Vegan Carrot Ginger and Coconut Soup

I love how the slice of ginger came out looking like a cute heart, totally unintentional and sweet.
Yup, I have tons of organic carrots needing to be used for something other than juicing and I thought this soup was the answer. It came out so delicious, smooth, flavour punch to the taste buds, and kept well in the fridge. It also met the dairy free criteria, so I was happy. The family enjoyed it and I did not have any difficulty eating it several times in a row. I am not big on leftovers past a day or two. This recipe is also good for the coconut series the Kinky Coconut is focusing on at the moment, if you are hearing about it for the first time, feel free to click on the links below for great coconut information:

Here's the easy soup recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

VEGAN CARROT GINGER AND COCONUT SOUP:

Ingredients:

12 Organic carrots, peeled & chopped (I am going to insist on organic for this recipe)
1 Celery stalk, peeled & chopped
1 Shallot peeled & chopped
1 Onion peeled & chopped
4 Cups Vegetable stock (feel free to use chicken if you prefer but no beef-this makes it no longer vegan - duh)
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Vegan margarine
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Ginger grated
2 Bay leaves
1/4 Cup coconut creamer
1 Tbsp Rice miso
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Method:
-In pot, heat oil and margarine until hot, then add shallots and onion. Cook until translucent.
-Add celery and carrot, cook 5 minutes and stir often.
-Add seasoning but not the miso and stock, bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook until carrots are soft. About 25-35 minutes.
-Remove from heat, remove Bay leaves, stir in miss, nutritional yeast and then allow to cool.
-Once completely cool, blend in blender until smooth.
-Add coconut cream, stir thoroughly and place back on heat. Warm up the soup and test to see if you need to add some salt and pepper to taste. That's it, all ready to serve!
Share this recipe with someone you love, leave your comments down below and don't forget to subscribe.

Macrobiotic Cabbage & Shiitake Miso Soup

Good day people,

If you came looking for the sleep post it was posted today but I needed to post two recipes to link to for this coming Friday's 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge. It's literally one post behind this one, so just go to older post at the end of this page, click and you will find it.

Seaweed and Macrobiotic goodness, this recipe originally hails from Kristina Turner's Macrobiotic Self-healing Cookbook/Workbook. It's actually two decades old but is, in my opinion, one of the best introductory Macrobiotic books on the market. It is a favourite and I refer to it often, especially when I am cleansing. I feed this recipe to Macrobiotic newbs and unsuspecting meat mouths, they all really enjoy it and go back for second helpings and a doggie bag of it. I changed the original from barley to a gluten-free friendly version. It's delightful and I recommend making it a day in advance as it tastes better the second day. 

MACROBIOTIC CABBAGE & SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 tsp sesame oil

6-8 Cups water

1x 6" strip of kombu (seaweed)

2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water for an hour then chopped 

1 carrot diced

1 stalk celery with leaves

1 bay leaf

1 Cup green cabbage diced

1/2 Cup brown rice cooked

2 Tbsp Rice miso

Method:

-Place strip of kombu in a bowl and cover with water, soak 15-20 minutes. Once soaked, chop into pieces (see pics).

-In a blender, blend rice with 1 Cup water for 30 seconds, keep aside.

-In a soup pot on medium heat, heat oil and then sauté onions for a few minutes until soft.

-Add carrot and celery, cook for 2 minutes stirring often.

-Add garlic cook 30 seconds then add mushrooms, kombu and water. Stir.

-Add rice water mixture, bay leaf, and stir.

-Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes.

-I will sometimes add a peeled & grated burdock root and an organic vegetarian herb stock cube but this is a personal choice. If you use one or both add it at this point, stir it well, then add cabbage and cook 15 minutes more.

-Leave on burner and turn off heat, after 15 minutes stir in the miso. Never add miso to boiling or super hot items as the heat kills off the beneficial gut bacteria and enzymes. I will often leave out the miso until the next day when I re-heat it, as I prefer the richness and intensified flavour that improves overnight.

I would not recommend freezing.

Enjoy! 

    Soaked & chopped kombu seaweed

    Burdock root

    Soup

    Miso only at the end

Stay golden. 

The Best Leek and Potato Potage (Soup-vegan too!)

Yes, it really is the best leek and potato potage because I played with this recipe until I got something with a wonderful punch of extra flavour to kick up it's comforting familiarity.
I have made a vegan option of this soul soothing wonder as well. I am including the regular choices to make this for the purists out there. (You can be so dull sometimes, live a little try something new, it will keep your soul young.)
We scarfed this bad boy down and made sure to stop by Louise Sans Gluten before hand to have a slammin' crusty bread to go with. I needed that crusty bread slathered with butter, honest. It was so good, I regret nothing. Pass another butter slathered slice, please.
I know there are not many pics to go with this, that's because most of them were deleted for some weird reason and, for realsies, this thick potage is not hard at all.
Julia Childs has this in her Mastering the Art of French Cooking, from what I hear.
I have not looked for it as this is one of the first soups you are taught in the soup module at culinary school.
I am serious when I say that it is easy.
Mine has a different flavour profile,(Sounds so ridiculously snobby when you say it that way but it's true.) because I add scallion aka green spring onions, aka green shallots. This brings this known, soup stand-by to whole other level. Don't be intimidated I know you can do it, I believe in your kitchen courageousness!

THE BEST LEEK AND POTATO POTAGE

Ingredients:

5-6 Medium large yellow fleshed potatoes, cut in medium dice.
1 Whole leek, cut and rinsed well to remove any grit. This recipe uses the green and white part of the leek, once cleaned.
1 Bunch of scallion, bruised with the heel of your knife by banging it lightly, then chopped. Only the greens. (Omit if you want the old school method, but you'll be sorry ;P)
1 Clove garlic
2 Herb stock cubes and 4-5 Cups of water or 4-5 Cups fresh chicken stock if you prefer the old school method. (I use 4 Cups of liquid because I am crazy for a super thick, stick to my rib cage potage.)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Vegan margarine or butter if you want old school.
1 tsp White pepper
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/2-1 Cup Coconut milk or 35 % whole cream if you want the genuine French recette.

Method:

-In a medium size pot, heat oil and butter on medium high heat.
-Add onions and cook until translucent, add scallion and cook 1 minute.
-Add leeks and stir, then add garlic clove, cook 1 minute.
-Add potatoes, stir and cook 2 minutes.
-Add stock then herbs and seasonings.
-Bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium low heat. Stir every now and then, place a lid halfway over pot, allow some steam out. Cook for 30-45 minutes, until potatoes easily mush when squished with a fork.
-Remove from heat and allow to cool.
-Pass the soup through a blender until all is well incorporated but should not be gummy. Then place back into pot.
-Add cream of choice and reheat gently on medium low heat.
-Serve with crusty bread, French musing in the air, and Julie and Julia playing on the TV.
Serves 4-6 people easily and freezes well, up to 1 month. Will keep refrigerated for 1 week.
I hope you try this potato and leek, French friend of mine,and don't forget to share.
Oh, and as Julia would say, Bonne Appetit!

Okayu aka Congee aka Rice Porridge

I was super unwell, I got hit with a nasty kidney infection that came out of nowhere, I was having a really tough time eating, being in pain, and felt very weak with constant exhaustion. I decided to make myself Asian style rice porridge, this, with soft vegetables, fresh juiced juice for kidney support, loads of water, and very mild fruits; were what I subsisted on for most of the 10 days of medicated yuckiness.
I prefer the Japanese style of rice porridge which is called Okayu, it is a bit thicker than the more traditional Chinese Congee. If you have never heard of it, here is a little bit of info from Wikipedia to help out:
Okayu or Congee as it is commonly referred to in other parts of Asia is a type of rice porridge or gruel popular in many Asian countries. When eaten as plain rice congee, it is most often served with side dishes. When additional ingredients, such as meat, fish, and flavorings, are added while preparing the congee, it is most often served as a meal on its own, especially for the ill. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation. Despite its many variations, it is usually a thick porridge of rice largely disintegrated after prolonged cooking in water.
It can be found in all these parts of the world:
Burma(Myanmar), China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Philippines, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.
In ancient times, people named the thick congee chan, the watery one chi or mi. The characteristics of congee are that it is easy to digest and very simple to cook. Congee is one of the traditional Chinese foods and has thousands of years of history in China. The Zhou Book says "Emperor Huang Di was first to cook congee with millet as the ingredient", that may be considered the earliest record of congee.

To prepare the dish, rice is boiled in a large amount of water until it softens significantly. Congee can be made in a pot or in a rice cooker. Some rice cookers have a "congee" setting, allowing it to be cooked overnight. The type of rice used can be either short- or long-grain, depending on what is available and regional cultural influences. Culture also often dictates the way congee is cooked and eaten.
In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper; in others, it is eaten as a substitute for rice at other meals It is often considered particularly suitable for the sick as a mild, easily digestible food.
Here is the link if you want to explore further:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee

Japan calls their rice porridge Okayo for the thicker version and for the more watered down, soupy version, Zosui. Zosui usually has additions that vary from household to household, and often has miso and vegetables with seaweed. Just remember, if you are adding miso, which is a fermented bean paste, you must add it at the end as you will lose the flavour and healthy properties of miso if cooked and or boiled.
I must confess to becoming a bit obsessed, once again with all things Japanese. When I was a little girl, I could not get enough of Japanese culture.I watched shows, documentaries, had special colouring books that showed period costumes, watched movies, anime and dressed in a kimono my mother made for mefor Halloween. It was not the real Kimono's from Japan, those cost a fortune, but I was so happy.
Lately, I have been watching Youtube channels called Texan in Tokyo with Grace and Ryosuke (she's super sweet & talented, he's hilarious and silly, both are adorks!) These are links to 3 of my fav vids from their channel, which is really a short list because I like so many of them. I also am looking forward to getting some of her comic books that she makes & self-publishes, here's the Etsy link should you be interested for the books and after that one, I put video links:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TexaninTokyo?ref=l2-shop-info-name

This is the Mochi making (mochi is delicious pounded rice):
https://youtu.be/mXZLD9kscBU

This is the Onsen (bath house if you are not in the know)
https://youtu.be/umyezhyH7qg

I have to add the poop museum because it's too fun!
https://youtu.be/5QvSLmREmvY 

The other channel I have been watching is called Rachel and Jun. These two are equally fun and adorable, Jun is more reserved than Ryosuke, but he is great to watch. He has loads of information, a fluffy cute cat, adores his wife, and has a love of baking/cooking. Rachel has all kinds of tips for living and working in Japan, yummy food vlogs, and fun experiences with her husband that she shares. Both couples seem to really love one another and Japan, so it makes for great watching. They also struggled through the ups & downs of long distance which I relate to so well, I highly recommend both channels.

Rachel and Jun have this video of Fox Village in Zao Japan, I posted a link here to their channel:
https://youtu.be/92wtDKCtOiU

Also, this is a cool and funny sushi place experience video:
https://youtu.be/oXScaxsaxWs

I have to add the Japanese wives and husbands differences vids because they are informative, both couples are in them and so Kawaii!
https://youtu.be/oc0sg3oDxSs

https://youtu.be/a4CuEiVtG58

I may have been driving Poppa Bear a little bit nuts because since having watched this, the bunny and cat island videos, mochi making, along with loads of other food, Onsen, Gaijin tips, and micro apartment living in Japan vids, I do not stop going on and on about the subject. My childhood Japanese dream is well and alive within me at all times and I thought you needed a moment to share in the fun. Go check out the videos and their channels, you will love them!

I used to be a home stay parent and one of my first students was from Japan; it was fate I tell yah!
I did not know at the time but Japan has a very big gift giving culture and my lovely student was no exception. I adored having her stay with us, she was so kind, respectful, and loved Montreal so much that it was a great experience for all of us whenever we went out exploring. I do believe I got her a little bit cracked out on maple spread and my West Indian stewed chicken with plantain dish (soon to come in my cookbook). I miss her so much. Michiyo was such a gentle soul, very sweet, thoughtful, and super excited to try new things. Before she went back home, after extending her stay by almost a year, she had her husband come to Montreal. They both stayed in our home and I think it was one of the best experiences I have ever had as a home stay parent, especially with regards to experiencing cultural differences. I pray that God grants us the opportunity to go to Japan and I get to see Michiyo once more.
In the pic is one of the gifts I received from her, when her husband came he brought these beautifully packaged sweets and I, like an ass, did not take pics. I still have this though and a stunning platter along with Hello Kitty t-shirts.

 I liked it all the more because in Chinese astrology, (I know it has nothing to do with Japan) I was born in the year of the rabbit and there are bunnies on it, how mignon! J'adore les lapins!!!

I know you came for the recipe, enough gushing and reminiscing. Without any more distractions, here you go...

OKAYU AKA CONGEE AKA RICE PORRIDGE:

Ingredients:
1 C rice (best to use a shorter grain sushi style rice, I was out so I had to use jasmine)
3 C Organic chicken or vegetable stock
2 C Filtered water
5 Large slices of ginger,skin can be kept on
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Ground white pepper
1 Bay leaf
3 Pieces chicken thighs, no skin, no bone (If you're making this vegetarian*, leave this out)
1 Tbsp Gluten-free Tamari organic
1tsp Sesame oil organic
2 Scallion sliced thinly on a diagonal

Method:
-Rinse and clean chicken in bowl of water to cover, with pinch sea salt, and 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice or vinegar. Rinse with plain water, reserve,
-In a pot large enough to hold 6 Cups, rinse rice in cold water. You must do this rinsing, agitating and draining until the water runs clear, 3 times should be enough.
-Add to pot that has rice in it, stock, water, and ginger. Bring this to a boil, reduce to medium low, stir often.
-Add salt, pepper, soy, and bay leaf. Stir, add chicken*, stir often throughout cooking process.
-Did I mention to stir often? Do it!
-Cook with the lid on, on low heat,and stir often. Do you get the impression this recipe requires a lot of stirring?
-Once cooked for 25 minutes, remove ginger, bay leaf, and discard. Turn off heat and remove from stove. If porridge is too thick, add a bit of water or stock.
-Remove chicken to plate, shred and return to pot.
-Your rice porridge is complete, when serving into small bowls, sprinkle with scallion and some sesame oil. If a person is very nauseated, do not use sesame oil.

Will keep in the fridge for several days, not suitable for freezing.
I usually make this when sick and eat it for several days, as such, I can not really advise as to how many exact portions you will get. I believe I had about 12-14 small bowl portions. 

* If you are making this vegetarian, at the very end of cooking, stir in a tsp of miso and stir through.
You may also add Nato on top when you serve this with some shredded carrots and prepared seaweed if you like. We also like to have pickled ginger with shiso leaves with our Okayu. Explore and have fun with it.

As always, pictures follow to help guide you. Let me know all about your culinary adventures if you try this recipe, leave questions or comments down below, and don't forget to subscribe!

Lemongrass, Ginger, Glass Noodle and Chicken Soup

It's spring and I am craving green's, lots of fresh foods, including lighter soups full of healthy and super tasty ingredients. I found my lemongrass in the freezer the other day for which I made a smoothie with but I absolutely adore it in soup; along with kefir lime leaves and Gai Lan(Chinese brocoli). I went to the Asian market for some bok choy and these noodles made from sweet potato starch which I have no problem digesting and are gluten free with the added benefit of looking so cool. They're known as glass noodles because they look transparent once they are prepared, they have a nice consistency and hold up well with the other ingredients in this soup.
People enjoy soups and always want to recreate the taste of Asian soups at home but something seems to be missing. That's because Asian food is all about layering of flavours through specific cooking methods, mixing sweet and savoury spices, and using specific sauces mixed with unique ingredients that make a dish shine. Time and patience are also an important part of cooking this way. This soup has loads of Ginger and is in a chicken broth base so it's ideal for sick days as well as when you want a one bowl meal. This one was definitely approved by the family and appreciated by the sickies I brought it to when they needed it. I think you're really going to enjoy it!
 This recipe has several steps, so I am going to break them down by section, normally I do not write recipes this way but it makes it easier for this soup.
*You can make this vegan by subbing the broth for vegetable broth and eliminating the chicken all together.

LEMONGRASS, GINGER, GLASS NOODLE AND CHICKEN SOUP:
Ingredients:
-4 full branches of ginger, thickly sliced with peel on
-4 onions chopped large pieces
-3 Tbsp sesame oil 
Method:
Oven preheated to 375 degrees F
-Line a baking tray with foil or parchement, spread sliced ginger on one side of tray and onion on other.
-Sprinkle with 3 tbsp of sesame oil on both, then roast in oven for 1 -1 1/2 hours, tossing halfway through cooking time, until caramalized.

Soup Ingredients:
-4 kefir ime leaves
-2 cloves garlic
-3 small pieces sliced ginger(optional, we love ginger in my house)
-2 Tbsp chopped lemongrass
-Asian spice mix packet for Pho soup and cheese cloth for straining or: 1 tsp mustard seed, 4-6 star anise, 2-3 black or green cardamom, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp fennel seed, 1-2 peces licorice bark or sticks of licorice spice(not the candy), 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 7 whole allspice.
-4 tbsp sesame oil mixed with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (don't mix up the two because toasted sesame oil is SUPER strong and will overpower the whole dish)
-Green spring onion or scallion, chopped and bruised with the heel of the knife(pics below)
-Gai-lan aka Chinese broccoli, cleaned and prepared, reserved.(pics below)
-10 Chicken thighs, boned, cleaned for 15 mins by soaking in water to cover with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and 1 tsp sea salt. Then rinsed with cold water and patted dry, reserved on a plate. (keep chilled)
-4 Baby bok choy(one per person) or more if you like, cleaned, chopped and reserved. (pics below)
-10 Dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in a cup of biling water with a dish to press them down a bit and keep them soaked. Takes at least 20 mins to soften properly, keep the soaking liquid as it is full of umami(deep flavour) that adds a lot to the soup. Slice the mushrooms once cool. (pics below)
-1/2 package of sweet potato aka glass noodles in a large bowl, pour boiling water to cover and soak 15 minutes until soft. Rinse in cold water and drain, keep aside until ready.(pics below)
-7 Cups Organic chicken stock
-3 bay leaves
-Juice 1/2 lime (optional)
-1/4 Cup palm sugar
-1/4 Cup Fish sauce
-1/4 Cup coconut aminos or soy sauce of you tolerate soy (I do not so I use coconut aminos)
-1 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp pepper
-ice and 2-3 cups water

Method:

-In a LARGE stock pot with a heavy base on medium high heat, heat  2 Tbsp sesame oil mix, add chicken and brown on each side. You do not need to cook all the way through as they will finish cooking later in the soup. Add the scallion and cook 1 minute more. Reserve. When cooled a bit, shred into bite size pieces, keep aside in chilled fridge on same plate to capture the juices. That's flavour you do not want to lose!

-Add rest of sesame oil to the bottom of the pot, scrape up all the flavourful bits and leave them in the pot, add the spices and cook for 1 1/2 minute until fragrant and smelling sweet but be careful not to burn, stir constantly.

-Add palm sugar and stir, add roasted onions and ginger, stir through then add stock, and the bay leaves along with the mushroom soaking liquid.

-Add the kefir lime leaves, lemongrass and pepper, allow soup to simmer on meduim low heat for 30-45 mins.

-Using a cheese cloth lined strainer and a pot under it to catch the broth, strain the soup into the new pot.

-On medium heat continue cooking the soup, add the chicken with the juices on the plate into the soup, garlic, and the small amount of sliced ginger(optional).

-Add the fish sauce, aminos, lime juice(optional), and stir. Taste, if it's too salty add a cup of water, if it's not salty enough add the sea salt and adjust pepper lightly if needed. Cook for 20-30 mins. Add the Gai-lan for the last 4 minutes. Do NOT over cook the gai-lan as it turns bitter, once it is a bright green and cooked through but still firm to the bite, remove and shock it in cold ice water. Alternatively you can blance the gai-lan in a seperate pot in the same manner using boiling water, then shocking it in ice water I put it in the soup because I like the added flavour.

-Prepare bowl, for traditional Pho the ingredients are piled in the soup like the bok choy, gai-lan, sliced mushrooms, noodles. Then the noodles are added with the addition of asian basil and coriander, thinly sliced onions, and some mung bean sprouts with a light sprinkling of finely chopped scallion raw. I do not like any of the last items except for the basil which my shop was out of so it's not in the picture.
-Serve immediately with chopsticks and some extra soy sauce on the side if you like, although I don't recommend it because this broth is so powerful, rich in depth and flavour that the addition of comdiments in unecessary in my humble opinion.

This will quickly become a family fav. I had to make this 3 times in one week! Remember to share with someone you love!

Paleo Bone Broth aka Stock

This recipe is a basic brown stock that is one of the first recipes you learn in culinary school. What makes it Paleo are the quality of the ingredients along with the addition of a special ingredient to make it more gelatinous. But first, information on the wonders of Bone broth & all it's fantastic health benefits! I got this information from Dr. Josh Axe's site because he is knowledgeable, a trained professional, and specializes in the issues I suffer from. His focus on thyroid, metabolism, autoimmune, weight management, healthy & natural alternatives, make him a great source of info. By the way, I have not been paid to say this.



Straight from:
http://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/

All bone broths beef, chicken, fish, lamb and more are staples in the traditional diets of every culture and the basis of all fine cuisine. That’s because bone broths are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, rich in flavor and–they boost healing.

Bone broth or stock was a way our ancestors made use of every part of an animal. Bones and marrow, skin and feet, tendons and ligaments that you can’t eat directly, can be boiled then simmered over a period of days. This simmering causes the bones and ligaments to release healing compounds like collagen, proline, glycine, and glutamine that have the power to transform your health.

Nutrition researchers Sally Fallon and Kaayla Daniel of the Weston A. Price Foundation explain that bone broths contain minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and others. They contain chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, the compounds sold as pricey supplements to reduce inflammation, arthritis and joint pain.

A study of chicken soup (broth) conducted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center wondered what it was in the soup that made it so beneficial for colds and flu. They found that the amino acids that were produced when making chicken stock reduced inflammation in the respiratory system and improved digestion. Also, research is proving it can also boost the immune system and heal disorders like allergies, asthma, and arthritis.

Sally Fallon explains that most store bought “stock and “broth” today aren’t “REAL”. Instead, they use lab-produced meat flavors in bouillon cubes, soup and sauce mixes. Also, manufacturers began using monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is recognized as a meat flavor but in reality is a neurotoxin.

Thank you Dr. Axe! There's loads more info should you need it, on his site.

Now we get down to the recipe!
If you want real bone broth you have to make it yourself at home. Here is my recipe which is from culinary school with slight modifications.


(There is nothing fancy in the chopping method as you will be straining this stock once cooking is complete. Try to use organic ingredients wherever you are able to.)The preparation is called Mise-en-Place, in professional terms and the vegetable mix is called a Mire-poix.

INGREDIENTS:
-5-6 good quality, hormone free, grass fed (if possible), large beef bones*
-2 medium onions large chop
-3 carrots peeled & chopped
-2 celery stalks, peeled, chopped
-1 bunch parsley
-4 Bay leaves
-2 cloves garlic
-salt & paper to taste
-1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
-3 Tbsp olive oil

METHOD:
preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Lay your bones out on a parchment lined tray & roast in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.




Use a large stockpot, add 3 tbsp olive oil & heat.
Sauté the onions until translucent then add celery and carrots, cook for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. When vegetables are ready stack bones in carefully, add the rest of the ingredients, minus the vinegar, then add water to cover.






Lastly, add vinegar, stir & bring to just the beginning of a boil. Quickly reduce temperature to a very low simmer. Do not cover!



(I start this recipe very early in the morning.) Allow to cook for 24 hours, every 2-3 hours add 1-2 cups water. Before you go to bed add 2 cups water. During the night, I wake up once to check it & add a bit more water.
When you wake, be careful to strain the stock using an equally big stock pot to catch the liquid you waited so long for.
DO NOT SKIP THE FOLLOWING STEP, YOU COULD END UP WITH FOOD POISONING, AS HOT STOCK CAN TAKE UP TO 7 HOURS TO COOL IN THE FRIDGE!
Place the pot in a bain-marie (cold water bath) in your clean sink, with water that has ice cubes that surround the stock pot-not in the broth! You will need to add ice 2-3 times before it will bring the temperature down enough for you to be able to transfer it to smaller containers. Stir to evenly cool the broth. (If you want to reduce some of the broth for a more intense & robust flavour for a particular recipe, scroll down the page as I have included instructions.)
At this point I usually freeze a lot in ice cube trays, then keep a bit of it for imbibing during the week, I keep the beef tallow for cooking along with reducing some of the broth for recipes. Sometimes I refrigerate the broth to get it all cold & gelatinous before dividing it into containers.







To reduce bone broth, simply take 4 cups broth, place it in a pot & simmer on a low heat until half the liquid is reduced.

*you can use chicken bones in place of beef bones. I use at least 2 chicken (whole carcasses) that I roast and 1 carcass that is not roasted, to give a lot of flavour & depth to my broth. The other ingredients/instructions remain the same.



Remember to be patient and treat your stock with love! Let me know how this recipe works out for you or just leave a comment below.