Living around G-Free and Chicken Stock

I have a sister in law, Dana, that has Celiac Disease (http://www.celiac.org/), which basically means she has a gluten allergy.  She was diagnosed with this a few years ago, and soon after her diagnosis I saw more and more people with a "G" allergy and more and more companies starting to produce G-Free products.  However, over the past couple of years, upon my own reading and conversations with Dana the gluten issue goes a bit beyond cutting out pastas and bread.  It is not like going on Atkins.  It is a drastic lifestyle change that makes you a serious label reader.  It is something that can make something as what chicken broth to buy a big ordeal. Yes, I said chicken broth.  People with G allergies need to look beyond flour and gluten written clearly on the labels.  They have to look at items like preservatives and additives because these items may include the dreaded gluten. 

Dana has done really well trying to educate those of us she is close to about Celiac and the Gluten Allergy.  However, it is something that is pretty complicated to focus on if you are not faced with it on a day to day basis.  During one of our last conversations we were talking more about meat;  something that you would not think someone with a G allergy would have to be concerned with.  However, what do animals eat? Many of them eat items that contain gluten and that is something that may pose a problem.  Meat companies are not putting labels on their products yet, so you have to learn how to read the labels and you have to learn which companies provide the most reasonable options.

Additionally, the conversation went on to discuss how she feels she has to educate and how it seems that some people just do not get it.  Catering to a family member or friend that has celiac disease is not something that is complicated.  It is something that just takes some consideration and some common sense.  Per our conversations, these are a few tips that I have for those of you that may have people in your life that battle celiac or a G allergy.  At the end I have a basic "recipe" for Chicken Stock that is G-Free, inexpensive and easy.  I hope that by sharing this it will make it a little less complicated and easier for you to welcome people with this allergy in your home.

1.  Food in its most natural form possible and read those labels!
To me this is the biggest no brainer, but a lot of people do not know what this means. If you can make an item from scratch using g-free materials, this is always best.  However, it is not practical for everyone all the time.  So you have to read the labels because not everything that is G-Free is labeled G-Free.  The biggest thing with this is trying to find things with as few ingredients as possible.  If you cannot pronounce it or do not know what it is then do not serve it to someone with a G-Allergy.  A good rule of thumb is Fresh First, Then Frozen, Then Pantry.  Also, most companies do specify if their products came in contact with certain items like nuts, shell fish and even gluten.  But if it is a hazy situation either do not purchase it or call the person that has the allergy and make sure.

2.  Have some disposable pans and slow cooker liners or pouch cook.
Gluten can get into your cookware.  Most people with celiac have their own G-Free items in their own home.  You do not have to go out and purchase new cookware, but, you can run to your local dollar store to pick up disposable cooking pans to bake in, slow cooker liners if you opt for that cooking method, OR learn about pouch cooking in parchment paper and foil. You may find that pouch cooking is a better cooking method and easier clean up and something you can incorporate into your day to day life. 

3.  Plan your meals in advance and let the person with the allergy know.
If possible, let them know how you are cooking something and what you are cooking.  It is the best way to make sure something is not in there that can harm them. 

4.  Parties!
The best way to plan for G-Free guests at a party is to make sure that G-Free items are grouped together and are labeled.  This is just an extra step that can keep the party anxiety away from the person with the allergy.

CHICKEN BROTH/STOCK
I personally think that if you can make a chicken broth/stock from scratch you are better off.  Just looking at it today Chicken Stock on the shelf is going for close to $3 a container.  This is a lot considering you can pick up an entire chicken for around $4-$5 and make your own.  Why make your own?  Well, if you are trying to control sodium, move to clean eating, or if you have a G-Allergy you can control all of your ingredients.  Additionally, stock/broth can enhance nearly all recipes and it is literally a chop and drop process. 

Most people look for restaurant flavor at home and the biggest secret that you will find on most cooking shows or in most professional kitchens is homemade stock as a key ingredient.  You can substitute it for most savory recipes that call for water. 

Stock also freezes very well!  I try to have 4-8 containers in the freezer in preparation for Thanksgiving.  I end up using nearly all of it between dumplings, gravy, and dressing/stuffing.  You can also dilute it too to stretch it further.  This really is something that by doing it will give you more control in your diet, more flavor in your food and mostly much more bang for your buck.  Aside from that the chicken itself you can use for a meal! 

I am always on the look out for chicken that is hormone free and vegetarian fed.  Sadly, it is a pretty hefty price and I usually end up purchasing Tyson. But I was surprised that our Walmart has a brand that they sell on a regular basis for $1.57 per pound, this is a whole chicken, though they did have skinless boneless thighs and breasts for a reasonable price as well.  Additionally, the farm that raised the chicken is featured on the packaging.  It is a charming touch.  But I picked up this one that was discounted and an additional one for the freezer.  My discounted price was $1.10 per pound.  If you could care less about this stuff then get the regular chicken, which is almost always under $1 per pound. 

This is pretty much all you need to make a basic stock/broth (little girl is not an ingredient LOL).  These are the only things that I personally feel are needed to make a stock.  Celery, Onion, Garlic and of course Chicken.  You can add additional items such as salt (I recommend some salt unless you have to be totally sodium free), fresh herbs (which I usually do during the second half of cooking), spices, peppers or pretty much anything else that you love the flavor of.  Stock is something that you can make to your taste, which is another HUGE plus!  You do not need small precise chops, you can make large cuts in your items and keep the chicken whole.  It is going to cook for at least two hours so you do not need smaller sizes.

CHOP AND DROP!  Fill the pot so the chicken is covered with water. You then set it on Med-High heat and bring it to a boil.  Then simmer it for two hours.  Half way through I will sometimes add more water to get as much out of the bird as possible. I also use this time to add any additional spices and herbs.  I do add my salt at the very start, however, I taste it half way through and see if more is needed.  MAKE SURE THAT YOU PULL ANYTHING OUT OF THE CAVITY OF THE CHICKEN BEFORE COOKING.  AND PUT THOSE GIZZARDS AND STUFF IN THE WATER TOO.

After two hours of cooking you can take it off the heat and let it sit for about 20-30 min to let it cool a bit.  You do not want to handle stock right off the stove, trust me! 

Take your chicken out and set it aside for whatever you want to use it for (chicken salad, pasta or rice dish and so on) and then do your best to fish out the veggies. Afterwards you want this to set, covered in your fridge.  Once it has cooled you will see a layer of fat on the top.  Scrape this off.  There is still some fat in the broth itself, the stuff on the top is not good and will make anything you use this stock with greasy.  You will not get every bit out but just get as much of it as you can.

You can now use it or freeze it!  To freeze it you can put it in those Chinese soup take out containers BUT I recommend the screw top zip lock plastic containers.  The screw tops work best in the freezer because they do not warp.  Make sure that you leave about an inch clear at the top when filling the container. 

When defrosting you can either take it out like you would most foods or you can put it in the microwave.  Better yet, you can just run the container over hot water until the stock block is loose and put it directly in a pot to reheat.  It is one of the most freezer friendly items out there. 

If you wish to dilute it a bit for more of a broth and less of a stock, which is good if you want to make soups, just add some water to it once your fish out your chicken and veggies (no more than about 1/3 of the stock you have) and then reboil it and then proceed to chilling it.

You can also use the left overs from a cooked chicken.  You can use the carcass from your roasted chicken or even your thanksgiving turkey and make a stock from that as well.  You mostly need the bones and some meat, not necessarily an entire chicken. 

People tend to think that it is always easiest to just buy things in the store.  But I promise you, that once you make this yourself and start using it in your recipes you will see three things. 1.  It really does make a difference in taste  2. It is not complicated at all.  It does take time to do but you are not spending the time over the stove. and 3. You will save some money! Eating better does not mean spending more--especially in the case of chicken stock.  I made at least a gallon of stock for around $8 AND I get to keep the chicken to use as a meal! 

For people with G allergies that struggle with trying to make the G-Free pastas more bearable or trying to enhance the flavors in items such as rice, the made from scratch stock/broth maybe the most ideal solution. 

I really hope that the tips and the "recipe" helps those that are living with or around those with food allergies.  It can be a stressful situation if you let it.  But as with most things, the most simple solution is the best even if it is not always the easiest or the most convenient. 

P.S.. I will try to post some recipes on here from time to time that are g-free and actually taste good.