Basic Pantry Staples ed. 2

Edition 2 - Broth/Stock

If you're a vegetarian or vegan, please substitute "vegetable broth" for the following: chicken broth, beef broth. In a pinch, granulated or cubed bullion will do. You can get many varieties now, including ones already infused with garlic, onions, etc.

I highly recommend having both b and c stock in your cabinet. At all times. For one thing, a couple of big cans of broth, any veggies you have laying around and your choice of meat (chicken or turkey for chicken broth and beef, etc for beef broth) and a few pasta noodles (see edition 1) can make a big pot of steaming hot soup that's good for a cold/flu at any time of year. It's also a comfort food on a cold day or when you're just feeling lousy. And it's a common ingredient in most cooking shows. They just expect people to have it or use it (in place of wine) in a lot of recipes with sauces.

For cold season: Now, when I get sick, I get SICK: Thus there have been times that I have felt so bad I just drank plain hot water trying to soothe my throat, it's easy to just fill a cup from the tap and hit beverage on the microwave. Therefore, I try and keep broth around to avoid just drinking water. I'll heat up a can of broth in a pan on the stove and then scoop myself part of a mug. If I can't finish it, I just dump it back in and warm it up with the rest of the broth later. Those are the desperate times though.

Usually I do one of 2 things with broth: Put a couple of cans on the stove, add some egg noodles and cook until noodles are done for lunch. Sometimes I add some canned chicken for protein. Again, this would being during the winter when there are no leftovers to heat up and you really need something warm to eat. Being so fluid-y, it's great to fill you up, and you don't get many calories (I use 99% fat free) it's fast and it's only one pan for clean up.

Now the second thing I would do is make a real soup out of it. One of these days I need to write down an actual recipe. So I would use a giant can of the broth and use a "church key" or bottle opener to poke a tiny hole in one side of the top of the can and a bigger hole in the other - Pour into the pot out of the bigger hole, it just flows better if you do it that way- and you dont have to open the whole can. Just go to the soup section of your store and look, the big cans are there. I would use some pre-cooked chicken or canned chicken, some finely chopped carrots and onion (or run them through the food processor). I would let the veggies cook for like 20 minutes at a simmer --If you want to make chicken and rice, put the rice in with the vegetables--check your rice box for times) if you're making chicken noodle soup, just cook the broth, onion, and carrot first and add the noodles and meat once the vegetables have simmered. Cook them until the noodles are done (noodle package should give you an idea) and season with salt and pepper to your taste. You might need more broth in dealing with your rice if you're using rice. You'd just add more if needed when you add the meat and turn the burner up a bit.

And now for a real recipe...this one you could use 1 1/2 big cans of beef broth or the following:

Ed.2 Recipe
Vegetable Soup

Combine in a big pot and simmer 2 hours:

9 C water plus 9 t or cubes beef bullion (or aforementioned 1.5 cans beef broth)
1 small onion chopped
1 rounded t minced garlic
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1# bag or can mixed vegetables (drained)
1-1.5 lb chunked cooked beef (leftover roast or stew meat)
4 C chunked potatoes
1 t celery salt or seed (opt)
1 pint (or can) of tomatoes - I would suggest diced
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t basil
2 bay leaves (opt) --If using, remove before serving

Recipe courtesy of H.M.A.