Warming my Soul with Change: Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock, or a little yellow cube of...boullion? I would take the homemade, full of flavor chicken stock any day. It makes risotto taste full and fresh, makes great dairy free mashed potatoes, and even Southwestern Chicken Soup. We keep bags of it in the freezer for just such dinners.

The blog has been sparse lately, you've probably noticed. But I have news, finally. I have accepted an offer for a new job, and I think I may have more time on my hands in the coming months and years. I'm hoping, at least. I'm headed off into the unknown, bravely putting one foot in front of the other.

On the horizon is the promise of a better tomorrow, of a place to make a difference, and I love that fresh feeling. I'm ready to embrace it.

It's also been snowing this week. In April. On and off every day. My current office is on a 1950s boiler system for climate control. Every spring, (which is always finicky in Utah), the management has to turn the boiler off at some point, and turn on the air conditioner. Beyond that, our climate control is the windows. There's either hot air blowing, or cold air blowing. Then we open the windows to hopefully balance out the type of air that's blowing.

Last week, I was whimpering about the 80 degree office, because it was 75 degrees outside and the registers were blowing hot air from the boiler. I think that's when the management decided spring was finally here - and turned on the air conditioner.

Coats to the office this week! Sweatshirt, down coat, blanket, we've all been working hard to keep our hands warm. A good hearty chicken stock is great for that.

Homemade Chicken Stock
1 fryer chicken, skin removed
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
1 cup carrots
2 bay leaves
fresh thyme
fresh cracked black pepper
1.5 to 2 gallons of water

Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, and water in a giant pot. Boil initially, and then decrease to a simmer. Skim the foam off the top every hour or so, while simmering for up to 8 hours.

Strain the stock through a fine strainer, removing the chicken parts and vegetables. Place the stock in the fridge covered, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, skim the fat off the top of the stock. I pour mine into 4 cup bags, and freeze until I'm ready to use.

Separate the chicken into pieces, removing the meat from the bones. This meat is great for enchiladas, on top of risotto, or in any other quick dish.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs

I've learned something about myself this week. Two nights ago, I made myself some delicious, cheese-free nachos with refried beans and some fresh salsa. I'm a bean lover, and it really hit the spot.

I woke up the next morning ravenous, dizzy and a little woozy. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I ate breakfast and left for work. By lunch time, I knew I needed meat. I walked over to the grocery store and picked up a bucket of Lloyd's BBQ and some Almond Nut-Thins, and ate as much meat as I could. I have committed myself to eat as much meat as I can fit.

This sounds overboard, or a little extreme, but right now my body is healing. I no longer get any dairy protein, although I do love me some coconut kefir (a lifesaver!). But really, other than nuts, I get my protein from meat. If my body is going to rebuild, I need to help it. I'm getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, some grains, plenty of nuts. So, I need to make sure that I get plenty of meat to help my body rebuild.

This is a great, easy recipe for a quick and meaty dinner.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs
adapted from Cooking Light

2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon fresh sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Szechuan pepper
4-8 skinless chicken thighs

6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Turn your oven on broil. Line a sheet pan with foil, to make for easy cleanup. Since the honey coating gets sticky, you'll thank yourself later for putting the foil down. Combine spices on a plate. If the chicken thighs were frozen, be sure they come to fridge/room temperature before you coat them.

Coat each chicken thigh with spices on both sides. Set them on the foil. Place in the oven.

Broil on each side for 5 minutes. While it's broiling, mix together honey and vinegar. Brush on the top side of the chicken, and broil for one minute. Flip, brush on more glaze, and broil for one additional minute, or until the chicken is good through.

Remove from the oven, and serve with napkins!

Basic Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie Recipe: Two Ways

Sigh. We made it to the weekend. This was one of those weeks where I wasn't so sure I would get there.

I mentioned these cookies on Monday, and the week flew by. Now, I think it's time they make their appearance for the weekend. A nice, warm chocolate cookie, a board game, and some nice quiet. I like the idea.

I worked on this recipe, dozen after dozen, until they were just right. I used some sorghum flour first, but found that the cookie flavor was subtle enough that the sorghum overpowered it. Make sure, even if you don't use my flour combination, that you use a really gentle-tasting flour. Skip the sorghum, the quinoa, the white bean. You'll like these better if what you're tasting is the chocolate. These are also dairy free.

These are perfect for a care package, for a night in, for a gift for a friend, to take to work for a potluck. I'm sure you find many ways to use them. And the best part - this is not one, but TWO recipes. You can choose: crinkle cookies, fresh with powdered sugar dusting the outside, or frosted marshmallow cookies, sweet and chewy with the melted marshmallow pulling away at each bite. They're both delicious.

Make the basic dough below, chill, and then decide how you want to top them.

Thanks, webbie friends, for being out there in the great beyond. I hope you like the cookie, because I like you. :)

Don't they look a little like sunny-side-up eggs? Made of chocolate?

Basic Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie Recipe
adapted from Southern Living All-Time Favorite Cookie Recipes (1995)

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 20 large marshmallows, cut in half

Beat shortening at medium speed in an electric mixture until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. In a separate bowl, combine flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cocoa; add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla. The dough will be very stiff. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.


For Devilish Marshmallow Cookies

Waiting patiently to be frosted.

Pat the dough into 1 inch disks, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The parchment helps the cookies to brown evenly. See individual recipe (below) for baking time. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and place a marshmallow half on each cookie, with the cut side down. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the marshmallow is hot and puffy. Cook on a wire rack, and then spread with frosting.

Frosting

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup hemp milk
2 tablespoons shortening
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Additional milk if needed

Combine the first three ingredients in a saucepan, cooking on low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate melts. Add powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Add additional milk to frosting, if needed, for proper spreading consistency.

For Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Awww yeah.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, when the cookies have spread. They should still be jiggly in the middle, but will continue cooking slightly after you remove them from the oven to cool. Leave on the sheet pan for 10 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack.

Stressed is 'Desserts' Spelled Backwards

As I mentioned, I have been off milk products for a little while now (more than a month, I think). I've had a few slip-ups, but I've noticed how much better I've been feeling. And interestingly, how much worse my reaction is now that it's out of my system.


I was sitting at work last week, trying to do my darndest to finish some important tasks. It wasn't going too well. I was wishing for something rich, since my diet was severely lacking in creamy proteins. Finally, I asked my friend to walk to the grocery store with me.


And here's the little guy that saved my life, and my job:



Complete with a fork lifted from the salad bar, I could eat this while walking back to the office. I was so relieved. Since then, I've had 2 cartons, one of which I shared with a friend.

Thank you, So Delicious people, for your divine coconut ice cream. I really appreciate it.

I'm also planning to share my ingenious cookie recipe with you, but that will have to wait until tomorrow at least. You'll love 'em. They're double-trouble.

Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake

A cake that defies gravity. Well, mine looks like it had a fight with gravity. When I was a teenager, I learned about something called "Pineapple Dump Cake," that hardly required more than a boxed yellow cake mix and a can of pineapple. (Also delicious in a dutch oven, cooked outside over the coals). You threw it all together, and you ended up with a delicious cake with the pineapple on top. Cool, eh? Well, it was for my adolescent mind.

I really wanted something with pineapple in it the other night, and short of having a cake mix, I decided to work with what I got. It turned out sweet and delicious, and fixed my late night interest in brightly colored (gluten free) baked goods while watching Jamie's Food Revolution (my cookbook is on the way!) and Who Do You Think You Are. (Both excellent shows, by the way). That's the most TV I've watched in quite a while, and it turned out ok. Rest for my tired self.

So, when the need for caramelized pineapple strikes you, you can turn to pineapple upside down cake. With no dairy or gluten.

Briefly, in weekend news, I'm going to the second gluten free class on Saturday at the Viking Cooking School. There's still time to register, if you're in the Salt Lake area.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
adapted from this recipe
no gluten, dairy, soy or nuts

3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
8 maraschino cherries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup of the juice.
Pour coconut milk into a 9 inch round pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, and then pineapple.
In a separate bowl, cream together shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat well. Sift together flours, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with reserved pineapple juice, beating after each addition.
Spread batter in pan over pineapple. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes in the pan, then invert onto plate. I ate it warm, but it was also delicious for breakfast the next day.