Chicken Stock

We frequently buy Costco's rotisserie chicken. It's meaty, juicy, and well-priced. I always throw away the bones and skin when I'm finished, but this time I decided to make stock. Let me tell you, this was well worth it. My house smelled like Thanksgiving for hours. I used Barefoot Contessa's recipe from Food Network. I figured 113 ratings all at 5 stars was a winner.

The steps are simple. Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer. I was able to use fresh herbs from my garden.

After four hours you're ready to strain the stock. I used a fine mesh strainer.

Place plastic wrap over the bowl and set in the fridge overnight.

 The next morning you'll find this nice fat film on the top of your stock. Gently remove the fat.

 Now your stock is ready for use.

I divided the stock into plastic bags to freeze until I'm ready to use them. I ended up with two 2-cup bags and one 1 1/2 cups bag. (I also only had one rotisserie chicken, so I divided the recipe in thirds.) This will make delicious gravy, soup or risotto.

Ingredients:
3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
20 sprigs fresh parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions:
Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pumpkin Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

In a blender, combine:
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup skim milk

Blend until smooth. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens November 2010 magazine, but it didn't specify measurements. This is what I found was best for me. This smoothie is packed with Vitamin A, protein, calcium, and potassium. And the best part is it tastes like Thanksgiving!

Fall-Off-The-Bone Roast

I've made roasts many times and always struggled to achieve fall-off-the-bone meat. My roasts were coming out tough or dry, so I decided to tackle a different approach. This combination of ingredients and cooking method resulted in a delicious, tender, hearty meal.

In a large bowl, stir together:
4 cups beef bouillon
1 can cream of chicken
1 package Lipton onion seasoning mix

Set 2.5-3 pound boneless chuck roast in crockpot, and turn on low temp. Set timer for 8 hours, and pour liquid in bowl on roast.

When the roast has 2 hours remaining, prep vegetables:
6 celery stalks, cut in 2" increments
8 large carrots, peeled and cut in 2" increments
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced

Add vegetables to crockpot. Allow to finish cooking and enjoy! If you wish, you can use some of the broth to make a gravy. Roast and vegetables complimented with a side of garlic mashed potatoes.

Chicken Tostadas

When you're in a hurry for dinner, grab a rotisserie chicken (I prefer the ones from Costco; they're always so meaty and juicy). To stretch your meal even further, try these delicious tostadas. And you may need a napkin to wipe your fingers and face from all the juice.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup (I prefer Campbell's Healthy Request)
1 can cream of celery soup (I prefer Campbell's Healthy Request)
2 cups fresh salsa or pico de gallo (I use El Sol Foods fresh salsa, available at Costco)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 large avocado, cut into small cubes
2 dozen tostada shells

Directions:
Remove all meat from chicken, break into bite-size pieces, and place in large bowl. Pour juice from bottom of chicken container in bowl, and discard bones, fat and skin (or save to make a delicious homemade stock later). Add remaining ingredients and stir gently until blended. Spoon onto tostada shells.

*Note: If chicken was hot when pulled off the bone, mixture may be warm. If not, give your plate 30 seconds in the microwave to reheat. Also depending on how high you pile the chicken on your tostada, this recipe may yield a couple less servings.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sometimes I get in the mood to bake something. Problem is most baked goodies aren't exactly good for the waistline, so the other day I modified a cookie recipe from my Lion House Desserts cookbook. Some things I don't substitute, like butter, but this is definitely more healthy than it was. I also added a couple spices to give it that perfect autumn cookie flavor.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup agave nectar*
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/8 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with wax paper (I used my Silpat silicone cookie sheet liner and it worked like a charm). In a large mixing bowl, mix agave and butter (consistency will be thinner than if you were creaming butter with sugar). Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, oatmeal, and raisins. Drop in small spoonfuls onto you cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let rest for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

*Agave nectar can be found in specialty baking stores (like the Bosch Kitchen Store), health food stores (like Whole Foods or Sunflower Market), or sometimes even Costco. It comes from a plant in Mexico, is 1.5 times sweeter than honey, but is lower on the glycemic index than sugar or honey. Because it is sweeter, less is required in recipes than sugar or honey. Because it dissolves quickly, you can also use it to sweeten peppermint tea, oatmeal, or even plain Greek yogurt.

Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

Sometimes inspiration hits, and this was one of those days. Better Homes and Gardens was running a recipe contest under the category "hot drinks" and this recipe just came to me. I ended up winning first place and $400, along with my recipe published in their November 2009 issue. This is a perfect holiday drink if you'd like something rich and chocolate.

Ingredients:
3 cups fat-free milk
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 of a 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (2/3-cup)
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:
1. In medium saucepan combine fat-free milk, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cocoa powder until well-combined.
2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve in mugs topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Makes 5 (1-cup) servings.

From my kitchen to yours

Welcome to my recipe blog! My husband has been encouraging me for years to document my original recipes. I love to throw ingredients together, and often he'll say, "This is one of the best dishes you've ever made." Well, with so many "best dishes" it's time I start writing down my inventive creations. I'd love to hear your comments as you test my recipes. Enjoy!