Margaret Floyd NTP HHC CHFS - Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You

The basics in this section are things that are useful to have around, and that you can use in a variety of ways. The kitchen standards that youll find in this section are also called for in recipes in other sections of this chapter.

Chicken Stock

Makes 1 to 2 quarts

One of the best parts of roast chicken is the yummy chicken stock you can make with the bones. After your chicken dinner, remove any chicken from the bones and store it in a sealed container in the fridge for later. For example, you can add it to the Mixed Green Salad recipe on page 144 for a tasty lunch, and use the bones as described below to make a scrumptious chicken stock.

Whats great about stocks is that it doesnt matter how you cut the veggies that go into them, and you can use all the parts of the vegetables, even the ugly bits that youd normally discard. You can even throw in the celery leaves and the little green bit at the top of the carrots, and you dont need to peel the carrots. Just make sure that everything you put in the stock is dirt free and youre good to go. Even though it takes a long time to cook, its not something you need to babysit. And the fragrances wafting from the kitchen while youre cooking are worth every minute of effort that goes into it.

Be sure to use a mild vinegar, such as white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red or white wine vinegar. The main purpose of the vinegar isnt for flavoring; its to help pull the minerals out of the bones, so its very important to include it. Note that the yield of this recipe depends on the size of the pot you use. In a larger pot, youll need to add more water to cover the ingredients, so youll end up with more stock, whereas a smaller pot will yield less stock, but the flavor may be richer.

1 stripped chicken carcass, plus any organ parts

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeo pepper, coarsely chopped (leave the seeds in for a spicier flavor)

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon mild vinegar

Put the chicken carcass and any organ parts into an 8-quart soup pot, along with the onion, carrots, celery, jalapeo, bay leaves, and vinegar. Add enough filtered water to just cover everything (about 3 quarts). Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once the stock is boiling, turn the heat down as low as possible, skim off any scum that has risen to the top, and let simmer uncovered for 8 to 12 hours.

Let the stock cool for about 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the bones and veggies.

If using the stock within a few days, store it in the fridge. Otherwise, store it in ziplock freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. If the stock is still warm when you put it in the fridge, leave it uncovered until its fully cooled. Covering it will keep it warm longer, creating a breeding ground for bacteria.

Tip from Chef James: You can freeze stock in an ice cube tray to make it easier to thaw just the portion you need. Once the stock has frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Just grab as many cubes as you need instead of using commercially made broths or bouillon cubes, which are often jam-packed with preservatives and synthetic flavor enhancers.

Veggie Stock Variation

If youre a vegetarian and dont want to use a chicken carcass for your stock, you can replace it with a handful of eggshells, leaving everything else the same. The eggshells will provide some of the minerals that youd otherwise get from the chicken carcass.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup

Youll notice this recipe calls for Dijon mustard, which is a packaged food. You can make your own mustard, but for this purpose, a premade mustard that uses real, naked ingredients is fine. Read the label to make sure you recognize all the ingredients and that theres no added sugar.