Vegetable Stock

Sure, you can buy it at the store, but do you really know what's in it? Besides, those of us in apartments who can't compost need something to do with our vegetable parings. This vegetable stock is easy, although it does take some prep and time to cook.

Vegetable Stock

Preparation:
Save your vegetable parings! Ends of onions, ends of celery stalks (or those little ones in the middle that you can't figure out what to do with), carrot ends and peelings, parsley and cilantro that is a bit past its prime, bell pepper tops, etc. Keep this in a container in the freezer and keep adding to it. I use a large plastic freezer bag, and make stock when it is 1/2 - 3/4 full.

Equipment:

• 2 stock pots (6 qt. or larger), or a stock pot and something that will hold the liquid from the stock pot
• A colander
• A fine-mesh sieve
• Something with which to stir
• Paper towels or a coffee filter (optional)
• Cheese cloth or a spice bag (optional)

Ingredients:

• Saved vegetable parings
• 2 carrots, cut into thirds (no need to peel)
• 2 stalks of celery, cut in half (no need to cut off the ends)
• 1 yellow onion, quartered (just remove the loose skin)
• 2 sprigs fresh or 1 tsp. dried parsley (unless you already have a bunch in your parings)
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp. black pepper (fine grind, like you would put on the table at dinner)

Instructions:

• Put the frozen vegetable parings in a stock pot. Add carrots, celery, and yellow onion.
• Fill the pot with cold water, leaving enough room for boiling and stirring. I fill my 6-qt. stock pot to the 5 qt. line.
• Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. You may add these directly to the pot, or tie them up in cheese cloth or place in a spice bag (I get mine at Bed Bath & Beyond). Add black pepper. If you are using stainless steel cookware, such as AllClad, do not add the salt until the liquid comes up to the boil.

• Cover the pot (not necessary, but it reduces the time it takes for the liquid to come up to the boil). Place over high heat until the liquid just comes to the boil. Add salt if you haven't already, and give the pot a stir to combine everything.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 hours (covered if you like).
• Remove from heat, uncover and let cool a bit.
• Place a colander on the second stock pot or container, and strain the contents of the cooking pot into it. The vegetables may be discarded at this point.
• Rinse out the original pot, and pour the liquid from the second pot through a fine-mesh sieve into the original pot. You may also use a paper towel, coffee filter, or cheese cloth, especially if you didn't use cheese cloth or a spice bag for the seasonings.
• Taste the stock and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If you think it is too weak, boil it down rapidly to concentrate it. Keep tasting it as it will concentrate quickly.
• Let the liquid cool completely.
• To store, separate into containers (I use the 3-cup Ziploc plastic containers, but you may use anything that can go in the freezer), seal, and place in the freezer. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I've had some in the freezer for months and it has been fine.

Notes:

• Vegetables: There are some veggies you may want to avoid putting in your stock: seeds from hot peppers, beets (they will turn the stock red and maintain a strong beet flavor), too many radishes.
• Seasonings: You may use anything you like, not just the ones listed above. I sometimes put a little ginger root in just to give the stock a bit of a kick.

Your stock is now ready to use in your favorite recipes. I will often use the stock combined with water if the recipe calls for more than three cups. Next time: Chicken stock!

Vegetarian (Red) Beans and Rice - Slow Cooker Style

In my continued search for something easy and flavorful, I scoured through some recipes for red beans and rice, all of which used white rice and pork and/or sausage. My real reason for searching for this particular recipe was to use up the chick peas I had cooked. Finding nothing that really tripped my trigger, I conglomerated several recipes and added a few touches of my own. So, here it is:

Slow Cooker Vegetarian (Red) Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 2 cups dried beans (or substitute cooked beans, or a combination*)
• 1 red or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, with its liquid (or substitute fresh)
• 1-2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (or Creole Essence)
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups boiling water or vegetable broth**

Instructions:

• Place everything in a slow cooker and stir to combine.*
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir before serving.

* If you are using cooked beans, add these about 2 hours before serving, unless you want them mushy (some people do). They just need to be heated through.

** You may need to adjust the amount of liquid if you are using pre-cooked beans and/or rice.

Notes:

• Rice: Even after 8 hours, brown rice is still...chewy. If you don't like it this way, there are a few things you can do:
• Cook a little longer. However, the veggies may end up very mushy.
• Make the dish the day before and reheat it in the slow cooker. This will give the rice more time to absorb the liquid.
• Use pre-cooked rice and add it 2 hours before serving, as with cooked beans. You will also want to reduce the amount of liquid so it doesn't become soupy.
• Beans: Notice that I didn't say red beans in the ingredients. You may use whatever suits your fancy. I used 1/2 cup dried red beans (all I had left) and 4 1/2 cups cooked chick peas. I did not need to adjust the amount of liquid.
• Vegetables: The chop on the vegetables doesn't really matter. If you just want them for their flavor, chop finely or mince. If you want them to be a substantial part of the dish, use a rough chop. I like mine chunky.
• Seasonings: The seasonings listed here are for Louisiana-style red beans and rice. However, the dish is essentially just rice, beans and vegetables, so you may change things up as you wish. Use curry, turmeric, and chilies to make and Indian dish, or Asian seasonings for an Asian dish. You could also change up the vegetables.
• Liquid: If you are using pre-cooked beans and/or rice, adjust the amount of liquid accordingly. If you are not concerned about the vegetarian aspect of the dish, you can substitute chicken broth or beef broth. I'll post my recipes for both vegetable stock and chicken stock in a day or two.

Enjoy!

Hens on the Backslide

News is not so good this week. I've gained back everything I lost plus 0.2 lb. That's what I get for only walking once last week...and snacking too much. I keep getting the hungries. On another note, here's a recipe guide for grilling Cornish hen:

Grilled Cornish Hens

Ingredients:

Cornish hens (1/4 - 1/2 hen per person)
EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
Flavorings of your choice (Cajun seasoning, Greek seasoning, Red Ape cinnamon, salt and pepper, etc.)
Side of choice (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, etc.)

• Thaw hens overnight in the refrigerator, or for several hours in cold water. Honestly, I cheat and thaw at room temperature, I just keep an eye on them.
• Using kitchen shears, cut up both sides of the backbone and remove it (save it to make chicken stock).
• Cut up the center of the breast so you end up with two halves.
• Dry off the hens with paper towels. (Side note: if you don't have an empty plastic storage bag you are throwing away, store everything that touches the poultry in a plastic storage bag in the freezer until you take out the garbage. This will eliminate the smell from your kitchen.)
• Brush or rub EVOO onto both sides of both halves of the hen. A tablespoon for each half will be plenty.
• Generously sprinkle seasonings of choice onto both sides of both halves of the hens.

• Place hens on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
• Remove hens from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking. Remove plastic wrap and let hens come up to room temperature. (Side note: Unless otherwise noted, cooking times in recipes is for room temperature foods. Placing cold food in whatever you are cooking in [oven, oil, etc] lowers the temperature very rapidly, and it takes time to come back up to cooking temp.)
• Heat up your grill. I have an electric grill, and set it on 4. Med-high should work for gas grills, and coals for charcoal grills should be as you would have them for any kind of poultry cooking.
• Place hens on grill outside up (ribs should be facing down). Cover the grill and let cook for 13 minutes.
• Turn over hens and cook for 12 minutes more.
• Turn one last time and cook for 5 more minutes, or until they are done to your satisfaction.

• Remove hens from grill and let sit for about 10 minutes to redistribute the juices.
• At this point, the ribs are easy to remove if you choose to do so. If you would like to serve quarters, cut the halves in half, basically separating the white meat and dark meat. Serve hens over brown rice, quinoa, or pasta, or serve the grains on the side.

You may want to grill some veggies at the same time, or serve with a green salad. I'm making a hen today, so I'll add more pictures as the cooking progresses.