Budget Busting & Nutrient Dense, Homemade Stock

In the past few weeks I've taken on the challenge of meal planning and budgeting. I've never planned meals in the past, but in recent years I find myself at the grocery mart just throwing things in the cart like a maniac and hoping for the best when I get home. The negative of this chaotic method is $400 grocery bills and plenty of nights where its 7 p.m or later and I'm wondering what dinner will be. I'm not a miracle worker and change will not happen over night, but slightly modifying my method of madness a little each week is helping me to my goal. My goal ultimately is eating more deliberately and more affordably. I want to make sure as much of our food is nutrient rich, and delicious as well as economical. In the past two or three weeks my meal plans were rough drafted, and as the week goes by I took note of what is still around. Before shopping I determine: What leftovers do I have? What options do I have left for meals? I make a list of what we need based on what I already have. The past eight years I have made lists, meticulously calculated and organized by department even. The big difference now is that I am determined to stick to it. No more overstocking, no more half-assed attempts at meal idea's that I forget by the time I get home from the store. I'm using whats already at home, and hopefully I'm using whats here in the most efficient ways possible with very little waste. 

Chicken  stock is a great example of an econimical way to make the most of your ingredients. Stock is absolutely a pantry staple, a true necessity especially during cold months. Perfect for soups, stews, gravies and casseroles. For years now I've been buying stock in a box. Its cheap, easy and the ultimate convenience.  In the past few weeks however I've realized that the cost is not a smart use of funds, and it is not even mildly comparable nutrient wise. The cost of two organic chickens is around $13 at my big box store, $13 a piece in other places. Regardless of the individual cost of what chicken you buy, one chicken will make about 3 quarts of stock as well as provide an abundance of chicken meat that can be used in a wide variety of ways throughout the week. One box of stock no matter where I've found it ranges from $2.50-$4.00 per box. Three boxes of stock = $7.50 minimum, and that's the cost of a chicken. You are eating the chicken meat, and re-purposing the bones and otherwise discarded material. As I see it, the stock turns out free with every roasted chicken! In addition to obvious economical benefits the health benefits of homemade stock are endless. Store bought stock does not contain many of the nutrients found in the homemade variety, and it is heavily processed often with harsh preservatives. Homemade stock and broth contain vitamins and minerals that the body can absorb easily and naturally. Magnesium, calcium, and protein rich gelatin are great nutrients found in homemade stock. These things have been said to help arthritis and joint pain as well as to naturally detoxify and aid with digestion. Gramma's chicken soup, actually makes a lot of sense. Nurturing, nutrient rich broth and stock can actually help you in a great deal of ways. Chicken soup is not only for the soul, but can in fact help you with that pest of a cold. To boot its pretty darn tasty. It's incomparably delicious and undeniably delicious.

Homemade Stock, Chicken stock & Duck Stock

Reading around on a variety of my favorite blogs I came across a lot of articles written about the health benefits of bone broth. Which lead me to think... What is the difference between stock and broth? By definition I found that Broth is defined as: 1- The water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been boiled. 2- A thin clear soup based on stock which rice, meat, barley or vegetables might be added. 3- Another name for stock. Other resources state that the difference between stock and broth is that stock is a broth made from bones and aromatics where as broth is often primarily meat. No matter the actual defined difference, I use them interchangeably. 

Stock is incredibly easy to prepare. Its just a matter of shoving scraps in a pot and boiling it. Some markets and organic farms sell just bones for stock. Usually labeled as soup bones, or you'll see "backs and necks". If you know your butcher or ask the counter person nicely they might have bones in back that are ready to be discarded (From boneless, skinless chicken that is packaged in house) I found that the easiest way to amazing stock is simply to roast a chicken, pick off the meat and boil whats left over for a few hours. You can do this with chicken or turkey thighs, breasts or even wings that you have around. Just save the bones and gristle as you use them and simmer it with water when you have a bag full. If I have vegetable scraps that are destined to become compost I'll toss them in but I've found that the only true necessity is the bird and some salt, pepper, onion, soy sauce, (or browning seasoning/kitchen bouquet) and garlic just make it better. 

Roasted Chicken-

1 chicken, whole with giblets

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Rinse chicken and pat completely dry. Remove the giblet bag. (you can discard it if you'd like, however I like keeping it for my stock) Using poultry or kitchen shears you can butterfly the chicken by removing its back bone, or cutting along the bone and pressing it out flat. Place the bone directly into your stock pot or save it for when you prepare your stock. Butterflying the chicken allows for faster cooking time.

 -Or- you can just stick a whole chicken into in a baking dish. 

I have a convection oven that I sometimes use to roast chickens, its really about the only thing I use the convection for besides roasting potatoes. (I notice it helps the chicken roast faster with crispier skin.) For super crispy skin no matter what setting you use, patting the chicken dry and liberally seasoning it with salt will draw out the moisture, add pepper to taste. Set it and forget it. Roast the Chicken for about an hour to an hour and a half depending on size. The chicken is finished when the skin is browned and the juices no longer run pink when pricked in the thigh or breast.

The Poultry Stock: (chicken, turkey or duck)

You can reserve bones from various meals, place them into a freezer safe container and prepare stock when your bag or container reaches about a 1 pound capacity. Two to three quarts of stock is usually what I come up with from the leftover bones and giblets of an average sized roasted chicken.

Bones, skin, giblets discarded gristle or fat

salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste)

Pick off the meat and skin from the roasted chicken, or place the reserved stock bones and giblets into a large stock pot with the roasted onions and enough water to mostly fill the pot. (about 12-16 cups) Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer the simmer the richer the stock. Strain the stock into another large container. At this point I place this large pot into a water bath to cool it off and then I refrigerate it overnight. Once the stock has refrigerated overnight scoop off some of the fat that caps at the top (or jar it and freeze it for cooking) and re-simmer the stock until its reduced and tastes as you would like it. You can condense it much or as little as you would like. Thyme, oregano and sage work great if you have it to toss in. Freezer or use within 2-3 weeks. 

This can absolutely be canned if you have a pressure canner. Follow directions according to manufacturers recommendations. 

Making Duck Stock:

I've made duck stock in the same exact way as chicken stock. Basically you can make any stock from any bones, beef, veal, ham, turkey etc. Roast the duck and its bag of goodies, then boil the plucked bones, simmer and reduce, season to taste. Duck stock is rich and delicious, the cost is not quite as economical as chicken stock seeing as on average I've found ducks to cost $17 or more. An added bonus to using duck is that you can render the fat for use in cooking . Duck fat fried potatoes are about the most amazing potatoes you'll ever eat, or you can even make duck rinds as I called them. I roasted a duck, rendered most of the fat out, removed the skin and fried it in the duck fat. Bacon-y, salty and delicious little croutons. Probably not near as healthful as stock...but mighty divine if I do say so myself.