What I Did with the Carcass in My Freezer

Once in a while, when I don't feel like cooking, I'll grab a roasted chicken from the grocery store deli and we'll have it for dinner along with some roasted veggies and rice, or a salad and bread.

Throwing the bones, skin and extra meat into a bag, I'll save it in the freezer for a few weeks and keep adding to the bag all the kitchen scraps from other meals: onion skins, carrot stumps, mushroom stems, pepper tops - any veggie scrap that would normally go into the compost.

When the bag is full, all the contents are poured into a slow cooker and topped off with water. Add a bundle of fresh herbs, like, sage, oregano, thyme and rosemary and set the cooker on low for about 8-12 hours.

I had set up the slow cooker this morning, and in the evening I had a enough savory broth for a lentil stew, with broth left over for another meal. The extra broth was poured into a quart mason jar and placed in the freezer. 

Lentil Stew

4 cups chicken broth
14 oz canned, chopped, tomatoes
1 1/2 cups dry lentils
5 cloves garlic
1 sweet onion
2 large carrots
1 sweet potato
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring broth to boil. Rinse dried lentils. Chop veggies into large chunks. Crush garlic cloves. Add everything to the boiling broth and turn down the heat to simmer.
Go read a book while the stew simmers for one hour, making the lentils and vegetables tender and delicious.

Roasted Tomato Soup and Cheddar Biscuits

 The Methow Valley floor has been draped with fog this last week, giving the whole valley a dreamy, ethereal feeling. On foggy winter days the cold seeps into the spaces between your bones and your skin. The cure is to wrap your fingers around a cup of tea, and fill your belly with roasted vegetable soup.

Roasted Tomato Soup

6 tomatoes
1 onion
2 celery stalks
1 red pepper
4-6 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 qt chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon ground thyme
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz Neufchatel cheese (usually by the cream cheese in the grocery store)

Roughly chop tomatoes, onion, celery and red pepper. Toss the chopped vegetables and garlic with olive oil. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes at 450° F.

After 30 minutes, remove vegetables from oven and transfer to a soup pot. Add chicken broth and with an inversion blender, process soup to desired consistency. Add as much broth as desired. Place soup pot on stove and add herbs. Over medium heat, warm soup to a low boil. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy.

Cheddar Biscuits

For a quick mix, use bisquick baking mix for the biscuit dough and follow the biscuit instructions, adding the cheddar cheese. After baking, top with the butter/garlic/parsley.

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Topping
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
chopped fresh parsley

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, garlic, and paprika. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, milk, and cheese. Stir until just combined.
Drop by spoonful on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° F for 15-20 minutes or until tops are brown. Brush with the butter/garlic/parsley topping