I love fall. Getting back to a routine, better eating habits, and SOUP! I should add that my husband would also say, football season.... But it can also be the time of year where our immune systems start to take a bit of a hit. One of my favourite recommendations for families is to make bone broth. It is a rich source of nutrients containing protein, collagen, and minerals, especially calcium. It’s easy for our body to digest, tastes delicious and fills a home with an aroma of goodness while cooking. Bone broth is restorative to our body, energy, and immune system all year round.
BASIC BROTH RECIPE
Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, bring to a boil, remove any scum that has risen to the top and reduce heat. Simmer 6-48 hrs for chicken, 12 –72 hrs for beef, the longer the better (24 hrs is best). To reduce cooking time, you may break or cut bones into small pieces first. Once simmered, strain through a colander into a soup pot and discard the bones [don't forget to put the pot under the colander! This is from experience :( ] . If uncooked meat was used to start with, you may reserve the meat for soup or salads. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present which is also healthy to consume in broth. Broth may be frozen for months, or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
WAYS TO ENJOY
Soup - Make soup by adding vegetables, beans, grains or meat to broth. Briefly cook vegetables and meat before adding broth and grains or previously soaked beans and simmer till all is cooked through (time will vary with ingredients). Season with salt and pepper and more spices.
Cooking Liquid - Use broth in place of water to steam veggies or cook rice, beans or other grains. Place steamer basket of veggies over broth or add grains or beans directly to it in proper ratio. Simmer for instructed time. You may thicken veggie steaming-broth, as below, to use as gravy.
Tea - Don’t forget you can just add salt and sip broth like tea. This is especially nice in the winter months or if you’re feeling sick. Try it in a thermos and sip throughout the day. Of course, the most traditional use for seasoned broth is as a first course, to enhance the digestion of any meal to come.
BASIC BROTH RECIPE
- Bones - poultry, fish, shellfish, beef or lamb
- Cooked bones from a previous meal, with or without skin or meat
- Raw bones, with or without skin and meat
- Use a whole carcass or just parts
- Enough to just cover the bones or 2 cups water per 1 pound bones
- A splash (1-2 tablespoons), or substitute lemon juice for vinegar
- helps to pull out the important nutrients
- Traditional choices include celery, carrots, and onions but any will do, a great way to use up older veggies
- Consider garlic, turmeric, astragalus root, reishi mushrooms, ginger, parsley, chili flakes
Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, bring to a boil, remove any scum that has risen to the top and reduce heat. Simmer 6-48 hrs for chicken, 12 –72 hrs for beef, the longer the better (24 hrs is best). To reduce cooking time, you may break or cut bones into small pieces first. Once simmered, strain through a colander into a soup pot and discard the bones [don't forget to put the pot under the colander! This is from experience :( ] . If uncooked meat was used to start with, you may reserve the meat for soup or salads. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present which is also healthy to consume in broth. Broth may be frozen for months, or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
WAYS TO ENJOY
Soup - Make soup by adding vegetables, beans, grains or meat to broth. Briefly cook vegetables and meat before adding broth and grains or previously soaked beans and simmer till all is cooked through (time will vary with ingredients). Season with salt and pepper and more spices.
Cooking Liquid - Use broth in place of water to steam veggies or cook rice, beans or other grains. Place steamer basket of veggies over broth or add grains or beans directly to it in proper ratio. Simmer for instructed time. You may thicken veggie steaming-broth, as below, to use as gravy.
Tea - Don’t forget you can just add salt and sip broth like tea. This is especially nice in the winter months or if you’re feeling sick. Try it in a thermos and sip throughout the day. Of course, the most traditional use for seasoned broth is as a first course, to enhance the digestion of any meal to come.
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