Broth is Good for Bones

After going through emails and blog posts this morning, I got inspired to write this post about broth.  Broth is one of those foods/food items that gets forgotten about and put on the back burner (pun intended!).  The cool thing about broth is that, like the soups that are made from them, there are so many variations/flavors/ingredients to use that you can never get bored.

Broth in general has many health benefits. I make lots and lots of veggie broth.  The great thing abut this broth is that I can use whatever veggie scraps I want, which saves on waste and keeps the flavors changing constantly so we never get bored.

I make my broth as follows:

• load up a stock pot with raw veggie leftovers (i.e. broccoli stalks, kale stems, carrot ends, celery, onion pieces, beet tops, etc.)
• fill with water until the veggies are just barely covered
• add spices (I like to use star anise, coriander, mustard seed, pepper corns, cumin seed, all spice berries, and any other whole spices I have lying around)
• Bring the whole concoction up to a boil and then simmer until the veggies become mushy; this ensures that all of the nutrients are in the broth.
• You can use the veggies to feed the birds, make a pie, or chop and use in a soup.  The most important part here is to not waste, but remember that all the nutrients from those veggies are now in the broth.

Once the broth is finished, it can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a few months.  Use it like water, or drink straight up!  I like to make rice and beans with broth to add flavor and nutrients, but I also use it to make all of my delicious fall soups!

What's you're favorite food to make with broth?

Luana ola!