Bye, Bye Birdie | VSK:Simple Stock

i knew it was coming.  you should have, too.

I’m back off the bird. (♥: Ummm, okay.)

I bought a whole chicken the other day and my stomach just started to turn as soon as I got it home.  I think it might have been looking at those little legs all trussed up.  I ate it, but with a heavy heart and closed eyes.  The next morning, I threw what was left of the new bird and the frozen bones of the last one in the trash.

I love the taste of a homemade chicken stock.  My word, it is amazing.  The drippings from a freshly roasted… Mmmm.  I might even miss it at some point, but the process is really not something I’m feeling right now.  Flesh and bone.  Bleech. 

Time to create a chicken-free stock arsenal.

I picked up Bryant Terry‘s Vegan Soul Kitchen a while ago.  I can’t believe that this is the first time I’m actually cooking from it.  Especially, since my brother and I had a bit of a row over the premise.  He thought that by making it vegan, you take the soul out of it.  Love him, hardcore, but he is WRONG.  That kind of thinking keeps our arteries clogged and “Tha Shuga” running/ruining the show.

Its sad that the resistance to change is on both sides and isn’t new.  The idea of making food that is familiar, but healthier caused a bit of a dust-up with a macro friend.   He’s from South and grew up on some goooood food, but he believes that to eat healthier, folks should just dump everything they know and eat tree/sea bark.  Verbatim, no.  Sentiment, mmmm hmmm.  We keep people isolated by not giving them options and opportunities for making better choices.

I’ll admit that I am opinionated.  I used to be such a label whore that I branded everything I didn’t eat evil.  Thankfully, I’m over that.  I do remain steadfast in the belief that we need to eat better.   The things is… we don’t all have to be vegan or vegetarian.  Or eat tofu and tempeh.  But, we can do simple things to expand our palates and imaginations.

Simple Stock
from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, quartered with skin
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 whole garlic bulb, unpeeled, broken up, flatten w/back of a knife
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
9 cups of water

Over med-high heat, warm the olive oil.  Add herbs, spices and vegetables.  Sauté until veggies have softened.  Add water.  Bring it to a boil.  Reduce heat to med-low.  Simmer uncovered for about an hour.  Strain vegetables from stock.  Don’t forget to press down on the veggies to get all that goodness out.  Then, discard the cooked vegetables.  Yields 1 1/2 quarts.

The Nikki Bits: I added a couple of dried chili peppers as well.  My veggies weren’t super tender after an hour.  I let it cook for another 30 or so minutes.  And I added 2 more cups of water.

Ummmm… So: I liked it a lot.  I didn’t expect to mimic chicken broth, so I wasn’t disappointed.  I don’t know if it’s a catchall stock for me, though.  Even though it’s light, it feels hearty, woodsy and strong.  It might overpower the flavors that I normally work with.

I had a cup with a few of spoonfuls of brown rice and a smidge of sriracha.  Throw in some veggies, steamed/roasted/whatever.  Hello, Winter!  It’s , also, a GREAT base for gravy.

What’s next: I make this black bean & couscous dish that I rock with that chicken water.  It didn’t really work well with this stock, but Bryant has a garlic broth that might be PERFECTION for that dish.  Arsenal.

I don’t begrudge anyone, or myself, meat or poultry.  I’m just bored and a bit turned off, right now.  That could change.  I’m superexcited to focus on bringing an abundance of flavor, color and texture onto my plate.

Nikki♥

Oh, I just finished some turkey breast that was in the freezer.  Ummm.  Bye, bye Bigger Bird.