Thursday, October 8, 2009

Recipe of the Day

Store bought Rotisserie Chicken has become a go-to food in our house. On nights that I cant bring myself to stand in the kitchen I will run to the store and get an MSG-free chicken. We usually eat the 1st half of the chicken with a veggie side and starch of some sort. The 2nd half is usually turned into Chicken Quesadillas; Chicken Noodle Soup; Chicken, Granny Smith Apple, Cheddar Cheese Grilled Paninis and the like.

Once we have scraped the meat off the bone I put the chicken carcass in a large bag (usually recycled bread bags) and freeze it to make chicken stock. When I have a couple chicken carcasses and have gathered enough of my mirepoix discards (leftover celery, carrot and onion pieces from salads or other cooking) in a large plastic bag in the freezer, I will start my day by making chicken stock. The fragrance fills our house and calms my spirit.

Recipe - Home Made Chicken Stock

Ingredients -
2-3 Chicken Carcasses
Bunch of leftover celery pieces (leaves, tips and ends)
Bunch of leftover carrot pieces (root, skins and other pieces)
Bunch of leftover onion (root, skins - add nice color to the stock)
1-2 cloves garlic (smashed slightly)
Bunch of herbs (whatever you have leftover in the refrigerator; sage and rosemary are nice)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste.

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with cold water. (Warm water will make your stock murky.) Cover pot with heavy lid and heat on medium-high heat. Once water is at slow boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer as long as desired. (I usually simmer it all day and allow it to cool in the refrigerator over night before straining.) When cooled, strain stock and freeze in containers for up to 6 months. Enjoy!

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