Chicken Stock

Chicken stock tends to be made more from bony parts, whereas chicken broth is made more out of meat. Chicken stock tends to have a fuller mouth feel and richer flavor, due to the gelatin released by long-simmering bones.

  • The neck, back, ribs and wings are excellent for making chicken stock.
  • Best of all, however, are the feet.
  • Always start with cold water. This helps extract more collagen, giving the stock more body.
  • Don’t let the stock boil. It should stay at a gentle simmer
  • Don’t stir the stock as it simmers! All you need to do while it simmers is skim the scum off
  • the top, and add water if it drops too low.
  • 2-3 lbs chicken bones (or the carcass from a roasted chicken)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium rib celery, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 3-4 fresh parsley stems
  • 3-4 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 whole clove
    1. Make a sachet d’epices by tying the thyme, peppercorns, clove, parsley stems and bay leaf into a piece of cheesecloth.
    2. Rinse chicken bones in cold water and transfer to a heavy-bottomed stockpot.
    3. Add enough cold water to the pot to completely cover the bones — about 5 quarts.
    4. Bring pot to a boil, then immediately drain and rinse bones.
    5. Return the blanched bones to the pot and again cover with fresh, cold water.
    6. Bring pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
    7. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
    8. Add chopped carrots, celery and onion,to the pot along with the sachet; tie the sachet string to the stockpot handle for easy retrieval later.
    9. Simmer for about 4 hours, continuing to skim the impurities that rise to the surface. Liquid will evaporate, so make sure there’s always enough water to cover the bones.
    10. After 4 hours, remove from the heat and strain the stock through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. Cool the stock quickly, using an ice bath if necessary, and then refrigerate or freeze.

         Makes 1 gallon of chicken stock.

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Chicken with Swiss Chard …. Soup

One of the things I would like to do this year is use some of the greens that I am not use to, one of them is Swiss Chard. Now I know from my lettuces the things my mama gave me as a child but I think our grandparents did a lot of these others veggies. They grew their own.

A few things I do that make soup making simple for me. I always soak my beans in a bowl of water overnight. This softens them up and makes them cook easier. I like my beans to be softish firmy. Also I make my own chicken broth I always have it on hand for cooking and soups. I boil a whole chicken so I can use what I want for the soup have the stock for next project and the rest of the chicken for the next meal. And buying a whole chicken cheaper my peeps.

Ingredients

1 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of lentil beans (soaked overnight)
8 cups  chicken broth- (from the whole chicken you just boiled)
Chicken, chopped into bite size pieces (use how much makes you happy)
1 large bunch of chard, stemmed and sliced
1 tsp thyme – chopped if fresh
3 tbs parsley – chopped if fresh

I have tried to make this one as simple as possible. One of the first things you need to do is put your olive oil in the soup pot and cook your onions for  about ten minutes or until your onions are translucent add your garlic the last 5 minutes.  Be careful not to brown them!

Everything is done in one pot then all the flavors stay put!

Now add in broth, beans, spices and chicken and bring to a soft boil.  Once you have your boil, let it simmer for 45 minutes after 30 minutes add your chard.  Cook soup for another 15 minutes or until the chard has wilted.

Top with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese yum!

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Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I have to admit I have never been a good pork cook. The meat (pork) just seem to always turn out to tough or to tough or tougher. Never fails. When I saw this recipe for pulled chicken I danced around the kitchen down the hall composed myself and got to cookin. This turned out so good I will make it over and over and for parties with a nice cold beer this summer!

Yes I added one of my own ingredient but only one this time…some cayenne power and only a smig-in for me! I love my spicy…I use to put Tabasco on the kidz food when they were little thus the love of all things spice for them….Oh the joy of motherhood!

I cooked mine in my little ole’ (25 years) crock pot. In the crock pot I left it on low for 5 hours..Mine is so old it only has low or hot…..This made it easy to do other things but you could do it in a dutch oven or any big pot. Just make sure you are home you can not leave it like a crock pot. And stir it every hour or so.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. Cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp dark molasses
1 tsp. onion power
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1/2 tsp. salt
Any crispy yummy buns that will hold that drippy deliciousness

1. Scatter onions on the bottom of your slow cooker or dutch oven or large pot if you have it. It just has to brew for a few hours. On low if it is on the oven keep an eye on it.
2.

In a bowl combine all the other ingredients ketchup, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, Tabasco, salt, molasses.

Pour this deliciousness over the chicken. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is fork tender. About half way through the cooking take any large pieces of chicken that have not already fallen apart and shred them. I like to shred it so the flavor goes through the meat. Once it is cooked heat your rolls and serve hot. Yummy in the Tummy and you will eat it all the way!

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Crock Pot (From 1982)

This ole’ pot well it has seen better day’s but it has given me more pleasure. I jut can not get rid of it or bring myself to get a new one. It cooks just the right amount for me and well gosh darn I love it!. It was a wedding gift in 1982. The only thing I have left from that marriage besides the two children….

This little guy does two things. Low which is warm yet not to warm and High which is hot hot…… hot ……

Ok memory lane behind us you need to get a crock pit if you do not have one. This tool comes in so handy for the working busy all around let it cook itself person. I do use mine not as often as I should but I’m a domestic engineer …..so…. I do have time to sit at the stove. But when summer and spring come I am not by the stove unless I am preserving my garden splendors

.

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Mama’s Pound Cake

Ok you will laugh at this so I am in a tizzy because it is Apron Strings Birthday (My son)and I have the whole dinner planned…then  suddenly I remember shit darn no cake…holy crap make it now and he loves Pound Cake…do you not think I would go right to here my own website….nope went to food network..LOL  Paula Dean has a mean pound cake called Mama’s ….half way through the process I said to self….”Self you have cooked a pound cake before…right?????

Once this one went into the oven I came here and wala yupperz I have done this before….Now the one I cooked prior to Paula Dean was better and easier….so there ya go…

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

A couple of tips on this one …at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours made it crisp on the outside soft on the inside so I would cook it at a lower temp and for one hour or till the stick comes clean…Everyone’s oven is different so it may have been my oven who knows…just keep an eye on it…

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Smoky Asparagus Soup

Now this is really a challenge to myself . I am sick of putting my asparagus ends into the mulch pile. So I searched the Internet for asparagus ends soup. Not so successful but I did find a recipe on this site Eating Richly. I did a lot of tweaking to it but I wanted a smoky taste yet Asparagus taste. Alrighty here we go. I used bold where ever my tweaks were.

Creamy Asparagus Ends Soup

Ingredients

  • Approximately 30 asparagus ends
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil +
  • 2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 medium red potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 whole garlic cloves chopped
  • 1/4 cup cream
  •  salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Cooking Directions

  1. Place the asparagus ends in a large pot and fill with water to cover one inch above the asparagus. Bring to a boil and simmer 30-40 minutes until asparagus is very mushy.

Option + I roasted half my asparagus ends in the oven for about 45 minutes on 350 with drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper it gave it a smoky taste prior to  adding them to the others that I boiled for stock. No do not add it to the stock add it when you go to blend them all.

Cool the asparagus save the liquid it was boiled in. Using an food processor or a regular blender, blend in small batches . Strain the pulp , reserving the liquid. (I used cheese cloth and squeeze the dickens out of it I ended up with about 2 cups of liquid.

Add some olive oil to the same pot and grill the onions with the chopped garlic. This gives them a smoky slightly charred look just browned. Once you finish the onions put them into the food processor/blender and grind them as well then add them to the asparagus liquid.

Add your stock chicken/veggie and the cream . Add the reserved asparagus stock and the chopped potatoes simmer on medium low for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft. Blend well with either an immerse blender or just a hand held potato masher. Now let it simmer for about 15 minutes so all the flavors fall in love. This is a wonderful soup enjoy!

 

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Cinnamon Rolls

This is a time consuming recipe but worth every minute. If you have the taste for Cinnamon Rolls today you will have them fresh tomorrow morning.  I made these for a book study I was having and the ladies went nutty over them. With Tea, Coffee or just some juice these are scrumptious ! I am so good about giving credit for recipes but this one I have had so long I truly do not know where I got it. Sorry

Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Vegetable oil /cooking spray
Filling:
8 ounces light brown sugar, app 1 cup packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, app 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese softened, app 1/4 cup
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

Directions

For the dough:

In a mixing bowl it can be a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer or by hand whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined.
Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead for 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.
While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

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Baked Butternut Squash

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • a few slabs of butter
  • sprinkle with Honey/Guava Nectar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the butternut, scoop the seeds out , place in a lined baking dish. This could not have been any easier really . I had never tried squash because I thought it would be to much work. Not!

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Place 1 teaspoon butter in the middle of each squash. As you see I added a bit more. Sprinkle honey or nectar  over each squash. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast 25 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender. Reserve 2 halves for future meal. This was like having desert for lunch and it was enough for the next day to…shhhh do not tell my hubby!

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Veggie Lasangna

I love chicken but today I thought since my daughter is a veggie-tarian I would try this with out the chicken …now if you want the chicken  just two cups chopped chicken added to this if you need to… but on it’s own yummmy.

Most of my ingredients come from the backyard but i have made the recipe with the from can amounts to make it easier for those who do not have a working garden…but you must get your gloves on and start one…If you need tips on gardening go to my gardening website..Dirty lil blog..I make extra so if some of my pictures look different than the ingredients called out do not panic…

Some things I do not do..I do not use tomato sauce the chopped tomatoes have just enough juice to keep the flavors …. see the picture (not professional) of the lasagna on the plate notice that there is not a ton of red sauce…Now if you like add sauce when you assemble your lasagna remember that cooking is personal and all my stuff is just to get you started…

Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

2 cups chopped broccoli
3 large carrots sliced (not to thick)
1 onion chopped ( I use red it is sweeter)
3 chopped garlic heads…more or less
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh oregano
1 teaspoon of white sugar – this cuts the acid in the tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes – this gives it a little bite so if you do not like spicy skip it
ricotta cheese (Choose your amount)
mozzarella cheese (Again as much as you like )
chopped tomatoes one 4 oz can or two cups fresh
approximately 10 to 13 lasagna noodles soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

I keep most of my chopping bite size I like to taste my food in every bite not try to figure out what I just bit into.

;

How to:

I microwave my broccoli just a touch for about 2 minutes to make them just not so stiff when added. Or chop it up tiny ..hey that works…

Put a smidgen of olive oil in a large pan and grill the onions and garlic, oh say 10 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Now add the tomatoes and the sugar and salt, pepper and pepper flakes if desired and simmer together about 5 minutes. Add the carrot’s and the oregano I have large pieces of oregano that I simmer with the onions and garlic….then remove when I assemble the lasagna but you can chop it up and leave it in. I do add a few chopped pieces when assembled.

Ok lets layer ….a layer of noodle overlap then by about a half inch …a layer of veggies some sauce and some cheese and then add another layer till you have come about I say one inch from the top …Why well if you layer it to much to the top it will bubble over and that is not fun to clean off the bottom of the store and it smells. I always put a cookie sheet under what I cook because it is bit of cleaning insurance.

……………………

Alrighty now bake the lasagna in a pre-heated oven of at 350 degrees, covered in foil, for the first 15 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 20 minutes. What you are looking for is bubbly when the foil is removed…then a brown top crust like the bread you are going to serve with it…

Note: I am the type of cook that believes that you need to make some decisions on your taste…The veggies put in what you love. The cheese I am not a big cheese head so I put less cheese more veggies…Please go with your own taste and you will see that is what makes it yours…Get personal with your food…

 

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Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Heat oven to 425.

2. Cut the bottoms off the Brussels sprouts and trim any damaged leaves. Cut in half.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix to combine.

Add Brussels sprouts and mix until coated.

4

Put in a roasting pan in the oven for 45 minutes, stiring once after about 25 minutes, until brown and caramelized.

All done and I do not eat these little devils but I sure did this recipe…Yummy

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