Category — Organic Food

It’s the weekly produce aisle dilemma for me…do I spend more to fill my refrigerator with organic fruits and veggies or just stick with the old standbys?  Have you ever wondered if buying organic food is really worth the money?  According to the green living gurus at Ideal Bite, there are times when organic is definitely better. Here are the top ten picks for food you should always try to buy in organic varieties:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Pears
10. Imported Grapes

In addition to reducing the risks associated with consuming pesticides and other chemicals,  organic foodies claim that organic produce tastes better, and is more nutritious. Here’s an interesting article on the benefits of eating organic foods.

If you’re trying to make room in your grocery budget for organic foods, consider slashing bottled water from your grocery list. A recent California study showed that bottled water isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

First, don’t think of this broth making adventure as extra work.  Think of it as extra food!  I know it’s easier to buy chicken bouillon cubes but not only are they less nutritious and don’t taste as good, but you also won’t have a the juicy bird a the end for dinner!  Here’s a list of all the things I was able to make from one batch of chicken broth:  chicken breast served with butternut squash soup (tomorrow’s recipe), real Italian chicken and mushroom risotto (recipe to come) and a delicious homemade chicken liver feast for my cat!  That’s three meals for four people and a feline.  So get to it!  You will need:

• one 4-5 pound (organic, free range) chicken
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 a celery head including leaves
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut through the middle so each clove is cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon

Open the bag of neck and gizzards and put them in a large pot along with the whole chicken, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and some salt and pepper to taste.   Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered and boil.  Suet, a brown bubbly substance will rise to the top.  Skin the suet off the top for as long as it continues to rise.  Cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the leg bone easily twist loose.  When the chicken is almost cooked taste the broth to see if you need to add some cubes.  Stir a crumbled cube or two in to give it extra punch, but be careful not to make it too strong tasting.

Remove chicken and let it cool.  While the chicken is warm, take the pieces from the bone.  Strain the broth into a storing container.  When your stock is cool or refrigerated, you’ll be able to skim the fat off the top.  Don’t through out the veggies!  You can use them in my butternut squash soup recipe or another soup of your own!

I mixed it up the other night with this new recipe and it got major kudos from my man.  I feared I might regret that I didn’t just order Chinese, but once we tasted the finished result I was convinced the effort was worth it.  I felt it was much healthier than restaurant Chinese probably because I used organic chicken and cashews, brown rice, the freshest veggies and no msg or other bad ingredients.  You will need:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut length ways to make four thin pieces
• 1/2 pound Chinese snow peas
• 1/2 pound shitake mushrooms
• 4 green onions
• 1 cup bamboo shoots (from can) drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 T corn starch or 4 T flour
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 T peanut or sesame oil
• 4 ounces cashew nuts
• 1 1/2 cups rice

Prepare the rice as directed.

Prepare the veggies.  Remove the strings and ends of peas pods.  This makes them nicer to bite but if you don’t have time, it’s no drama.  The peas will have a little more to chew but it’s not that noticeable.  Slice the mushrooms and green part of the onions.  Keep the onion seperate from the other veggies.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Heat one T of the oil in a skillet, add the cashews and stir fry for a minute, tossing the nuts lightly.  Remove nuts from pan and set aside.  Pour remaining oil in the skillet and stir fry the chicken until opaque.

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch or flour, sugar and salt in a seperate dish. Add the chicken broth to the frying pan, then the soy mixture and stir.  Add the peas and mushroom.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add the green onions and cashews and simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately with the rice.  Delicious!