Thanks to its high nutrition value, old-fashioned bone broth is coming back into fashion.
Now, I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but the bones we often throw out have vitamins and minerals in them that are rich in protein, do wonders for your gut and are great for your immune system. In fact, scientists now believe that it’s the bones in chicken soup that make it such a fantastic cold cure.
So the next time you’re clearing up after a family roast, don’t toss those bones! Set them aside for this broth – it will soon become a staple in your winter kitchen.
How to make bone broth
Bones (use any kind you like)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Vegetables pieces (avoid bitter tasting ones, such as broccoli, cabbage, turnips or brussels sprouts)
Herbs (any type – I like to tie rosemary, thyme and bay leaves into a bundle and dunk them in at the end)
1 Pop the bones into a stock pot, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer.
2 Add the vinegar and bring to the boil, adding the different vegetables according to their cooking times.
3 Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer. Cook at least 4 hours for chicken bones and a minimum of 6 hours for beef and lamb. Skim off any foam and fat as it rises to the top.
4 In the last hour of cooking, sprinkle in any dried herbs you would like to add. If you’re using fresh herbs, add them at the last minute.
5 Strain the broth into a bowl for use straight away or store in the freezer.
TIP: For a stronger flavour, you can also roast the bones at 180°C for 25-30 minutes prior to using in the broth.
Coffee & cardamom
Mixing the spice cardamom with coffee is very popular in Israel and I can see why. The spice gives coffee a wonderful flavour.
1½ tsp whole cardamom seeds (not pods)
1 cup dark-roast whole coffee beans
Sugar, to taste (optional)
1 Grind cardamom seeds and coffee together very finely. Store in an airtight container.
2 Brew the coffee-cardamom blend using your regular method, or to make traditional cooked coffee – bring 1½ cups water to the boil in a small pan (traditionally a long-handled cup-like pot called a finjan is used). Stir in ¼ cup coffee-cardamom mixture, adding sugar to taste. Cook over a medium-low heat until the liquid simmers around the edges and the coffee grinds begin to sink – about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let settle for 1 minute. Carefully pour into small cups, leaving the grounds behind.
Homemade vapor rub
A vapour rub is a classic when it comes to relieving and soothing congestion, so when I saw this recipe for an easy-to-make DIY chest rub, I jumped at the chance to make some for my medicine cabinet.
½ cup coconut oil
10-15 drops peppermint essential oil (you can also use eucalyptus or tea tree oil)
1 Gently melt the coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave until liquid. Pour into an airtight container.
2 Add the essential oil and stir until mixed in completely.
3 Seal the container and put aside. Once the rub has cooled and hardened, it’s ready to use!
Plant power
These cooler months are a great time to plant broad beans, celery, snow peas, sugar snap peas, spinach and turnips, which are all happy to thrive in colder conditions.
It’s also a good time to clear any spent foliage from the garden and transfer it to your compost. And don’t forget it’s important to keep the heat in and the rain out, so keep your compost heap covered with either a tarpaulin or some old carpet.
Try this:
In my old books, raw potato often pops up as a treatment for dark circles under your eyes. simply slice two circles of raw potato and rest on your closed eyes for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also do this with cooled tea bags to help reduce puffiness.
Watch: How to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew
