Homemade Crockpot Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is a blessing to the food world. It makes rice and pasta taste amazing, is essential to risotto and soups, and when you’re sick, it’s so good for your recovering body. Especially if your chicken stock is homemade. Homemade bone broth is soothing, flavorful, and SO GOOD FOR YOU. If you haven’t before, I highly suggest you take a quick browse online and read about the benefits of bone broth! Thankfully, homemade chicken stock is so easy to make. This is important to me because all of the stock options (at least that I’ve seen) sold in grocery stores have celery, potato, carrot, AND/or corn-derived ingredients.

Fortunately, with a carcass from a Roasted Chicken Dinner, a few vegetables, and a crockpot, we can make something that is healthier and tastes infinitely better than any grocery store product.

Noodle Bowl with Swiss Chard and Poached Egg

Noodle bowls are my latest obsession. I’m not sure why I jumped on this bandwagon after wintertime (i.e. soup weather) ended, but it might be because these soothing, one-bowl meals are never too heavy or filling, and therefore are perfect for all seasons. A steamy bowl of whole wheat noodles, sautéed mushrooms, and barely cooked greens floating in rich homemade chicken stock loudly screams “comfort food!” to me. But not too loud, because that’s disruptive and not at all comfortable… Instead of screaming I think it wraps its warm soup hands around my belly and just murmurs “comfort food.” Yeahhh…

Lemon-Lime Basil Martini

Bright sunshine, warm rains, blossoming dogwoods, and plump red-breasted robins… It seems spring is finally here to stay!

Ever since the first fingers of spring began to spread over the city, I have been aching to do all kinds of culinary things to welcome and celebrate spring. I made an elaborate lamb dinner last week, cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting over the weekend (post to come), and created this delicious martini!

I first experimented with basil simple syrup combined with ginger beer in mocktails that I made over the winter when I was pining for warmer weather. But now that spring is finally here, it’s time to break out the bar tools and use the syrup to create refreshing, light, fun martinis. And this one fits the bill!

Super Mason Jar “Salads”

I’m always looking for creative, healthy lunches for the work week. I can’t quite get with the traditional sandwiches and wraps, and I could never find a way to make salads that lasted throughout the week, were easy to pack in the mornings, and that I looked forward to enjoying at lunch time!

However, all of this changed when I stumbled across this post on Pinterest. Inspired by the Vintage Mixer, I decided to emulate the popular to-go lunch trend of mason jar salads, but instead of cucumbers, chicken, and lettuce, use cooked, nutritional powerhouse veggies and quinoa! Then I’d have vegetarian lunches with high vitamin content that contained some of my favorite sides combined into a salad. I was so excited to begin. A half day of prep and cooking later (and quite a bit of nibbling along the way), I had six “salads” for a nourishing week of ready-to-go lunches!

Spinach & Mushroom Orecchiette with Bay Scallops

First off, I want to apologize that it has been so long since I last posted. Guess who finally got a social life?! Yes, my friends, it’s true. My introverted self has been challenged to actually be around real live people. gasp. How terrifying! But I am enjoying it. Sadly, that does translate to less time for cooking and blogging! But, I am learning balance, and promise to try to not leave for so long again.

I bring to you today another scallops dish.
If I only I could explain the sweet, guilty pleasure that comes from eating something you thought you were allergic to your entire life! Every time I eat scallops or clams, I still can’t believe that I’m eating seafood with no reaction! (Still haven’t gotten the guts to try tuna yet…)

But since my discovery of legal seafood, I’ve fallen in love with scallops. The tender, flavorful, decadent seafood pairs well with so many different things. And they cook up in just minutes!

Healthy Single Serve, Deep Dish, Salted, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie

That’s quite a long title, but doesn’t it sound like a dream? A (mostly) healthy, deep dish, glorious chocolate chip cookie. Well, thanks to amazing 18 year old! Izy over at Top With Cinnamon, this glorious dream is actually a reality!

After my decadent duck dinner last Friday, I knew I wanted something equally delicious and equally as easy to make for dessert. This deep dish cookie hit the spot. It’s sooo good, so easy, and (dare I say) guilt-free! There’s coconut oil in place of butter, coconut sugar and honey in place of white sugar, whole wheat flour, and dark chocolate chunks full of antioxidants. That’s the kind of dessert you always want in your arsenal! Plus, the combination of sea salt and dark chocolate is one made in dessert heaven.

Skillet Duck Breast with Blood Orange, Red Wine Reduction

I don’t know about you, but I’m not quite done with romance. Specifically, romantic food. Maybe it’s the fact that Valentine’s Day was so recent, maybe I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to on Valentine’s Day, or maybe, just maybe it’s because I never need a reason to cook myself a romantic dinner! On Friday night on the way home from work, I knew I had to romance myself that evening. And what better way to romance oneself than with delicious food?!

I created this recipe a week ago (my first time making duck at home!), and was absolutely thrilled with the result. Decadence that took almost no effort. You know I love that!

Seared Sea Scallops with Coconut, Browned Butter, Butternut Squash Purée

Happy belated Valentine’s Day!! ❤

Words cannot describe my excitement, when, after an entire life believing I was allergic to all seafood, I found that I can in fact legally eat scallops, clams, and tuna. A random trio to be sure… But legal seafood nonetheless! As excited as I was, it took me months to get up the courage to put my body to the test. Scallops were the first I tried. How strange and exciting and forbidden to have the seafood flavor in my mouth, but experience no allergic reaction! The first scallops I tried were seared with crispy edges on the outside and tender and buttery on the inside. I ate them out at restaurants three times, and I was absolutely hooked.

When I began to think of my addition to Angie’s Fiesta Friday blog party (yes, I know I’m a little late with this post) I knew that it was time to try my hand at making scallops at home. Not only were they healthy and delicious, but a very romantic meal 🙂 I knew my creation had to have scallops seared with crispy edges and paired with something smooth and slightly sweet. I started with the idea of butternut squash, and made this creation up as I went.

Poached Eggs over Winter Vegetable Hash

Since learning I was allergic to corn, I have opted to purchase pasture raised eggs. The first time I tried them I was astonished at the dramatic difference in color, flavor, and health benefits. I still never get over it! Such a creamy white, and such a brightly colored, orange yolk! I will never, ever go back. 

I once read on a website where someone said that man cannot make a better sauce than the oozing yolk of a good soft-cooked egg. I could not agree more! Although I used to think making poached eggs at home was never worth the trouble, finding such excellent eggs changed my mind real quick. It also helps that I found what I think is the perfect way to poach eggs! No more straggly egg white frothing in the water. Here is a neat poached egg with a perfectly glorious soft yolk!

Oat-Free, Nut-Free Granola

Finding out that I was allergic to oats was not nearly as earth-shaking as finding I was allergic to corn or soy or potatoes. But it has proved very difficult to find grab-and-go, healthy, fueling breakfast options that are oat (and nut) free!

So this month when planning my grocery list, I resolved that I was going to make a delicious, allergy-legal granola for cereal and yogurt parfaits. I did not know what I was getting myself into, but I am ECSTATIC about what came out of my little experiment! It’s the perfect blend of crunchy, sweet, and salty, with all kinds of wonderful textures. (Beware if you make this, your house will smell fantastic for days!)

Not only is this granola delicious and healthy, but portioning and storing it in mason jars makes it so easy to grab in the morning. I just add half a cup of milk, yogurt, or applesauce and run out the door. The protein and fiber in the granola are more than enough to hold me over until lunch.

Behold, nut-free, oat-free granola!

• Servings: 6 1/2 c. servings
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 c. coarse wheat bran
2/3 c. unsalted, unroasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shell)
1/4 c. unsalted, unroasted sunflower seeds
1 c. Arrowhead Mills puffed rice or barley cereal
1/2 c. dried unsweetened cranberries
1/6 c. sunflower seed butter
2 tbl. raw honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. ground sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the coconut with the wheat bran and spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet. When the oven is hot, place the baking sheet in the oven and cook until the bran and coconut has browned. Be sure not to walk away, because it can burn quickly!

Pour the toasted wheat bran and coconut into a large bowl. Making sure that the baking sheet is clean of all bran pieces, spread the pepitas and sunflower seeds on the baking sheet in a thin layer and toast in the oven until browned as well. When the seeds are toasted, add them to the bowl with the puffed rice cereal and cranberries. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees. In a microwave safe bowl, add the sunflower seed butter, honey, sea salt, and vanilla. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until the mixture is smooth and blended well. Add this to the granola and stir gently until everything is covered.

Spread this mixture in a thin layer on your baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Bake until the granola has browned and the smells drive you crazy. Be certain to watch carefully during this step too, as burning happens quickly! Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For easy storage and for grab-and-go mornings, portion out one half cup servings and store in pint sized mason jars.

Whenever you need breakfast or a healthy mid-day snack, grab a jar, add milk/yogurt/applesauce/a spoon, and enjoy!

What are your favorite healthy breakfasts?