One of the biggest differences between food prepared at home and expensive food at high end restaurants is a chef's ability to add flavors at every point during the cooking process. When on a whole foods diet, it may be harder since you are trying to limit salt and animal products. However, there are still many simple things that you can do to improve the taste of your food.
When preparing to cook, most people cuts the ends off of vegetables and throw them away. Another option is to learn from restaurants. Preparing your own homemade stocks and broths can be an affordable way to add flavor to your soups, sauces, and other dishes without having to worry about the artificial chemicals and high salt found in store bought stocks.
They key is to organize and to save as much as possible. If you have herbs that are starting to turn colors, simply put them in air tight bags and freeze them. Rinse the ends of vegetables and save them in freezer bags for the stock pot. The ends of carrots, bottoms of celery, the roots of onions, and even corn cobs are all great for stock making.
Limiting animal fats is important when on a whole foods diet but you can use bones from chicken or turkey to make poultry stock. Leftover meat can make beef stock, a ham bone can make ham stock for split pea soup, the shells and tails or shrimp can make shrimp stock. These are all flavorful liquids that can be added to your food for an extra depth of flavor.
Making homemade stocks and broths is easy. Just add your saved vegetable pieces, any spices that you want, as little salt as you can get away with without it tasting bland, and anything else you need. When using animal products in stocks, be sure to let it cook so you can separate out the fat. Remember that animal fat is something to limit, or avoid, when on a whole foods diet.
You can freeze these in gallon bags, ice cube trays, or containers in the freezer for later. Stocks are great for chicken, vegetable, split pea, and many other soups. They can be a great addition to sauces that would otherwise use water. You can use stocks and broths when poaching, stewing and roasting to just to name a few possibilities. And the best part is the cost should be next to nothing. You are mostly using just leftover ends of vegetables, herbs, and possibly pieces of meat or bones. All you need is a stock pot, a stove, and time to let everything simmer.
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