Don't throw away those leftover whole chicken bone and I'll tell you why...

Don't know what to do with that leftover chicken bone? If you have a few hours at home, why not make some chicken stock? It is very simple to do, and makes a great base for a homemade chicken soup.

The following process is often referred to as "boiling down the bone." It can be done with not only chicken bones, but other meats like beef, turkey, and ham.

What you'll need is a large pot that is a bit larger than the bone you will be boiling, a slotted serving spoon, and a mesh colander/strainer.

First you must separate the bone from the meat. Put the meat into a bowl for later, and all parts that you do not plan on eating, such as bone, cartilage, fat, etc goes into the pot to be boiled. If desired, you may also add vegetables to the water as well, such as onions, carrots or celery for flavor. Fill pot with water, being sure that all chicken parts are covered with 2-3 inches of water.

Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and let simmer for approximately 2-3 hours. During the simmering process, make sure bone and other parts are completely covered with water. If the water level goes down so low that the chicken parts are above the water line, add more water and once again bring to a boil. Once boiling again, turn heat down to medium and continue simmering.

Once finished boiling, turn off heat. Let sit for about 20 minutes so it is cool enough to handle. Once cooled, using a large slotted spoon, remove large pieces from the liquid and dispose of. When the large pieces are removed, strain liquid in a fine mesh colander to strain out any small pieces of bone or other parts. Pour mixture into an appropriate sized pot, bowl, or saucepan and cover. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. After stock has chilled, you will notice that there is a "skin" layer on the top. This is the fat from the stock, since fat is less dense than the stock, it floats to the top and when cooled, it creates this skin. If you'd like to remove this fat layer (which I always do), scrape with a spoon to remove and dispose of.

Now you're done! The stock is ready to use for your recipes, as a base for a homemade chicken soup, or freeze for use later.

Oven Roasted Whole Chicken

Delicious Roasted Chicken is so simple to make...

This recipe takes a few hours to cook, but so delicious. You can get a whole roaster chicken on sale for as low as 89 cents a pound. Get yourself a nice roasting pan with a lid and a good quality turkey baster and you're ready to get roasting.

I am going to provide you with a simple rosemary lemon pepper recipe to season your chicken with. Although this is my favorite recipe to flavor chicken with, you may use any flavors or spices that you'd like.

I usually use a 6-8 pound chicken when making this for my family. This is enough for a family of four and then enough to make a recipe such as chicken pot pie or chicken soup with the leftovers. I've seen chickens as small as 3-4 pounds at the grocery store, but when shopping for a chicken use the same rule as when you purchase your Thanksgiving turkey; one pound of bird per person.

To prepare your chicken for cooking: If chicken was frozen, be sure that it is thoroughly thawed. If still a slight bit frozen, rinse in your (clean!) kitchen sink with warm water for a few minutes. Before you cook your chicken, it must be rinsed and the insides must be removed. When I say insides, I am referring to a small bag of parts called "giblets" and sometimes a neck. These two items can be found inside the rear (or sometimes front) cavity of the bird. Now this is where you have to get a bit dirty, and if touching raw meat bothers you, get yourself a pair of gloves. You must reach your hand into the bird and remove the giblets (and neck if included).

Now before I go on with the preparation of the chicken, let's talk about giblets and necks for a bit. Many people like to fry or bake the giblets and mix them in with their stuffing. I, personally, do not enjoy this part of the bird so I usually hand it off to my husband and he gives it to the dog to eat, outside of course! Dogs can eat this raw and they can actually eat the raw chicken/turkey necks as well. Eating raw turkey necks was actually recommended by our dog trainer because it cleans their teeth believe it or not. Interesting! But never ever give a cooked poultry bone to your pet, once cooked, they become brittle, and can break and cut your pet's mouth! Now, enough about giblets and necks, lets get back to roasting that chicken!

After cleaning out the insides and thoroughly rinsing out the bird, place it into your roasting pan with rack. Be sure you place the bird in the pan breast side up. (legs should be pointing up)

In a bowl, mix your seasonings. I often use the following recipe. Depending on your taste buds, you may decide to omit or add a thing or two:

Lemon Garlic Pepper Seasoning

- 2 tbsp. olive oil

- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

- the juice of one lemon or 4-6 packets of TrueLemon

- 1 clove garlic, finely minced

- 1/2 tsp. salt

After mixing ingredients, hand rub or spoon mixture all over bird. Place bird in roasting pan, uncovered, into a preheated 350 degree oven. After it has been in the oven for 30 minutes, you must start keeping an eye on the color of the bird, checking and basting it once every 15-20 minutes. Once the skin of the chicken has turned golden brown, it is time to place the lid onto the roasting pan for the remainder of the cook time. By placing the lid on the pan, the chicken will continue to cook, but will not brown much in color because the lack of airflow inside of the roasting pan. You may leave the lid off as long as you'd like, a shorter time for people who like a softer lighter skin or for someone who likes crispy brown skin on their chicken, you may leave the lid off longer. Just FYI, I usually place the lid on the roasting pan approximately 45-55 minutes after placing it in the oven.

Usually the full cook time of the chicken is 20 minutes per pound. So if you had a 6 pound chicken, you would multiply 6 x 20 minutes, and get a cook time of 120 minutes. These times are only approximate, and during the whole cook time, you should be keeping an eye on the bird and basting it at least every 20 minutes. For those of you who are not familiar with basting. To baste the chicken, remove it from the oven (try to do this fairly quickly so you do not interrupt the roasting for too long) and tilt the pan so that the drippings collect in one side of the pan (to make them easier to pick up). Fill up your turkey baster (or a basting brush may also be used) and squeeze (or brush) the drippings over the whole surface of the bird. Chicken is complete when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Some chickens come with a pop-up timer, but I always use a thermometer to be sure, because sometimes the pop-up timers can go up too early. Be sure to let the chicken sit for about 2o minutes out of the oven to cool before handling.

Interested in making gravy with the drippings? In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of drippings with 2 tablespoons of corn starch, flour, or Wondra with a whisk. (make sure your whisk is heat proof before using, if not, a fork may be used) Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 2 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Always wash your hands and your preparations tools and surfaces with antibacterial hand and dish soap after preparing raw meat.

GINGERED PUMPKIN SOUP

Something new...

This recipe is very simple to make. It tastes delicious as a soup, and grated parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top if desired. Another use for this soup is as a spaghetti sauce. It tastes delicious poured over hot pasta with a little bit of grated parmesan on top.

If you'd like, you may also substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin in this recipe.

For chicken broth, I always use Swanson because they are one of the only chicken broth cans that do not contain MSG.

Ingredients:

- two 14 oz. cans of chicken broth

- 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and diced

- 3 tbsp. butter

- 1 medium apple, peeled and diced

- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced

- 1 tsp. ginger

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 cup light cream or half & half

Pour 2 cans of chicken broth and the diced pumpkin into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until pumpkin is cooked. While pumpkin and broth boil, melt butter in a skilled and add diced apple and onion. Saute for approximately 10-15 minutes on medium-high or until soft and tender. When finished, pour apples and onion in the saucepan with the chicken broth and pumpkin. Add ginger and salt to the mixture. Stir well. Let mixture sit for approximately 20-25 minutes to cool. (so that it is cool enough to handle while processing so that you do not burn yourself)

When cooled, pour soup mixture into a food processer or blender and process until smooth. Depending on how large or small your blender or food processer is, you may have to do this a few times if it is not large enough to hold the whole recipe. Once everything is processed, return mixture to saucepan and add 1 cup of light cream or half & half. Bring soup to a boil, then immediately turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Oven-Fried Potatoes w/ Onions

A new twist to "baking" potatoes...

This is one of my favorite (and simple) recipes to make. It's baked in the oven, but coated with oil and butter, which aid in the cooking by "frying" the potatoes.

I use Adobo seasoning, which is a combination of different spices, depending on the brand you purchase, contains garlic, onion, black pepper, oregano, cumin and red pepper. If you'd like, you can use a different seasoning salt if a different flavor is desired. I like Adobo not only because of it's delicious flavor, but it also does not contain MSG.

Ingredients:

- 3 tbsp. butter, melted

- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

- 1 small onion

- 1 1/2 tsp. Adobo seasoning salt

- 4-6 potatoes, depending on size, approximately 2 pounds

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, oil, and seasoning salt. Slice onion into very thin slices and add to oil/butter mixture. Scrub potatoes well to clean, and cut into wedges one half inch thick. Add potatoes to oil/butter mixture and stir well, making sure potatoes are thoroughly coated with the mixture. Once combined, pour mixture into a 13x9" glass baking dish. Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for one hour, stirring potatoes once every 15 minutes.

PASTA with OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Try this recipe if you love Italian food, it's delicious!

I've never attempted making my own pasta sauce for two main reasons... one being that it is so inexpensive to buy a jar of it compared to the price of buying a tomato, and the second reason being that it always just seemed like it would be too time consuming and difficult to make. The following recipe is as homemade as I've gone yet so far with tomato sauce, and it's delicious and very simple to make.

This recipe, with the combination of the fresh tomato taste, and just the right amount of garlic and Italian seasoning to complement the tomato flavor, it's a great "classic" Italian dish.

As far as my readers who are on a gluten free diet like myself, I substituted the regular pasta for a gluten free variety, otherwise the rest of the ingredients are free of gluten. (but definitely double check the labels of your ingredients anyway just to make sure, especially canned foods!)

Pasta with Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

- 8 oz. (half pound) pasta, (I used thin spaghetti pictured above, but any type may be used)

- 2 lbs. small tomatoes (such as plum or cherry) (pictured below to the right, I used a variety of different colored large cherry tomatoes)

- 3 tbsp. olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

- 1/4 tsp. ground pepper

- 1 lb. chicken breast (approximate 2-3 chicken breast)

- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce

- 1 2.25 ounce can sliced (or chopped if desired) black olives

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet (one with sides to catch any olive oil drips from dirtying your oven!) with aluminum foil. The foil will make it easier to remove tomatoes later. Cut each tomato lengthwise (the "long way,") and place on baking sheet cut side facing up. In a bowl mix together olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and ground pepper. Using a spoon, drizzle oil mixture all over tomatoes. Place sheet of tomatoes into preheated oven and cook for 40-60 minutes, or until top surface of tomatoes is lightly browned. While tomatoes are baking, prepare chicken: Cut raw chicken breast into half inch cubes and place into oiled skillet. Cook the chicken stovetop until cooked throughout.

When tomatoes and chicken are complete, cook pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes (see picture for easy method to pour tomatoes), chicken, can of tomato sauce, and black olives in a large skillet or pot. Bring mixture to a boil, and immediately turn heat down to medium, and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until most of liquid is simmered out. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta, stirring well to combine. Serve topped with parmesan or mozzarella cheese, if desired.

CHICKEN POT PIE - Recipe

Chicken pot pie is simpler than you think...

I had never tried to make a chicken pot pie homemade before because I had the impression that it would be a difficult thing to do. I finally got the courage to try it a few years ago, and found that it's actually very simple, although it does take time prepare the filling and roll out the pie crust. To save a little bit of time, you may also use the ready-made pie crusts from the dairy department at your grocery store, but I would rather make my own dough and roll it out myself for two reasons: First is that pie crusts that you buy in the store sometimes will contain preservatives so they can keep until their expiration date and most of them also contain lard, which I have never been a fan of. Second reason has to do with the cost. Making your own crust definitely costs less..

Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie Filling

- 6 tbsp. butter or margarine

- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free flour for those w/ allergies)

- 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (I used red onions, pictured above, but any kind may be used)

- one 14 oz. can chicken broth

- 2/3 cup milk

- 2 cups chicken or turkey, cut up into 1/2 inch pieces or smaller if desired

- 2 cups frozen or fresh peas and carrots mix (or any other combination of mixed vegetable of your choice) or one 10 oz. bag

In a large saucepan, heat up margarine or butter until melted. Add in flour and onion and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat and add in milk and broth. Return to heat, bring to a boil, and let boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Add in chicken and vegetables and bring to a boil again. Once mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and let it sit and preheat the oven to 425 degrees while you prepare your crust.

As far as preparing the crust, any method I mentioned above will work fine. Below you will find my recipe for pie crust... please keep in mind that if you have a gluten allergy like I do, gluten free flour can be substituted for the all purpose that this recipe calls for!

Pie Crust

- 2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)

- 1/2 cup (cold) butter, (cold) margarine, or shortening

- 6-8 tbsp. water (or milk) (use 1 or 2 tbsp. more if necessary)

In a large bowl, cut butter, margarine, or shortening into the flour, using a pastry cutter or a fork until the particles resemble a coarse meal. Sprinkle in water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and mixture almost cleans the side of the bowl. Gather the pastry into a ball and cut in half. Take 1/2 and roll it out to match the size of your pie pan. You may either roll dough out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin or what I do is roll the dough in between two pieces of wax paper, which prevents a lot of "stickiness problems." Place dough gently into pie pan, and spread out to make the bottom "pie shell." Roll out second 1/2 of dough the same way. Pour pie filling into pie shell, place second pie crust piece on top and fold edges under, pressing with your thumbs or a fork. When pie crust is "sealed", stab a few holes in the center of the top crust with a knife, being careful to only puncture the top crust, place pie on a cookie sheet, and place into preheated 425 degree oven and cook for 25-35 minutes , until crust is desired color (I usually remove it from the oven when it is light golden brown). When pie is finished, let sit to cool for 15-20 miuntes before serving.

You will notice that my recipes do not often call for salt... I do not cook with much salt, and feel that if an individual would like their dish a bit more salty or peppery, they're welcome to add it at the table with the respect that some people like their food saltier than others.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS - Recipe and tips

A fresh idea....


Summer is coming to an end, which means it's time to hit the local farmers markets for one last time before the cold weather comes, or if you have a garden like me, you're picking the last peppers of the season. I grow many different varieties of bell peppers in my garden every year, and stuffed peppers is one of my favorite recipes to make when we've got a lot of bell peppers. These are usually baked in the oven, but during these hot summer months, I find the slow cooker (aka "crock pot") does it just as well, but doesn't have the effect of heating up the whole house like the oven does. Another good thing about stuffed peppers is they can be frozen and cooked at a later date; when I have a large harvest of peppers in my garden, I'll whip up a couple batches of this recipe, but instead of baking them all, I freeze them; as long as they are wrapped well in appropriate freezer bags, they keep up to 3-4 months. That way, when you have a night where you don't feel like laboring over dinner, you can just pull them out of the freezer, thaw, and put them in the oven. (see below for tips on freezing) Before I give you the recipe, I want to give you a bit of advice in making this. In order to go through the process quickly, you have to be a good multi-tasker in the kitchen, because it is most efficiently made when the first three steps are done simultaneously. If you've never made stuffed peppers before, allow yourself some extra time for your first attempt. Once you get the hang of it and make it a few times, I promise, you'll start to become a pro. :) Below is my own recipe for stuffed peppers...


Stuffed Bell Peppers

- 4-6 bell peppers, depending on size. (4 very large or 6 medium sized)
- 1 pound ground beef (or for a lower fat option, use ground turkey)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup long grain white rice (may also use 1 boil-in-bag rice)
- 1 medium-large tomato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (or you can use a 14 oz. can, drained)
- 1/4 cup water (for bottom of baking dish)

(the following ingredients will make the sauce for the peppers)
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- choose one from the following: 1 tbsp barbecue sauce (for a sweeter flavor) OR 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce (louisiana, tabasco, etc.) (for a spicy flavor)

Using a sharp knife, remove the tops from each pepper by cutting around the stem, removing the stem and insides, including the seeds. Be sure to thoroughly rinse each pepper. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Boil peppers 3 minutes each. Gently remove peppers from boiling water (a wooden spoon works well for this) and place in a colander to cool.
Cook rice as directed on package.
In a skillet combine ground beef, garlic, and onion. Brown beef mixture until fully cooked, then drain fat.
In a large bowl, mix together cooked beef mixture, cooked rice, and tomatoes. In a separate small bowl, combine ketchup and barbecue sauce OR hot sauce.
Pour 1/4 cup water into baking dish or crock pot. Spoon beef and rice mixture into peppers. Pack mixture into pepper (gently so that the pepper does not break!), leaving a little room at the top of each pepper for sauce. As you fill each pepper, place them into crock pot or baking dish, (strategically) placing them so that they do not fall over (if bottoms are not exactly level). When all peppers are stuffed, spoon sauce mixture into peppers.
To bake in oven, place in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
In slow cooker, cook for 2-3 hours on low or 1 hour on high setting.


A few tips:

Peppers too hot for your hands? If you're ready to stuff, but the peppers are still too hot to touch, run them under cold water upside-down until they are cool enough to handle.

When freezing, place peppers upright on a baking dish, and place in freezer until sauce on top is well frozen. Do not leave them unprotected in freezer long, just long enough to harden the sauce enough so it acts as a "lid" on the pepper; This will allow you to put the peppers into large freezer bags, strategically placing them to fit by being able to place them on their side. Once bags are filled, place back into freezer immediately. These will keep in the freezer for 2-4 months, depending on how cold your freezer is. Freezing is also great for someone who cooks for one, because when frozen, you are able to take out and cook just one or two at a time.

Pictured above are the peppers I picked from my garden and prepared for dinner this evening, with my stuffing mixture in my large stainless steel mixing bowl. The peppers shown in the picture are "Orange Sun" bell peppers, delicious!

Are your peppers all beat up? Sometimes a pepper can have what I call a "rot spot" on the bottom or side of the pepper, which makes it a terrible pepper for stuffing. This has happened to me a few times and is irritating, but can totally be worked with. When this happens I make what I guess you can call "unstuffed stuffed peppers." After boiling and cooling the peppers, instead of stuffing, chop the peppers up and mix them with the rice mixture, put the mixture in a (oven safe) glass dish or crock pot and cook for half the recommended time. As far as the sauce mixture, place on the table to spoon over each individual serving.

Are you on a gluten free diet like myself? If you are, and you'd like to make this, go ahead! Just make sure that you check the labels on your sauces, ketchup, and tomatoes (if you use canned) to make sure it does not contain a gluten ingredient.