Home Made Vegetable Stock (among other things)

When I was at school and then working, most of my meals were ones that I could prepare quickly. Now that I am a SAHM, I have more time throughout the day, but that time is usually rationed to small amounts at a time. So, my meal preparations have changed quite a bit. Instead of finding meals I can prepare quickly, I tend to cook meals that I can prep ahead of time, little bits at time. Today was a good example of how I tend to spend my afternoon, and what I do for dinner.

12 noon, put my boy down for a nap, eat lunch and find a recipe online.

1:00 pm, little one wakes up earlier than I expected. He is a bit groggy and wants to watch t.v. I take advantage of this opportunity to get started on dinner by peeling and cutting celeriac and potatoes for a mash. I am nearly finished when little one comes in needing me. Put the celeriac and potato pieces in a pot, cover with water and leave for later.

2:00, after playing with little one for a while, I find some more time to sneak away and get more done on dinner. Slice the leeks for my main, cut off broccoli florets to steam later, and decide to make a vegetable broth using the ends of the leeks and broccoli stems among other things.

3:30, after getting my older boy from school, I get them interested in colouring in the kitchen while I prepare the rest of the meal. I decide to not only skin my chicken thighs, but actually bone them too, which I actually found quite easy to do with a pair of kitchen shears. So I put the bones into my vegetable stock, and suddenly it becomes a chicken stock. My boys have lost interest in colouring at this point, and want to watch t.v. I decide not to argue, and am able to finish boning the chicken, and get it in the pan to cook. By this time, my little one comes in needing my attention and wants to help me cook. So I let him have a butter knife to help cut up the pears for the main, when he's finished he gets distracted with something else, and I am able to finish up dinner.

5:00, dinner is served. Since the only table we have is a small one for the boys, my hubby and I end up eating on the floor, and both boys usually end up wanting to eat their Dad's food, because his plate is more interesting than their own. I usually end up sneaking their food onto Dad's plate, and they end up eating it that way.

Recipes

Vegetable/Chicken Stock

Making a vegetable stock couldn't be easier, it just may take a bit of planning. I like to use up the bits of vegetables that I don't normally use in my regular cooking. Therefore, my stock is never exactly the same. I tend to use the stalks from broccoli and cauliflower, sometimes the stems from mushrooms I may have just used, the tough ends of leeks, old celery or the tough outer stalks. I'll then supplement those veg with some staples: one or two onions peeled and quartered, one or two carrots cut into chunks, and a few cloves of garlic (no need to peel), and a couple of dried Shitake mushrooms (this really adds a depth to the broth). Then I'll add some herbs (bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, etc). Cover the veg with water, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours. To make is a chicken stalk, just add a chicken carcass or some chicken bones (like from boning chicken thighs).

Let the broth cool, strain the liquid and place in the fridge overnight. Skim any fat that has risen to the top (not necessary if making just a veg stock). To store, I like to pour the stock into ice-cube trays and freeze them, then place the cubes in a freezer bag/container for later use.

Celeriac and Potato Mash

Peel and cut equal amounts of potato and celeriac, place in saucepan, cover with water and add salt. Boil the potatoes/celeriac until soft enough to mash. Add chopped roasted garlic if desired (I had some leftover from roasted veg the night before). Then add a bit of butter, milk or cream, or a combination of the three as desired, and mash. Season to taste.

Chicken Thighs with Pear and Leek Sauce

I found the recipe for the main on the Eating Well website. I had 6 chicken thighs, so I doubled the recipe for the sauce. Instead of using all olive oil, I rendered the fat from some of the pieces of chicken fat I had cut off of the thighs. It gave it a really rich buttery flavour. I also used gooseberry jam instead of the currant jelly, I only used about 3 teaspoons, and it was already pretty sweet. I'd say you definitely don't need as much jelly as the recipe calls for. I used my homemade stock, and it was yummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 large firm ripe pear, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons currant jelly
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Place sliced leek in a colander; rinse and drain well.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear and 1/4 cup broth; simmer until the pear is soft and the broth is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add currant jelly to the pan and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.