Homemade Chicken Stock

Stock is one of those things that can be made in a variety of ways and as long as you end up with a flavorful liquid that compliments your recipe, then you have succeeded. I present here one method I use to make chicken stock. I use this in a variety of recipes, especially around the holidays.

Chicken Stock Ingredients
2 chicken breast halves or 2 chicken thighs with skin
2 tbsp butter (if no skin is present on the meat)
2 medium carrots, washed, skinned and cut into 2" lengths
5 stalks of celery, washed and cut into 4" lengths
1 medium onion, peeled, washed and quartered
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp of vegan chicken bouillon powder or 4 bouillon cubes (vegan chicken bouillon powder)
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (optional) Link
2-3 quarts of water

Add all ingredients to a 4 quart (or larger) pot and bring to a boil. Stir well. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken and use for another recipe. Discard skin if present. Strain all the vegetables out of the liquid and puree in a food processor or blender. Add the puree back to the liquid and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The stock is ready to use at this point.

TTFN
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Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken



  Here's a quick grilling dish and an excuse to use some of those fresh herbs from the garden. I make this up earlier in the day and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before tossing it on the grill. 10 minutes on the grill and this tasty chicken can be sitting on your plate

Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken

4 chicken breast, de-boned without skin

2 lemons juiced

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper, ground

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

  Flatten the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness. I find it helpful to put the chicken breasts in a gallon ziplock bag and beat it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. I can do two breast at a time this way and then I use the bag to marinate the meat as well. A food processor makes quick work out of the marinade and it can save you a little chopping to boot. Combine all the ingedients except the chicken either by hand or in a food processor and then dump the marinade in a gallon ziplock bag with the chicken . Let the meat marinate for a couple of hours and then grill. I would not recommend marinating the meat more than a few hours in advance because the lemon flavor can become very strong and over-power the other flavors. Optionally you can change this recipe up a bit by swapping out the oregano for 1/2 c of fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

TTFN
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