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WE CAN HELP MAKE HEALTHY EATING AFFORDABLE
Have you heard the saying ‘Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Well?’
I feel this way about cooking and eating (ok, growing food too!).
Look, as a working mom of 3 kids I totally understand not having time to make gourmet meals every night. I need short cuts and quick fixes too!
Like you, I love tried and true recipes that will satisfy the belly & the budget.
And you know, ya gotta start with high quality ingredients.
We are blessed in this community to have access to amazing farm fresh food.
I believe with all my heart that sitting down to a home cooked meal made from food you know, satiates more than physical hunger…
Deeper levels of need are met through knowing your food and ‘breaking bread’ with loved ones…
I choose to feed my family healthy, nutritious pastured meats.
I’m so serious about it I started raising my own broiler chickens (meat birds) over 10 years ago.
Here’s why pastured chicken is the only chicken my family eats.
“Pastured” means we allow our poultry to move freely, grazing on fresh grass daily with plenty of fresh water and sunshine.
They are fed a locally milled non GMO feed.
We do not use antibiotics or any other chemicals.
Ability to roam, fresh grass and sunshine makes more flavorful and nutritious chicken.
BENEFITS of Pastured meat:
- Contains more vitamin A: This nutrient is important in supporting good vision, cell division and growth, a strong immune system and skin health.
- Fats: Pasture-raised chicken have significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Environmentally friendly: Our chickens fertilize our soil, not pollute it. CAFOs are known for the large amounts of toxic byproducts they generate which are dumped into the local ecosystem.
- Lower risk of foodborne illnesses: Choosing pasture-raised chicken means little to no Salmonella – it’s cleaner and healthier.
- Vitamin E: Pastured poultry has significantly more Vitamin E which prevents free radical damage and slows the aging process
90 percent of all chicken meat and eggs sold in the US are raised in CAFOs(concentrated animal feeding operations) and continuously fed low dosages of antibiotics. This leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.
Here’s how I get
4 MEALS from 1 CHICKEN
RECIPE #1 – SLOW COOKER CHICKEN
Whole Chicken, 5-6 pounds, thawed
5 Carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
4 Medium Potatoes, chopped
Seasoning of choice for skin(garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper)
Step 1: Place veggies in slow cooker.
Step 2: Remove plastic. Place bird on top of the veggies.
Step 3: Add salt and seasoning of your choice.
Step 4: Set slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
Step 5: Remove chicken and shred meat. *Do not throw out liquid or bones you will use this to make homemade stock!
Step 6: Serve small portion of chicken with veggies, salad and bread(reserve 3-4 cups of shredded chicken for next meals).
*To make stock for next recipe, add uncooked veggies ( 1-2 carrots, ½ onion, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic) to leftover over chicken carcass and leftover juices in slow cooker. Cover with water and cook on low overnight. In the morning, strain the broth and discard remains. At this point you can let the broth cool down in the fridge and remove the hardened fat or you can use it as is in the next recipe. If you don’t remove the fat then it will be greasy.
RECIPE #2 – ONE POT CHICKEN, RICE & VEGGIES
2 cups leftover OSF chicken, diced
1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, I cup of diced summer squash
1/2 small white onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup peas or inch long cut green beans
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups homemade chicken stock
1. In a large pot with a lid, melt the butter.
2. Add in carrots, celery, squash, green beans garlic, and onion. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in chicken broth, rice, and chicken. Add salt and pepper.
4. Bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Simmer 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Before serving, if using, add peas and allow them to warm through (2-3 minutes).
RECIPE #3 EASY CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES
1-2 cups shredded chicken
4-6 eggs, boiled, peeled and diced
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mayo
splash of apple cider vinegar
salt to taste
sliced bread
Step 1: Mix all ingredients in bowl and let refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Layer mixture between bread and serve with fresh veggies.
Reserve my OSF Chicken PrePay button HERE
RECIPE #4 GREEN SALAD with CHICKEN
This is my favorite lunch and best way to use the last of the chicken!
OSF salad mix, 1 handful per salad. I add whatever seasonal ingredients I have to my salad. It always includes 2 other veggies or a fruit, a nut, cheese and good dressing. Here are some options: roasted, diced beets, diced or shredded carrots, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, toasted walnuts, blue cheese, diced cheddar, goat cheese, shredded chicken, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette (see our Lettuce Love Blog for a great homemade salad dressing recipe).
This salad with a cup of the left over chicken stock is a hearty, healthy lunch or dinner.
Know of any other good chicken recipes? I’d love to hear them.
Know other moms who are struggling to feed their busy families? Share these recipes with them!
Come by the farm store this Thursday July 7th (10-3pm) or Saturday at the Hereford Market to pick up your pre-ordered chicken if you want it FRESH. They arrive from the butcher Tuesday afternoon July 5. Otherwise it will be frozen, an excellent option, and available the following Tuesday at farm store.
Choose the PrePay button HERE (most chickens are 6 pounds) or Venmo Lisa with a picture of a chicken at Lisa-Wheeler-35.
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