healthy is the mayo.  If you make your own mayo, it would be much better for you!

Combine:
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. cubed mozzarella cheese
1 pkg of chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed of liquid)
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1-2 tsp. minced garlic

Mix everything together and put in a 8x8in glass baking dish.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until everything is melty goodness.  Serve with corn chips (I use Target brand organic blue corn chips).

Recipe: Easy Grilled Chicken Salad

 

I often like to just throw a salad together for dinner.  It is something easy and extremely satisfying.

1.  Grill 1 chicken breast

2.  Gather your greens (I like organic baby lettuces).

3.  1 tomato (with salt and pepper)

4.  Cheese (I like to mix Parmesan and whatever else is in the fridge)

5.  Bacon, sometimes, if already cooked and in pieces.

6.  Egg, sometimes, if already hard boiled and in the fridge.

7.  Dressing:  Something light, I usually choose Ken's Steakhouse Northern Italian with Basil & Romano.

8.  Toss and enjoy!

What kind of salad can you make in a pinch?

Recipe: Stone-Ground Roasted Pork Tenderloin

The photo just doesn't do this justice!  I tried a new recipe tonight, and it was pretty good!  I found the original recipe (before tweaking) here for Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin.  I was looking for a stellar pork tenderloin recipe since they were recently on sale at the g-store.  And yes, they are not organic.  And yes, they are not grass-fed.  Sometimes, when gasoline is four dollars a gallon, I have to take advantage of a meat sale.  Just sayin'...

Well, I didn't have some of the exact ingredients the original recipe called for, so I happily tweaked and prayed it would turn out okay.  Here's what I did.

Ingredients:
1 cup (Simply Apple) Apple Juice
1/4 cup Stone Ground Mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
1 pound pork tenderloin

Directions:
1.  Combine the apple juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Withhold 1/3 cup of mixture and put in refrigerator.  Add the rest of the mixture to a plastic bag with the remaining mixture.  Marinade for 2 hours.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.  In a baking dish (I used a glass dish), place pork (less the marinade in the bag, discard) in the dish.  Pour the remaining 1/3 cup mixture from the refrigerator over the pork.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and the juices run clear.  (I had to cook mine for 1 hour 10 minutes because my oven is goofy!).


Next time, I would probably make more marinade sauce.  I would also marinade it overnight instead of just after work until cooking time.  I served this up with some sweet corn from my freezer that I froze last summer.  I added just a little butter to the corn and YUM!

*This post was part of Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet.

Recipe: Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup - Yum!

Since winter made a comeback this weekend (brrrr!), I decided to post this recipe for a hearty, warm winter soup.  My Mom makes this soup at home a lot, but I think she originally got the recipe from Lenten Soup Suppers at church.  It's very easy to adjust for flavor and veggies, and I typically just throw whatever I find in the freezer into the soup pot.  Super easy, yummy, frugal, and satisfying.

Beef Barley Soup   1 lb. ground beef (I use grass fed beef from Greenwood Farms!) 1 T olive oil (or your choice cooking fat) 2 c. chunky med. salsa (or whatever level of hotness you want.  Last time, I used 1/2 medium & 1/2 hot, and it was pretty hot!) 2/3 c. quick barley (I usually add extra barley to make it heartier.) 2/3 c. cauliflower and/ or frozen peas (in the picture above, I used peas, green beans, sliced zucchini, and frozen corn) 2 T minced dried onion 5 c. beef broth (add some water if you used extra barley) 1 C julienne strips of carrots (I used whole baby carrots...lazy...) 1 T basil (adjust based on how many veggies or barley you add) 1 (15 to 16 oz.) can red beans, rinsed   Brown beef and onion in olive oil, drain grease, if necessary.  Add broth, salsa, carrots, barley, beef, and basil to a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cook uncovered 10 minutes.  Add cauliflower and/ or peas.  Cook 5 minutes.  Then add beans and cook to heat throughout.   Very easy!  Basically, you just dump and cook.  I typically double the recipe, let cool to room temperature, portion and freeze for later consumption.  You could definitely double this recipe but only use 1 pound of beef for an extra frugal way to stock your freezer (I LOVE my deep freezer!).

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Simmering in the skillet

The only times I remember eating shepherd's pie were the times when I lived in the college dorm.  Yes, good old college dorm food.  I don't remember it being very tomato-y, but I remember greasy ground meat, and layers of veggies topped with mashed potatoes.

So, when searching for new healthier recipes, I was part excited about trying a shepherd's pie recipe and part uneasy.  I tweaked this recipe with much success!  My only problem is that I ate one small square on Monday night when I made it, and I was totally full.  I had planned my menu this week to have leftovers for a few nights, but now I might need to freeze some single servings so it won't go bad.  It made a LOT!  My advice is to use a deep casserole dish.  Mine was deep, but it still bubbled over the sides a bit when cooking.  Luckily, I put a jelly roll pan underneath it to catch drippings when in the oven.  Go me for thinking ahead. :)

Ingredients:
8 red potatoes
8 carrots
Milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste for mashed potato/carrot mixture

1 lb. grass fed beef
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
1 - 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (the original recipe called for 20 ounce, but I only had 28 ounce and it turned out fine).
3 tsp basil
2 tbl honey
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground mustard
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
4 c. of frozen vegetables (I used corn, zucchini, and green beans)
1.5 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
First, make the potato mixture.  Chop 8 carrots in small pieces and cut potatoes.  Put in a pot of boiling water and cook until soft.  When soft, drain and mash by hand adding in milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  **Note: I hand mashed my potatoes and carrots and left the skin on the potatoes for a more rustic sort of mix.  Picture below.

While the potatoes and carrots are cooking...
1.  Add ground beef to skillet and brown.
2.  When beef is about half way brown, add minced garlic and chopped onion to skillet.
3.  When onion starts to look translucent and beef is brown, add spices and tomato.  Taste and add more seasoning if desired.  Simmer for about 25 minutes.
4.  Add frozen veggies and simmer for an additional 10 minutes (or until frozen veggies are hot).
5.  Pour tomato and beef mixture into deep 9x13 casserole dish.
6.  Assemble mashed potato and carrot mixture on top of the tomato and beef mixture.
7.  Top with sharp cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of paprika.
8.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

YUM!  I'll be eating this for days because I'm only cooking for one, but this was good and filling packed with veggies and healthy beef.

Brown the beef with garlic and onion

Simmer the tomatoes, veggies, and spices.

Layer on your potatoes and carrots on the tomato-beef mixture

Cheese, please!

Hot and cheesy out of the oven!

Baked Oatmeal: Smiles and Update

Rolled Oats

I previously posted the recipe for the baked oatmeal I tried yesterday along with my disappointment in how it turned out.  I had this nagging feeling like something important was missing.  Something sweet, but not necessarily sugar.  WHAT was it!?!  Well, this morning, after doctoring up my slice of oatmeal a little more I realized what the problem was.

Raisins!

Yes!  I figured it out, and I'm kicking myself for not figuring it out earlier.  Duh.  This morning, I realized that the baked oatmeal was much better cold and not hot out of the oven.  It was very dense, but filling that way.  I added cinnamon and real maple syrup to it today, which helped some with the sweetness, but raisins would be much, much better.

So, I say go ahead and make this lovely cake-y breakfast, but take my advice and let it cool, add some cinnamon, and get the raisin-y goodness in there!

Finally, I can say...YUM!

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

I was really looking forward to this breakfast recipe so I could do something different with my oatmeal.  Let's be honest, a normal bowl of oatmeal most mornings can get old very quickly.  But, I wasn't thrilled with this recipe this morning as is...  I even put a good amount of cinnamon on top, but that didn't seem to really help.  On the site where I found this recipe originally, the blog comments mentioned adding spices and maple syrup.  I think next time I'll try more add ins.  I do think it's worth another attempt with tweaking, but the tweak-factor will require some thought.

Ingredients:

6 c.  rolled oats
3 bananas
3 c. buttermilk (or yogurt)
2 eggs
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 c. coconut oil

Directions:

1. (Optional) Soak oats in buttermilk (or yogurt) on countertop for optimal nutrition.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3.  combine all ingredients until well combined.

4.  Pour into greased baking dish (I greased with coconut oil, and it burned! Need a solution...) and bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Like I said before, it was a little bland.  I felt like it needed a spice kick and a bit more sweetness.  I also used more walnuts (because I'm a big nut!).  I will post a follow-up when I try this one again after I figure out the tweak-factor.

Mix 'er up

Put 'er in the dish

Hot out of zee oven!

Recipe: Mac and Cheese (Not from a box)

Yummy Mac & Cheese

Cheesy comfort.  MMM...  This is one of my favorite comfort foods.  A recipe passed down from my Gramma, the taste of this recipe always reminds me of family.  Although this is a simple recipe, it tastes so much better than the famous box mix.  Just my humble opinion...

Ingredients:
1 cup dry macaroni pasta
1 cup milk (I used organic whole milk)
2 Tbl butter (I used pastured butter)
2 Tbl flour (I used organic whole wheat sprouted flour)
Sharp cheddar cheese (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Bring water to boil and cook pasta.  Drain.
2.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add milk and flour, stirring frequently.  Continue cooking until sauce has thickened.  Add some cheese and incorporate into sauce.
3.  In your casserole dish, combine cooked pasta and white sauce.  Top with additional cheese.

4.  Melt cheese under broiler.  Or, if your broiler doesn't work like mine, melt cheese in oven at 450 degrees. :)

YUMMY!!!  This is a halved recipe from the original and fits well in a 1-quart casserole dish.  For a family, my Mom always doubled it and used a 2 quart casserole.  I usually serve with salmon croquettes or a ham based dish.

Combine cooked pasta with cream sauce in casserole dish.

Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Mac and Cheese with Salmon Croquettes

Recipe: Salmon Croquettes

Nourishing salmon in a recipe passed down from my Gramma.  My Mom would make this all the time growing up, and it's one of those comforting dishes that feels like home.  I always say that home is where your Mom is (and my Mom loves it!).  :)

I changed a few things from what my Mom does for this recipe (gasp!).  I used whole wheat sprouted flour instead of all purpose flour.  Additionally, I used peanut oil instead of icky rancid vegetable or canola oil.  It was my first experience with peanut oil, and it was nice to know my food didn't taste like peanuts or like it came from a Chinese fast food restaurant!  Double woot!

The worst part about making this recipe is the yuck factor with the canned salmon.  EWWW!  Removing the round bones and skin is not my favorite thing.  Ever.  But it's worth it in the long run.  I promise.

Ingredients:
1 large can of red salmon (I guess pink would work, too)
2 pieces of soft sandwich bread
1 egg
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbl. flour (I used whole wheat organic sprouted flour)
Peanut Oil (or preferred oil for frying)

Directions:
1.  Add oil to skillet at low-medium heat.
2.  Drain salmon.  Remove round bones and skin (ick!).  Long thin bones can be left in.  Flake in medium bowl.
3.  Add egg, salt, pepper, and bread (torn in small pieces).  combine with hands until mixed thoroughly.
4.  Make patties of desired size in hands (larger patty = longer cooking time).  Dust with flour on both sides.
5.  Place patties in pan with hot oil.
6.  Cook on each side for approximately 10 minutes or until you reach your desired crispiness (I like crispy edges).
7.  When finished, place on layers of paper towels to drain excess oil.

YUM!  You can always add more bread for a filler to make more patties, but be sure to add more egg or moisture to help bind the patties together.

Recipe: White Beans and Greens

Photo from The Nourishing Gourmet 

I have been searching for new recipes that would be work lunch friendly using ingredients I have in my home.  I've also been trying to look at my grocery bill and determine how many times a week I can eat veggie or cut costs without eating peanut butter for lunch everyday.  I found this soup recipe at The Nourishing Gourmet and decided to give it a go.  I had never really had white beans before, nor had I cooked with spinach besides the frozen block of spinach in a spin dip recipe.  The one thing I didn't like about this recipe is that if you don't eat it all right away, the spinach turns from bright pretty green to dull skunky green.  I took some out today for lunch and no more pretty green spinach.  Oh well, it still tasted fine!  I tweaked the recipe a little from the original because I didn't have any tomato paste.  In the future, I think I will use both fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, and that is reflected in this recipe.  I might also consider tearing up the spinach or chopping into smaller pieces.

White Beans and Greens

1 bag of Great Northern Beans

13 cups of water

9 cloves of garlic

4 tsp Oregano

3 bay leaves

2 tsp Parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/3 c. + 2 tbl olive oil

1/2 c. fresh diced tomatoes

1/4 c. tomato paste

1/2 lb. fresh baby spinach

Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

1.  Soak dried beans overnight in water.

2.  Rinse and sort beans.

3.  Add water, 2 tbl of olive oil, beans, bay leaves, and 3 garlic cloves (peeled and smushed) to stock pot.  Bring to just a boil, then continue to simmer until beans are tender (it took me about an hour).

4.  When the beans are tender, combine rest of olive oil, oregano, tomato paste, 6 garlic cloves (put through garlic press), fresh tomatoes.  Smush fresh tomatoes with end of spatula while cooking, and continue to cook until the oil begins to turn red and the garlic is soft.

5.  Remove bay leaves.

6.  Add tomato/oil mixture to stock pot with beans.

7.  Add spinach to stock pot with beans, cook about 5 minutes or until the spinach is tender.

8.  Season with salt/pepper to taste.

9.  Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese on top.

Yum!  I was originally apprehensive because of all the olive oil in this recipe, but it is definitely not "oily" in the final presentation.  The taste was different for me because my beans are usually in a taco or chili situation, but with the parm cheese, this was very good and filling!  I ate mine with bread and butter and a glass of whole milk.

Recipe: Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

I really like spaghetti, but after a long day of work or an evening full of grad classes, I don't have time to whip some sauce up from scratch.  Luckily, I found this wonderful recipe that freezes really well!  I'm still eating my first batch of this from the freezer on a regular basis.  Simple to make, and simple to reheat.  Yay.  I did, however, tweak it a little.  Check it out.

1 lb. Grass-fed, local ground beef (from Greenwood Farms!)
1 lb. Ground sausage (I got some from the g-store that was minimally processed)
Chopped Onion to taste (I like a lot of onion)
Minced garlic cloves (I like a lot of garlic. ALOT)
2 - 28 ou. can of chopped tomatoes
2 - 8 ou. cans of tomato sauce
2 - 6 ou. cans of tomato paste
2 c. homemade chicken bone stock (mine was frozen)

Spices to taste: (because I like a lot of spice)
Oregano
Basil
Salt
Pepper

In a large skillet, brown the beef and sausage over med-high heat with the onion and garlic until cooked through. Drain off any grease. Combine in a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and turn on low. Cook for 6-8 hours.  Allow to come to room temperature.  Portion and freeze.

Recipe: Chicken and Corn Crockpot Chili

***UPDATE***
I ended up not liking this recipe!  Maybe I don't like pinto beans or chicken with beans and these spices, but I ended up throwing this away.  It wasn't worth the precious space in my freezer, unfortunately!  Let me know if you try it and like it.  Maybe I'm just picky!

Photo Credit

It's finally starting to feel like November here in St. Louis, and I'm continuing my brave quest of trying new recipes, cooking at home, trying to cook in a nourishing fashion, and tweaking recipes to make them more nourishing.  I adore crockpot cooking.  Today I tried and tweaked something from the internet.  It's still cooking...so I guess I'll find out later if it is super awesome.

I started with a recipe from here.  Here's what I ended up doing:

1 frozen package of free-range, pastured, local chicken (2 legs, 2 thighs)
2 c. frozen homemade chicken bone broth
1 pkg. dry pinto beans
2 -15 ou. jars of salsa (I used mild)
3 ears frozen sweet corn (picked and prepared in season)
1 small can of tomato paste (I added halfway through to thicken a bit)

All spices to taste (I like a LOT of spice: me-ow):
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
Salt

Directions:
1.  Prepare your beans.  Either soak overnight or prepare the quick cook way.  Don't forget to rinse and pick out the rocks!
2.  Put frozen chicken and broth in your crockpot on high.  Cook until chicken is done enough to pick off the bone.
3.  Pick chicken off of bones (I hate this part, but worth it).  Discard the bones, skin, fat.  Return shredded chicken to the crockpot for additional cooking.
4.  Add drained beans, spices, salsa, tomato paste, and corn to the crockpot.  Continue cooking on high/low (your preference) until done and ready to serve.

I plan on serving mine with cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream.  I am trying to add homemade broth to as many recipes as possible, so I'm hoping it works nicely here.  The original recipe also says to use more chicken, and boneless, skinless breasts.  However, I used less chicken to frugal it up, and thighs/legs are less expensive as well.  Plus, bone-in cooking is more nutritious!  Let me know what you think!  Do you have a better spin on Mexican Chicken Chili?  I want to know about it!