Happy Tuesday! Today we are going to talk about something SUPER chef-y that you can do in your own kitchen. It will completely cut something off of your grocery list, its a healthy alternative to something you use so often, and making this yourself will really up the flavors!
I’m talking about broth. I use broth (veggie, chicken, or beef) for SO MANY THINGS. I cook my rice & quinoa in broth, I use it for soups & chilis, gravies & sauces, the list goes on and on!
Of course there three major broth flavors; vegetable, chicken and beef. Today, we are talking veggie. The best part is, you already have everything you need. It takes time to collect the veggie scraps, but if you are making dinner 3x a week, you’ll have enough for a huge batch of stock by the end of the month!
So, here’s what I do: every time I cut, chop, peel, etc. any type of veggie, I store the scraps in an airtight zip lock in the fridge. These can be saved for up to six months. My rule is once the gallon bag is full, I make a batch of broth. My usual trimmings are from onions, carrots, squashes, lemons (not a veggie, I’m aware, but great for the flavor profile), potato & sweet potato, scallions, garlic…. really anything.
Once you have a bag full of trimmings, the rest is easy. put all of the trimmings in a huge pot and cover with water. Salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Let simmer for AT LEAST one hour, but really, you can let it go for hours to continue developing. Strain into a bowl to let cool, then separate into batches. I separate into 1 1/2 cup containers to freeze and store. These can be frozen for up to a year!
And voila, you used trimmings from veggies you already were using, which otherwise would have been wasted, you control the sodium, you don’t have to buy cartons of broth, and your food will taste even better!
Sunday Supper 