Chicken Flavored Rice-

½ cube butter

2 tsp. chicken bouillon

Minced onion or fresh chopped onion (1/4- 1/2 fresh chopped onion I think is what we usually do)

2/3 cup rice

2 cups water

Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in small frying pan.  Add dried or fresh minced onion and chicken bouillon.  Sauté.  Pour rice into 9x9” baking dish.  Add sautéed mixture.  Add 2 cups water.  Cover and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or 325 degrees in glass pan. 

Yogurt

Yogurt

-Gently heat the milk to 180 degrees (which is almost boiling). 

-Take off heat and cool to 105-115 degrees. 

-Once cool, pour in glass jars (I usually use quart jars). Add 2-4 Tblsp of yogurt with live cultures (from a previous batch or yogurt from the store) to each jar.  You can also add the sugar and vanilla now while it's still warm to dissolve it or after it's cultured.  

-Stir well, cover with lid and put in a warm place at 105 degrees for 8-24 hours (It gets tangier with time).  My favorite place to culture the yogurt is my dehydrator. 

-I’m still playing with how to sweeten it,  but right now I add about 1 ½ Tblsp of sugar to a pint of yogurt and a little vanilla.  Or I keep it plain to add to smoothies.

-Refrigerate.

Tomato Soup                                                            

6 Tbls.  Butter

6 Tbls.  Flour

3 C. Tomato Juice

3 C. Whole Milk

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.  I like maybe 1/2 tsp.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan on medium heat.  Whisk in flour to make a roux .  Increase heat to med-high.  Whisk until roux transitions from foaming to just bubbly and turns a little tan in color and smells a bit nutty.  (This lowers to thickening power a tad, but improves smoothness and flavor.)  Drizzle in tomato juice with a steady pour while consistently whisking until smooth to keep ingredients at a boil (or close).  Drizzle in milk the same way (doesn’t need to make it to a rapid boil, just boiling.)  Take off heat and whisk in salt and pepper.

Serve with awesome grilled cheese to dip!

Chicken Stock & Bone Broth-

Chicken stock or bone broth is amazing stuff.  It's so delicious and makes anything that calls for chicken stock or bouillon so much better!  It also is crazy nutritious-  The Gut & Psychology Syndrome book says, "Meat stock aids digestion and has been known for centuries as a healing folk remedy for the digestive tract.  Also homemade meat stock is extremely nourishing; it is full of minerals, vitamins, amino-acids and various other nutrients in a very bio-available form."  So ya, it's awesome.  There are slightly different techniques you can do but here's what we like-  

(This was from a giant pot we made from 2 chicken carcasses)

Chicken Stock:

Whole Chicken or chicken bones
1-2 Tblsp vinegar (I usually do apple cider vinegar)
Salt- probably a couple Tablespoons, I just sprinkle it in (really you can add salt anytime).  
  
In a large pot put in your whole chicken or chicken bones.  Cover with water a few inches above chicken and add vinegar & salt.  Let sit for 30- 60 minutes (this helps leach out minerals from the bones).  Bring to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.  If using a whole chicken remove the meat after about 2 hours (so the meat will not dry out) but allow the bones to simmer for 6-24 hours (longer is better for higher mineral and gelatin content of the stock).  We usually have done for 24 hours but I just heard that the gelatin content goes down after 12 hours so that would be ideal.  Then strain the stock into a pitcher and discard the bones or skin leftovers.  I like to put the stock into pint bottles so they are around 2 cups which is nice to use  in recipes or for Top Ramen noodles or vegetable soup for lunch.  This will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks or in the freezer.  

Hernandez Black Beans-

These are so delicious- I just used a whole pound of black beans and doubled everything.  And I cooked them on the stovetop in a cast iron pot instead of the crockpot but i'm sure it would work great.  

Hernandez Black Beans

8 Oz. dried black beans (1 1/3 c.)
1 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 sweet green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed but I left whole
1 small bay leaf
1/8 tsp. oregano, crushed

Rinse the beans in water and add to a slow cooker and soak overnight in 4 cups of water.  Using the same water in the morning, add other ingredients and cook on low for about 8-10 hours.  Taste and add more salt the last hour of cooking if needed.  Test for doneness by pinching a bean- if it is soft and splits it is done. Serve with shredded cheese, on top of rice, or in tacos/enchiladas.  

Cornbread-

This is my favorite cornbread recipe-

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cup flour

2/3 cups sugar

1 Tblsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup oil (butter works great too)

3 Tblsp butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center.  Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny – don’t be alarmed!).  Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  This doubles perfectly for a 9x13- inch pan.

These also work in muffin cups and cook in about 20 minutes.