Our Weekend in Recipes

Friday Night to combat our colds...

Chicken and Rice Soup

cooked chicken (about 1-2 cups)*
1 cup brown rice
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1/2 onion
2 quarts homemade chicken stock
salt


Bring stock and rice to boil. Add chopped celery, carrots and onion. Reduce to simmer and cook 45 min-1hr until both rice and veggies are cooked. Add chicken and cook another couple of minutes until heated through. You could also add other veggies such as peas, corn or green beans at this point. Salt to taste.

*I cook a whole chicken in the process of making the stock. Place chicken in large stock pot along with onion, celery, carrot, garlic, fresh herbs, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to boil, skim, reduce and cook one hour. After an hour remove the whole chicken and set on plate. Once cool enough to handle remove meat from chicken and set aside. Return carcass back to stock pot and cook for another few hours. I used half the meat from the chicken in the soup and saved the other half for another meal.
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions



Saturday morning.... Homemade beef stock
Place beef knuckle bones (or some combination of beef bones for broth)in the large stock pot. Cover with water and add 1/2 cup vinegar. Let sit one hour, drain and cover with fresh water. Add onion, celery, garlic, carrot, fresh thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns and cook it for 12-24hours. We started ours at noon on Saturday and topped it off with hot water before bed and let it cook until 10am Sunday morning. Cool and then strain. Season with salt.


Saturday night...

chicken with curry sauce

cooked chicken
1/2 onion chopped
1 Serrano pepper seeded and cut into large slices
2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
2 Tb Indian curry paste (or curry powder)
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 14oz can of coconut milk (whole fat)
Juice of one lime
fresh cilantro
salt
fresh or frozen peas thawed

saute onion and chili in butter and olive oil until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in curry and cook a minute or so. Add broth, bring to boil and whisk until will combined. Add coconut milk and cook at simmer until sauce has reduced in half. Add lime juice. Strain sauce and return to pan. Add cilantro and season with salt to taste. Add chicken and peas. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice.
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions

Sunday Morning...Toast with Homemade cream cheese, honey and jam

Homemade Cream Cheese (Recipe from Nourishing Traditions)
1 quart whole fat yogurt
cheese cloth or bread towel
mesh colander
large bowl

Place colander over large bowl. Line with cheese cloth or bread towel. Place whole carton of yogurt into colander and let sit all day. After 8-12 hours pour reserved liquid (whey) into jar and keep in fridge. Place long handled wooden spoon over yogurt and tie towel around it to make bundle. Leave bundle hanging over bowl over night. I usually transfer it to the fridge before bed. In morning add remaining whey to jar and place cream cheese in container. Will keep for one month.

To make cheese taste more like cream cheese you can salt the yogurt in the beginning.

To make honey cream cheese take about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese and add 1-2 tsp of honey. Mix well with fork until smooth and creamy. Spread on toast and top with fruit or jam.

Needless to say our weekend was delicious! I am especially enjoying our cream cheese. What have you been eating recently?