Chicken, Chia and Couscous

Perhaps you remember us discussing the awesomeness of chia seeds the other day when I made banana and chia seed muffins? Spurred on by that discussion, I decided to do more chia seed research and experiment with chia seeds that have been soaked. Its probably a good idea to try to incorporate them into our diet, specially as we move further and further away from a meat based diet into a more legume and vegetable based diet. Yesterday I posted about home made chicken stock and today’s recipe utilises the meat and stock from the stock making process. Nothing goes to waste around here – so deliciously efficient!

[  Serves: 4  |  TIME: 20 - 30 minutes  |  COST: $6 - 8  total ]

Ingredients

2 cups dry couscous
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked free ranged chicken
1 cup potato
1 cup sweet potato
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup mixed frozen peas and corn
1 leek
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
drizzle of oil
salt and pepper to taste
teaspoon of butter to serve

Methodology

1. Shred the leek into small pieces. Cut the remaining vegetables into bite size pieces. Shred the chicken as desired. Soak the chia seed in an equal amount of water. (see photo below).
2. In a large saucepan, add the caraway seeds to some warmed oil. Once fragrant, add the remaining spices and garlic and mix well.
3. Add the leek to the oil and spice mixture and cook until opaque. Add the remaining vegetables (except the chia seeds) and mix well to ensure all vegetables are coasted in the spice and leek mixture.
4. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables and cook at a rolling simmer (with the lid on) until all vegetables are all cooked.
5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the chia seeds, gently mixing well. Once well incorporated, add equal quantities of couscous and stock, mixing well. The stock should be absorbed by the couscous over a minute or two. Cook over a very low heat for three or four minutes, stirring continually. Fluff the couscous up with a fork if needed.
6. Serve immediately in a bowl with a little knob of butter, seasoning to taste.

Observations

• The flavours of this dish worked well. What’s not to love about spices and vegetables?
• The chia seed will go opaque and jelly like once it is soaked – This is normal. Soaking helps release an enzyme in the seeds and makes it easier to digest. Generally, the seeds will soak up their own volume in water within minutes.
• Diabetic Note: As I have noted previously, my body hates couscous. My Blood Glucose Levels (BGL) were quite high after this meal, but it was quite heavy in the pasta department. Also, a teaspoon of butter may be a little fat heavy for some peoples diets. Use your own discretion.
• Ethical Note: Yesterday, on the Chicken Stock post, I spoke briefly about the ethics involved in utilising the whole of the chicken and trying to reduce waste. This recipe used the chicken meat left over from the stock making process. YAY for making the most out of the one resource.

 

Homemade Chicken Stock

When possible, I will try to purchase a whole free range chicken rather than pre packaged cuts. There are several reasons for this: i) its cheaper in the long run, ii) I can utilise all the meat and get several meals from one bird and iii) the bones are very useful for making home made stock. Generally, I will save up the raw bones in the freezer until stock making day when they can all come to use. I also will use chicken legs for this if I find them on special, which I do from time to time. The meat doesn’t go to waste, by the way… I am too thrifty for that!

There are several advantages of home made chicken stock. The house will smell SOOO good while you make it. It will have a reduced salt content compared to commercial brands. It wont be as expensive as commercial brands. And possibly more important, you will know every ingredient in your stock. Make it once and experience the difference for yourself.

[  Makes: 4 litres  |  TIME: 8 hours  |  COST: $10  ]

Ingredients

10 litres of water
1 kg chicken legs & other chicken bones
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
1 onion
1 glass white wine
handful fresh parsley with the stems
handful fresh thyme with the stems
4 – 6 cloves of garlic
6 bay leaves
8 – 10 pepper corns
drizzle olive oil

Method

1. Cut the carrots in half lengthways and the celery sticks in half. Quarter the onion. Set the vegetables aside with herbs until needed (see photo 1 below).
2. In a large deep pot, fry the chicken legs and bones until browned and starting to caramelise. It is good to leave the skin on any bones if possible, as it gives off a lot of flavour (see photo 2 below).
3. Once the chicken is browned, de-glaze the pot with the wine, ensuring it is cooked off to remove the alcohol content. Add all of the vegetables and herbs, filling the pot until comfortable capacity with water (photo 3 below). Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to a slow simmer.
   
4. Simmer with the lid off on a low heat for 2 hours. During this time, skim off the froth that forms on top with a slotted spoon.
5. If you have used cuts of chicken, remove them from the pot, and allow to cool. Strip the meat off the bones at this point, reserving the meat for other recipes (soups, stews, stir fries ect).
6. Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue to simmer for another six hours. When the water has reduced by half, take off the heat and allow to cool.
7. Once cook, strain through a muslin cloth to remove the herbs, vegetables and bones.
8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freezer for up to 3 months.

Observations

• I adore the smell of this cooking. It reminds me of authentic home cooking, just like Nana use to do!
• I am quite heavy handed on the thyme cause I just adore this herb of late. Garlic I cant live without so it is always present in large amounts. (This is possibly why we haven’t been sick in this household for three years!) Adjust the herbs to your own taste.
• Diabetic Note: I skim the fat off the top of this a lot while it is cooking cause I am a little worried about how much fat gets leached into the broth from the skins. If you are concerned about your fat content, just skin the oil slick off the top of the pan occasionally with either paper towel or a spoon.
• Ethics Note: Far too much gets wasted during the boning process of chickens. I prefer to buy a whole bird and bone it out. When I do, I always save the back bones and hips particularly as there is a lot of difficult to use flesh there that is often wasted. Likewise, when I bone out legs for some leg meat (which I use for soups and stews for economic reasons), I save the raw bones for this purpose. Think thrifty, and try to use as much of the bird as possible.