If you have been following my blog, you know that I made chicken stock last week. If you haven’t been following, here is the basic recipe for my rich, quick chicken stock.
1 store bought roasted chicken
1 Qt. Low Sodium Chicken Broth (it should have about 70mg of sodium per serving or less)
1 Qt. Filtered Water
2 Large Onions Dry or Sweet
Celery Tops from a bunch of organic celery
Pull the meat off of your store bought roasted chicken and save for your soup or other purposes. Put the bones, skin, and wing tips in a large pot with the rinsed celery tops, quartered onions, water and chicken broth; then cook partially covered for 2 hrs. Scoop out the large pieces and strain the broth into another container. You should have about 5-6 C. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning the fat can be easily removed from the top and your stock should be a rich gelatinous brown color; ready to be make into the soup of your choice.
Now here is what I did with my stock. I added carrots, onion and cabbage and simmered until the carrots were tender but not falling apart. Then I topped each bowl of soup with about a ½ C of chopped chicken that I reserved from my store bought roasted chicken. There is no particular amount of vegetables to use but be generous. Remember we are trying to eat at least half of our calories and protein from vegetable sources. Here is what I did.
6 carrots peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 large onion cut into a coarse dice
Half of a small head of cabbage sliced
Add carrots, onion and cabbage to the stock in a large pot and cook until the carrots are tender. Then put a cup of baby spinach in your soup bowls and ladled a generous serving of the hot soup to wilt the spinach and served topped with chopped chicken and a side of greens such as cooked green beans or kale or salad of your choice. Enjoy.
A good way to start eating healthier is to eat fewer calories in the evening. Eating a good homemade lunch and eating a lighter meal in the evening will help control your weight and lower blood sugar spikes. If you feel that the meal I made needs to be more substantial for evening, add a can of rinsed black beans or a cup of steamed wheat berries to the soup. Or add a side of apple, celery and chopped walnut salad dressed with non-fat yogurt. It is not necessary to follow recipes exactly or work for hours in the kitchen to eat well. It is necessary to rethink good eating and what it means to enjoy a meal.
Ken Corliss, OD
Diplomate American Board of Optometry
(253) 845-0585