Homemade Chicken Stock - Easier than you think

I am a self taught cook. Truly, I am. As a child, I preferred crafting in the basement to learning the fine arts of home keeping. Once I got to law school, my most gourmet homemade meal was Easy Mac and sliced avocados. This appalled my then boyfriend, granted he was nearly 8 years my senior, and decided to teach me the basics of how to cook. I remember him and I going to HomeGoods, literally having me pick out two pans and some utensils I needed. This was the beginning of my learning plan. Eventually the boyfriend and I broke up, and I turned to the Cooking network to continue my education. Slowly but surely, I gained more confidence. By the time I met my now husband, I was masquerading as a pretty good cook.

Since my WLS, I have been able to utilize some of my creative skills to come up with some dishes that I enjoy eating and that are within the parameters I have set for myself - when it comes to nutrition and calories. Also, I am trying to cook appropriately for my husband and my toddler. One of the items that I have recently "mastered" - meaning, I have done it more than three times successfully, is cooking my own chicken broth. Intimidating at first, but when I realized how easy it truly is, and all the health benefits that come from homemade broth, I believe you will be a believer as well. Check out this great link (to another blog) on the health benefits of homeade chicken broth/stock

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth

1 - whole chicken (I buy the organic ones - with or without the giblets - they do make a richer broth if you include them)

1 bag of carrots - you can use whole carrots, baby carrots, purple, etc. whatever you want

3 onions (I hate eating onions, but I love their flavor - I peel them and drop them in whole)

1 bag of celery (washed and cut up - chunks or bites, it's up to you)

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp coconut or canola oil (I use organic coconut)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Peel onions and garlic. Chop or mince them to your preference. Like I said, I really don't enjoy onions, except for their flavor, and I leave mine relatively large - so I can pick them out at the end (to discard...)

2. In a large pot (on the stove), add the tablespoon of oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and onions. Allow them to cook until they just start to brown. You may need to stir them or adjust the heat accordingly.

3. Add your carrots and celery - stir. Allow the vegetables to cook for a few minutes.

4. Add your chicken. (I do not rinse my chicken - I simply take it out of the bag, and place it directly over the vegetables. I have also done this with just chicken thighs. You also may want to chop the chicken up - cutting along the joints or even breaking the bones to release the marrow. As a novice, I would just forgo any of that work - and just put the chicken in the pot. ****Beware, make sure you check the chicken's body for the giblets - they will be in a bag. Make sure you open it up, and add the contents to the pot as well.****

5. Fill the pot with water - the level should be covering the chicken.

6. Place the pot back on the stove and turn the heat to high. Allow the water to boil, then turn the heat back down - allowing the mixture to simmer. Add salt and pepper to your likeness. I add about a tablespoon of sea salt, and two tablespoons of coarse black pepper.

7. Simmer for 2 to 24 hours. The longer you simmer, the richer the flavors will be.

8. Once you have finished simmering, strain the contents of the broth - separating the broth from the chicken/vegetable mixture. Refrigerate the broth - allowing the fat to congeal on the top - discard the fat. I allow mine to refrigerate overnight in a glass container. As for the other contents, you will have a large amount of delicious chicken. It does take some effort to get it all if you have been working with a whole chicken. If you have just thighs, it is much easier. As for the vegetable, I tend to save the carrots - which have the most delicious flavor, and discard the others.

9. I have frozen a lot of the broth for use later, and I use the chicken in a variety of recipes. Overall, it is a great way to get delicious broth, chicken, and vegetables in a very health and economical way. Think about it - you are controlling what is going into the broth, thereby controlling what is going into your body. And, chicken broth is a great way to add wonderful flavor and richness to dishes instead of butter, cream, and other fats.