I roast a chicken for dinner every few weeks in an effort to get the most bang for our buck – Kevin and I can usually get at least 5 or 6 meals out of just one chicken – but the one thing I haven’t done until now?
Bone broth.
Bone broth – essentially stock or broth made by simmering chicken bones, water, apple cider vinegar and vegetables – is HUGE in the paleo/wholefood/natural/etc world. For one thing, it’s incredibly nourishing. Bone broth is high in calcium, magnesium, and amino acids (among others), not to mention all that rich gelatin that supports healthy skin and good digestive health. Another added benefit – particularly for those of us still trying to recover from our polar vortex winter – a nice hot cup of broth is exactly what the doctor ordered to ward off colds and warm up the body.
Bone broth is really easy to make and there are tons of recipes online. Just search “homemade bone broth” and pick the one that works for you! For mine, I followed this recipe from April Swiger of Redemptive Homemaking. I loved her tip about saving the ends of your veggies to cook with the broth…because you’re going to strain the broth from everything else and toss the unused parts, it’s a total money saver! Not to mention I’m a huge fan of making the most out of my grocery bill.
I didn’t get quite as much gelatin in my broth as I would have liked, but I think that’s because I used only one chicken carcass to make my broth – using too much water/not enough bones can be an explanation for that, but the fruits of my “labor” (what’s hard about throwing some bones and a bunch of veggies in a crockpot and leaving it alone for hours, I ask you?!) still resulted in a deliciously filling batch of bone broth that was perfect for sipping while reading my latest cheesy romance novel. #noshame
So what are you waiting for?
For some more articles on the benefits of bone broth, check out these sites:
Bear Family Strong 