ROAST CHICKEN – NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS & INEXPENSIVE Oct 23, 2015

ROAST CHICKEN – NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS & INEXPENSIVE
Today we are looking for ways to eat nutritionally, tastefully and yet at little cost.

It is one of those cool rainy days and I have decided to roast one of the chickens I have in the freezer.
I use the following method at least twice a month, but I never write down the method or the amounts.

Today I have decided to take note of every step so I can share it with my family, friends and do a post.
Like many of you, I too have always tried to pinch pennies as well as add this and that so I can add nutrition.

This chicken will be meat for supper as well as for sandwiches, casseroles or pizza in the coming days.
But then as well, it will become bone broth with bits of meat for chicken noodle soup for one meal as well as frozen for future meals. So this one 6 pound chicken which cost me a little over $8.00 will feed our family well.

6 pound chicken
1 1/4 cups water
1 large onion
1 spaghetti squash (or other kind of squash)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons powdered parsley (I used the powder I had dried from our garden)
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
After the chicken was almost completely thawed, I washed it well in cold water. I cut off all the extra skin and fat around the opening and the neck.

Mince the garlic and set aside at least 15 minutes for extra nutrition.
Wash, cut and remove seeds from squash. Chop the onion.
Place the chicken and water into a roaster. Put squash, garlic and onion pieces inside and around the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cover the roaster and bake
2 1/2 hours at 350 ° F. (Or if using a different size bird, roast until the legs move easily & it is done)
Remove from oven and let sit for a half hour or so. Be sure to save the liquid in the pan for gravy.

Cut off the legs, thighs, wings and 2 breast pieces. Slice the breast pieces.
Leave the roasting liquid, onion and garlic in the roaster, adding water to make 2 cups liquid. Scrape the squash from the peel into the pan as well. Puree this all with a hand blender. I put the liquid into a deeper pot as it was easier to puree. Then I put it back into the roaster to make gravy. The brown baked around the roaster edge seems to give the gravy a nice flavor.
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Blend the water and flour. Add to the roaster together with soy sauce, salt & pepper. Mix this and heat until it boils and thickens.

Your chicken and gravy are now ready for supper.
The roaster is still coated with some gravy. Rather than wash it first, I just add 2 litres of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, cover and allow this to simmer for 3 hours. Strain out the bones.
I put this liquid into the fridge so the fat will rise and I can remove it. This is broth ready for soup.
But! I save those bones as there is still nutrition inside the bones that has not been removed. I will add these strained bones to 2 more litres of pure water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and again simmer another 3 hours or more until any gel that was on the bones has melted. I usually cut the meat off of the legs and thighs so I can also simmer these bones in the broth. If you notice, there is a good amount of gel & marrow on & inside these bones and they are very beneficial for our own body joints.

I usually freeze some of the broth so I have some on hand any time I want to have a quick pot of soup.

I am looking forward to our roast chicken at supper time, but I am also looking forward to the leftover that we will enjoy in the coming days and the soups I will make packed with beneficial nutrients. Lots of meals at little cost!
The roasting & cooking have warmed the house up nicely and we are enjoying a day inside catching up on indoor chores. Have a good day. . . Winnie!