Homemade Chicken Stock

The trouble with homemade chicken stock is once you make it you will lever want to go back to store bought.  It has so much flavor and does not need much salt.  I am posting 2 different ways to make it- I hope you give it a try- it is worth the efffort.  I am also looking for ways to get a quick meal so when I make stock I use a whole chicken so I have precooked chicken for a quick meal another time.

Feingold Stage 1

CSA ingredients avaliable: carrots, garlic, celery, and chicken

Ingredients

2 whole chickens (organic or antibiotic- hormone free)

2 onions

4 carrots- peels on is fine

4 stalks of celery- stems and leafy part is fine

8 cloves of garlic

any fresh herb you like and have on hand

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: Chop onions, celery, carrots and garlic. A food processor speeds this step up. Heat 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil in very large stock pot.  Add vegetables and saute until tender about 5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a really big stock pot than cut this half to fit a smaller pot.

Now put the raw rinsed chickens into the pot plus any fresh herbs.  I remove the livers and add any "extras" the chicken comes with.  Fill the pot so that the water comes about 2 inches above the chicken. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes.

Now remove the chicken and allow to cool enough you can handle it. Pull off all the cooked chicken meat. This can used for any recipe that calls for chicken.  I often put in freezer bags so I have chicken when I need a quick meal.  Add the bones, skins and thighs back to pot.  Simmer for another 1 1/2 hours. 

 Now strain the stock from the chicken.  I put through a large colander to remove the vegetables and bones.  You can strain again through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth if you wanta really clear stock.  Now add salt and pepper.  Don't add early because as the stock dissolves it could get too salty.  It does not take a lot of salt 1-2 tsp if often enough for the whole big pot. 

Allow to cool and freeze so it is ready. I like to freeze in 1 qt sizes and also freeeze in a ice cube tray if I need just a little stock in a recipe. 

METHOD 2

Another option is to make the stock in a crock pot.  Use half of the above ingredients (one onion, 2 carrots and celery, 1 chicken, 4 garlic).  Put vegetables in crock pot (sometimes I only cut into pieces instead of dice). Add chicken and fill with water to 1 inch of top of crock pot.  Cover and set crock on low for 8 hours.  Remove chicken after 4-5 hours to reserve meat and add back bones.  Strain like above.  It makes less but you don't have to watch the water temperture or even be home so it is a nice method.

Meredith Zucchini Bread

3 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 1/4 cups white sugar (or try sorghum) 2 cups grated zucchini 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup soft white wheat or whole wheat flour 1 Tbs flax 1 Tbs ground cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 Directions 2 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans or one Bundt pan 3 In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans. 4 Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until done.  Do not overbake! You can use a Bundt pan cook about 50-55 minutes, loaf pans about 35 minutes, muffin pan about 15 minutes. Bake until light brown and toothpick clean. Also yeilds 4 mini loafs.

Servings: 16 Feingold Stage One

Beef and Farro Soup The is nothing like a hot bowl of hardy soup on a cold winter day! CSA ingredients: carrots celery mushrooms Feingold: Stage 1 (if you add tomatoes Stage 2) This recipe was modified from Family Living magazine Beef and barley soup Feb 2013

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 lb stew beef chunks, cut into bite sized pieces Salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic clove, chopped 1 quart beef stock (low sodium) 2 large carrots, diagonally sliced 2 ribs Celery, sliced 3/4 cup farro- also called wheatberries (or can use barley) 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced (baby bella or white) 1/2 tsp thyme 1 cup frozen peas

1 Sprinkle salt and pepper over beef. 2 Heat oil in large pot of medium high heat. 3 Sauté beef until browned about 5 minutes. 4 Add onions and garlic- sauté 2-3 more minutes. 5 Add carrots and celery. Simmer gently, covered, for about 1 hour. 6 Add farro, thyme and mushrooms and simmer 30 more minutes. 7 Add peas and simmer 1 more minute.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe. Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information provided by the recipe author. Amount Per Serving Calories 304 % Daily Value Total Fat 7g 11% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 40mg 13% Sodium 724mg 30% Total Carbohydrates 33g 11% Fiber 8g 32% Protein 27g 54%

Tips Optional: add 1 can diced tomatoes with farro.

Beef Brisket

CSA ingredients:
Beef Brisket
Carrots

Feingold: Stage 1 unless you add tomatoes than Stage 2

This recipe was modifed from a web site called : The Shiksa in the Kitchen

1 beef brisket (mine was 3.5 lbs- see note below on size)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks,diced
2 carrots,diced
4 garlic cloves peeled
1 quart of beef broth
Kosher salt
pepper
Bay leaves
1 fresh thyme and rosemary sprig
fresh parsley, chopped

Optional: add 1 small can of tomato paste to vegetable mixture and coat meat with mixture before roasting.

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.Let brisket sit at room temperature about 15-20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with salf and pepper (generously)
4. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil.
5. Place brisket in hot roasting pan and cook about 4-5 minutes per side until brown.
6. Add diced onions, carrots and celery to pan.
7. Top with garlic cloves and herbs. 
8. Pour broth into pan.
9. Cover with foil and place in oven.  Roast one hour per pound of brisket.  Do not disturb during cooking. 
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.

I would recommend using a 5-6lb brisket. You can double the vegetables if you use a bigger roast and bigger roasting pan. If you need to add more borth so it comes up the sides of the brisket about half way.  It would take 5-6 hours for this.   You would have awesome sandwhiches with the leftovers.

Gravy
Remove bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.  Place remaining ingredients into bowl.  Blend with immersion blender, in regular blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper if desired.   Heat until warm and serve over meat. 

Our family is trying the Feingold Diet. This diet is directed for ADHD and after seeing an excellent response in one of our cousins over the holidays we decided to give it a try.  It eliminate ALL artifical color, flavors and sweeteners plus several preservatives.  In the beginning you also eliminate many "good foods" such as tomatoes and apples that produce natural salicyates which you can try to add back in later.  It is too soon to tell the effects but I will keep you updated.  So the upcoming months of recipes will be reflective of this challenging program.  Here is one dinner I found the recipe in Clean Eating Magazine we all enjoyed.  I got the tortilla at Whole Foods (they have a list of approved foods you choose from in the beginning that have been researched for additives ect..).  Was a hit with everyone.  Shrimp and Artichoke Quesadillas

3 oz cream cheese 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 2 cloves garlic clove, minced 5 ounces frozen spinach, chopped thawed and squeezed excess liquid 4 ounces cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped 4 1/2 ounces frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, grated (recipe called for mozzarella I used cheddar) 12 6-inch corn tortillas (about 6 inches)- I used whole wheat flour and white flour olive oil

1 In mixer blend cream cheese (softened) on high for about 1 minute until smooth. Add yogurt and blend one more minute. Reduce to medium and add garlic, lemon juice. With spatula fold in spinach, artichokes and cheese. 2 Place tortillas on work surface and brush with olive oil (I used spray oil). Spread 1/3 cup filling (for 6 inch tortilla) Top with second tortilla (coated in oil). Repeat. ( I used larger tortillas and than cut them into triangles when serving. 3 Place tortillas in large cast iron or hot skillet or on hot griddle in batches and cook 4-6 minutes until mixture melted and tortilla light brown. Can keep warm in oven while cooking rest. if cooking on large griddle not necessary.

Servings: 8 Yield: 3 pieces

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (2.9 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. Amount Per Serving Calories 102.57 Calories From Fat (56%) 57.42 % Daily Value Total Fat 6.53g 10% Saturated Fat 4.03g 20% Cholesterol 47.67mg 16% Sodium 147.08mg 6% Potassium 240.32mg 7% Total Carbohydrates 4.18g 1% Fiber 1.27g 5% Sugar 1.23g Protein 7.44g 15%

i was hoping to have some leftovers to pack in the lunch boxes the next day but did not have ANY left.