KITCHEN~DOCTOR

When you come home with your organic, hormone free, free range chicken there is only a few steps to take before you dive in and eat a delicious chicken.

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees. Give the bird a good rinse under water then place in a shallow pan, breast down.  I have a simple glass pan that works great. I  then gather herbs from the herb garden, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage. Then melt about 2 tablespoons of butter add the the chopped herbs and some celtic salt. Rub this mixture, yep with your hands, under the birds skin. You can also put some sliced lemon in there if you like a lemon flavor with your chicken.  Now your bird is ready for the oven, when you put the chicken in the oven turn dow the temperature to 350. It usually takes 20 minute per pound, you can also check to see if it’s done by simply cutting in to it with a knife for a peek. I am some what new to cooking meat so I’m not an expert in this field. Although my chickens have always been delicious!

Here’s what you need:

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• Fresh herbs finely chopped about 2 tablespoons
• Sliced lemon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt

I made up this recipe with the left over chicken from a whole chicken that we roasted. When you buy the whole chicken you can enjoy many delicious dishes.

Together in a bowl mix these ingredients:

• 1 c roasted/boiled chicken cut in cubes
• 2 celery ribs chopped in small pieces
• 2 table spoons chopped scallions
• 1/3 c chopped pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup of chopped toasted almonds
• Dress it with olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper

The combination of these flavors really hit the spot, yum!

I like to buy a whole chicken that is organic and hormone free.  It cost more money but truthfully we spend less money on food today then we ever have before and as we can see it is not sustainable.  Spending a little extra money on quality food is worth it for so many reasons, your health and supporting the local economy is to name just a few. Now back to my chicken. With a whole chicken you can have nutritious meals for 3 days instead of 1. You can save money in the long run.  You can roast or boil the whole chicken. When you boil the chicken you also can get some delicious chicken broth out of the whole deal as well. The chicken meat  from a whole chicken is plenty for 3 meals for 2 to 3 people. The best part is what you can do with the bones… make bone broth! I put all the bones in a pot, I filled the pot with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I bring it to a boil then turn the flame to low and cook till the bones disintegrate.

All the meals you get with a whole chicken, not to mention eating the whole food is very nutritious!

• Roasted or boiled chicken
• Chicken on top of a green salad
• Chicken salad
• Chicken sandwich
• Chicken broth
• Bone Broth

I like to drink a tall glass of purified water that is room temperature with and a squeeze of lemon juice. This not only hydrates you but the lemon helps the liver to excrete  bile which helps with detoxing the body of toxins. This will also get your body ready for breakfast.

I recommend drinking a tall glass of water, then waiting at least 30 minutes before eating a meal. Drinking lots of water with a meal will sabotage digestion and leave you feeling bloated.

I enjoyed a delicious dinner at my sisters house with some items that were picked from the garden. We picked herbs, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage, the aroma got us pretty excited for dinner. We also picked a big green squash, in which we gave thanks to the plant, and some crunchy fresh peas. There was one small red strawberry in the garden that my sister was kind enough to let me eat, the sweet flavor burst in my mouth it tasted just like candy! Picking food from the garden was a special way to begin the evening. Living in the city I especially appreciate any garden that we can pick our dinner.  The wind picked up and the fog was rolling in so we headed in to start cooking dinner.

We oven roasted a whole chicken seasoned with the freshly picked rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage with butter salt and pepper. Corn on the cob with butter and salt. Squash that was picked from the garden. We steamed the squash, it fresh and had a simple flavor that was quite tasty.  Lightly  sautéed  pea’s, also from the garden. And my favorite a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes from the farmers market.

My plate:

• Roasted chicken
• Corn on the cob
• Steamed squash
• Sautéed peas
• Caprese salad

I love a midsummer dinner!

Now I am making bone broth from the chicken that I will either make into a soup later this week or freeze for later. I put all the bones in a pot, I filled the pot with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I bring it to a boil then turn the flame to low and cook till the bones disintegrate. I’ll keep you posted on how long that takes.. I think it sometimes takes 12 hours.

Bone broth has been a staple in many cultures, it’s so very very nutritious!

I also have some chicken left over that I can eat with a salad for a quick and satisfying lunch.

Egg omelet with roasted cherry tomatoes, rosemary, kale, raw cheddar cheese and S & P, with a side of greens

In a pan, without oil or butter, I roasted a hand full of cherry tomatoes for about 7 minutes.  Thats right I just plopped down some cherry tomatoes in a pan and turned the flame on high till they started to burn. Then I chopped up some rosemary, that my husband picked on a walk through the Mission (S.F). I added a tablespoon and a half of unsweetened butter and a sprig of finely chopped rosemary to the pan. I let it  simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the rosemary to marry the butter and tomatoes, the smell was delicious! In a bowl I combined 4 eggs, one stalk of chopped kale, grated 1/4 c of raw cheddar cheese, from Organic Valley, a pinch of celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  I like the brown eggs purely for looks and I make sure to buy eggs in which the chickens were treated kindly, i.e. Marin Sun Farms eggs or Clark Summit are both great. I also recommend getting your eggs from the farmers market. You can ask the farmer yourself about the treatment of the chickens. Happy chickens = healthy eggs. Anyhoo I whisked the ingredients in the bowl together and poured it in the pan and turned the flame to medium. I used a spatula to flip the omelet to make sure both sides were cooked.

I served my eggs with a side of greens, drizzled olive oil and red wine vinegar with s & p.

I used pretty plates, nice cloth napkins, lit a candle and gave thanks to the earth and the farmers. I like to light  a candle, even in the morning before I eat, it creates a cozy and special feeling for breakfast, especially a luxurious Sunday breakfast!

The breakdown of this breakfast:

Eggs are a good source of:

• Vitamin K
• B Vitamins (biotin, thiamine, and vit. B12)
• Vitamin D
• Selenium
• Protein ( 1 egg = 6.3 grams)
• Omega-3 fatty acid (due to the natural diet of the chickens, grain fed chickens do not produce eggs with omega-3 F
• Choline
• Betaine

Eggs are important for  fertility, heart health, the flexibility and structural integrity of the cell membranes and more as you can see all the macro and micro nutrients listed above all have long lists of nutritional benefits. ( Murray, page 612)

Tomatoes are a good source of :

• Lycopene
• Beta-carotene
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin B6
• Pantothenic acid
• Niacin
• Folic Acid
• Dietary fiber

Tomatoes (red) protect against breast,colon,lung, skin and prostate cancers. It can also help with lowering the risk of heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration. ( Murray, page 241)

Rosemary is a good source of :

• Antioxidants especially rosmarinic acid

Rosemary is known to help with inflammatory diseases such as, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma and atherosclerosis. It also can stimulate the immune system, increases circulation and improves digestion. (Murray, page 505)

Kale is a good source of :

• Carotenes
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B1, B2 & B6
• Fiber
• Copper
• Iron
• Calcium
• Chlorophyll
• Beta-carotene
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin

Oh kale, it’s really quite a wonderful vegetable, one of the most nutritious ones! Eat kale for a strong dose of vitamin C, one cup is more than 70% of the RDI. (Murray, page 210) Kale is apart of the cabbage family. The cabbage family helps fight against cancer particularly colon, prostate, lung and breast cancer. ( Murray, page 177)

A word about Raw Cheddar Cheese…

Raw cheese is made from raw milk. Raw milk is not pasteurized therefore is has beneficial enzymes that actually help the body break down the proteins. For more information read this article, Raw Milk written by Tom Cowan, MD.

Reference:

Murrary, Micheal. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, Artia Books 2005

5 shiitake mushrooms

1 baked or steamed sweet potato, you’ll only need 2 tablespoons

2 stalks of kale washed, take out stem and cut in to small pieces

2 pasture-fed organic eggs

1 tablespoon of curry

1 whole-wheat tortilla

Dash of celtic sea salt

1 tablespoon of butter

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

Sauté the shiitake mushrooms in a pan with some butter with the fresh thyme and oregano.

Add two eggs. When the eggs are halfway cooked mix in the kale, curry power and a dash of celtic sea salt. Turn on med-low and put a lid on the pan to steam the kale and cook the eggs. Occasionally stir to make sure the egg is thoroughly cooked.

On a toasted whole-wheat tortilla use the cooked sweet potato as a spread, use about 2 tablespoons worth. Wrap the eggs, mushroom and kale in the tortilla.  Enjoy!

*Serve with a side of black beans and avocado

Makes 3 cups

½ cup short-grain brown rice

3 cups of water

1 sheet nori seaweed

Soy or tamari sauce

1 or 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Chopped cilantro, toasted sesame seeds

Put the rice, water and ½ teaspoon of salt in a pot, ring to boil, and then simmer slowly until the mixture is creamy and thick, about 1 hour.

While rice is cooking toast a nori sheet in a toaster oven or over a low flame on the stove, cook till it becomes crisp. Season the cooked rice with a little soy sauce to taste. Stir in scallions, and then crumble the toasted nori on top with the cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

* This is a good side dish for breakfast, I suggest having this with grilled salmon and sliced avocado. Think out side the box for breakfast!

4 servings

Wash and separate the stems from:

1 bunch of Chard

Cut the stems in to ¼ – inch slices. Coarsely chop the leaves.

Heat in a heavy pan, over medium heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Add:

I medium onion, peeled and sliced thin

Cook for 5 minutes and add the chard stems. Season with:

Salt

Cook for 4 minutes and add leaves. Cook until the leaves are tender, adding a splash of water if the pan dries out. Turn out of the pan into the plate.

Crack into large bowl:

6 eggs

Add:

Salt

2 teaspoons of olive oil

Fresh-ground black pepper

A pinch of cayenne

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Beat lightly. Gently squeeze the chard with your hands, wringing out most, but not all, of the liquid. Stir the chard into the beaten eggs. Thoroughly preheat a 10-inch heavy pan over medium-low heat.

Pour in: 2 tablespoons of olive oil

After a few seconds, pour in to the egg mixture. As the eggs set on the bottom lift the edges to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Continue to cook until mostly set. Invert a plate on top of the pan; turn the plate and pan upside down to turnout the frittata onto the plate.

Pour in: 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Slide the frittata back into the pan. Cook for 2 or 3 more minutes. Slide onto a plate and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations:

-Add a bunch of sorrel to the chard leaves during the last minute if cooking

-For the chard, substitute broccoli rabe, mustard greens, nettles, or any greens.

-Serve warm with a simple tomato sauce

*Choose organic, purchase meat and dairy products that are organic and hormone free. The quality of life of the animal is important to consider.