TWO Healthy Family Dinners (Plus Bone Broth!) For Under $27
Warning: Adult language
Please do not read any further if you are offended by adult language.
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On the left: Roasted Turmeric Chicken, Cinnamon Carrots, and Broccoli/Cauliflower Brown and Red Rice
On the right: Roasted Chicken and Noodles With Carrots and Bone Broth
What if I told you I was going to show you how to make two healthy family dinners AND a big batch of magical and healing bone broth...
all for under $27.00!!
Holy shit, I know... crazy right? Oh but I am, folks. Seriously, who the hell said eating healthy couldn't be cheap?
Each dinner will feed a family of 4-5 people. You'll also have enough bone broth to fill three mason jars, one of which you'll be using for the second dinner. The other two jars you can keep in the freezer for future use!
Oh man, I'm telling you, I don't care how old and lame it makes me to be excited about this blog today. I've been wanting to post this article for forever! I was slacking big time on taking pics so I had to wait until I got my shit together and remembered to take them while I was cooking. I make this 2-Meal-Broth Trifecta ALL THE TIME! But I kept taking only some of the pictures. Throughout this article, you'll see that I pieced together pics from different times. But it actually works out better this way because I'll get to show you some variations too.
I'll usually make the First Dinner/Roasted Turmeric Chicken in the beginning of the week and then we'll have The Second Dinner/Roasted Chicken and Noodles towards the end of the week. But you can have them anytime your little healthy heart desires.
Not only are these meals hearty and healthy, but you cannot possibly beat the cost! I'm going to walk you through making all of it. Don't worry, it's easy! In the ingredients list, I'm going to tell you what you need to buy to make the above two meals including the bone broth. The rest of the ingredients you should have in your pantry and if not, I will be giving you variations to try. I bought all of my ingredients at Walmart except for the five pound bag of carrots (from Sam's Club).
GROCERY LIST:
2 WHOLE 5LB CHICKENS, Brand: Perdue
5LB BAG OF ORGANIC CARROTS, Brand: Bolthouse Farms
1 HEAD OF CELERY
1 LARGE ONION
2 POUCHES OF ORGANIC BROWN & RED RICE, Brand: Seeds of Change
2 BAGS OF FROZEN BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER, Brand: Birds Eye Steamfresh
I BAG OF EXTRA WIDE EGG NOODLES, Brand: Light n Fluffy
*You don't have to buy the same brands! I just wanted to let you know exactly what I used in my recipes.
PRICES:
$10.00 CHICKEN ($5 per chicken)
$3.48 CARROTS
$1.88 CELERY
$1.00 ONION
$4.96 RICE POUCHES ($2.48 per pouch)
$3.68 FROZEN VEGGIES ($1.84 per bag)
$1.78 EGG NOODLES
TOTAL PRICE = $26.78
PANTRY ITEMS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE:
HIMALAYAN SALT or SALT
PEPPER
Organic GARLIC SALT or GARLIC POWDER
APPLE CIDER (MUST have!)
OPTIONAL:
GARLIC CLOVES (optional)
GROUND CEYLON CINNAMON OR REGULAR CINNAMON (optional)
Organic PAPRIKA (optional)
Organic TURMERIC (optional)
Organic ROSEMARY (optional)
Organic BAY LEAVES (optional)
PARMESAN CHEESE (optional)
STEVIA (optional)
Okay, great, you have your grocery list and know what to check your pantry for! Now I'm going to walk you through how to make all this shit in this order: First Dinner, Bone Broth, Second Dinner.
{ PRINTABLE RECIPES for both dinners and bone broth }
HERE WE GO!
First up is your First Dinner:
Roasted Turmeric Chicken, Cinnamon Carrots, and Broccoli/Cauliflower Rice
WHATCHU NEED:
2 WHOLE 5LB CHICKENS
5LB BAG OF ORGANIC CARROTS
2 POUCHES OF ORGANIC BROWN & RED RICE (or desired variety)
2 BAGS OF FROZEN BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER (or desired veggie)
BUTTER
HIMALAYAN SALT or SALT
PEPPER
TURMERIC (optional)
CINNAMON (optional)
STEVIA (optional)
WHATCHU DO:
1. Put both of your chickens in a roaster side by side. Sprinkle the top of the chickens with Himalayan salt, pepper, and turmeric. If you don't have turmeric, sprinkle garlic salt or garlic powder instead.
OR
If you're opting to use garlic salt or powder instead of turmeric, you could also add rosemary along with the garlic.
2. Cook chickens according to the package directions.
*I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that your meat is safe and properly cooked!
3. While chickens are cooking, peel carrots and place in a baking dish.
4. Brush carrots lightly with softened butter.
5. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and stevia (or a tiny bit of brown sugar). OR you can instead sprinkle carrots with garlic salt (or desired seasoning).
OR
You can make Garlic Parmesan Carrots.
*Save the rest of the bag of carrots for your Second Dinner.
6. Approximately 70-80 minutes BEFORE the chicken is due to be done, put the carrots in the oven along with the chicken. Both the carrots and chicken should be done at the same time.
7. Approximately 10 minutes BEFORE both the chicken and carrots are due to be done, steam the frozen vegetables according to the package directions.
8. After the frozen veggies are ready, THEN follow the package directions for rice pouches.
TURMERIC CHICKEN!
CINNAMON CARROTS!
VEGGIE RICE DISH!
Plate food and enjoy!
Okay, now onto the next step!
How To Prep and Make The Bone Broth
Once you are finished making (and eating) the above dinner, you are going to immediately start prepping for your second phase of your 2-Meal-Broth Trifecta!
WHATCHU NEED:
EVERYTHING leftover from the two chicken carcasses
2-3 CELERY STICKS, washed (you don't need to trim leafy ends)
3-4 CARROTS, washed (you don't need to peel or trim leafy ends)
1/2 ONION, quartered (you don't need to remove skin)
1-2 GARLIC CLOVES, (you don't need to peel) or 2 Tsp GARLIC POWDER
2-3 TBS APPLE CIDER (Important!)
1-2 BAY LEAVES (optional)
SALT, PEPPER, and any other herbs and spices that are desired (I use Himalayan salt and peppercorns)
CROCKPOT, 6 quart or larger.
{ Read about the many health benefits of bone broth and view the ORIGINAL Bone Broth Recipe, which is slightly different than this one, HERE. }
WHATCHU DO:
1. After your Roasted Turmeric Chicken dinner, you are going to pick clean both chicken carcasses. I know, I hate this part too. Put all of your leftover chicken in a dish/container and store in fridge until the day of your Second Dinner.
*I simply use my carrot baking dish so I don't have to dirty another container. Then I cover with Saran and into the fridge it goes!
2. Take EVERYTHING leftover from the carcasses and put it in a crockpot. ALL of the bones, juice, skin, and fat. Everything!
3. Throw in ALL other ingredients into the crockpot. Fill with water until it's covering all the ingredients.
4. Cook on low for 12-24 hours.
*I highly recommend 24 hours. It insures that your broth will be the most nourishing.
5. Strain your broth with a strainer into a large bowl (preferably one with a pour spout).
6. Pour equal amounts into three separate mason jars or sealable containers.
Note:
Bone broth is much more oily than the boxed and canned fake broth that you buy in the stores.
This is a good thing! This is good fat!
Don't skim it off!
That's all of the goodness and nutrition. We get so used to eating more bland or eating things with no oil because we're trying to be health conscious, but in the case of this healing broth, eat (or drink) it exactly as it is! It might be hard to believe it's healthy because it tastes so rich and flavorful, but it is! So just enjoy it and feel good about knowing that you've made something for yourself and your family that is truly a healing food. A healing food that is made up of that old world magic.
7. Keep one jar/container in fridge for your Second Dinner. Put the other two in the freezer for future use.
Notes:
*Bone broth will keep for up to 7 days in the fridge.
*Bone broth in mason jars will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.
Okay, now onto the last step...
your Second Dinner!
Bone Broth Chicken and Noodles
WHATCHU NEED:
LEFTOVER CHICKEN (that you stored in fridge)
LEFTOVER RAW CARROTS (from your original bag of carrots)
ONE MASON JAR/CONTAINER OF BONE BROTH (that you stored in the fridge)
1 BAG OF EGG NOODLES (12oz)
HIMALAYAN SALT or SALT
PEPPER
WHATCHU DO:
1. Peel and cut carrots, put in microwavable baking dish, and sprinkle with water. Cover with Saran and set aside.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions in a large pot.
2a. WHILE noodles are cooking, warm up broth in a small/medium pot on stovetop. *Do NOT take off fat!
2b. WHILE noodles are cooking, put prepared carrots in microwave for 5 minutes on high. If not yet tender and cooked to preference, add 2 minutes and recheck. Continue adding 2 minute increments until done.
2c. WHILE noodles are cooking, set chicken on counter to get closer to room temperature.
3. Drain the noodles and then put them back into the pot they cooked in.
4. Add heated broth, cooked carrots, and room temp chicken to the noodles in large pot.
5. Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings that you desire. I usually only add Himalayan salt and pepper.
Plate food and enjoy!
So there you go, my peeps! Not one but TWO healthy family dinners AND a big batch of super nutritious bone broth!
All for under 27 buckaroos!
That's hard to beat!
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*The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content in this article is for general information purposes only. I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietitian. Talk to your physician before making any changes in your diet or exercise regimen. The information found in this article is from various sources which include, but are not limited to, the sites listed above. I encourage you to do your own research and talk with your physician before making any changes in diet or exercise. What has worked for me may not work for you. This information in this article or on this website should never replace or serve as medical advice.
NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR HAVE ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.
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