What can I make for dinner using chicken broth?

[Falstaff]

Offical DEFRA advice is to peel carrots as the skin absorbs organo phosphates and nasties. Therefore I only buy organic carrots. As Toddy says, they don't keep in the bag due to the "Washing" - even organic ones. The trick is to take them out of the bag, let them air dry then cut the damp green end off. Then they'll last the best part of a week or more in a dry cupboard or veg basket. I tend to just scrub them clean before eating/cooking until near the end of the week, when they need peeling/odd manky bits cut out.

 

[Chris]

Offical DEFRA advice is to peel carrots as the skin absorbs organo phosphates and nasties. Therefore I only buy organic carrots. As Toddy says, they don't keep in the bag due to the "Washing" - even organic ones. The trick is to take them out of the bag, let them air dry then cut the damp green end off. Then they'll last the best part of a week or more in a dry cupboard or veg basket. I tend to just scrub them clean before eating/cooking until near the end of the week, when they need peeling/odd manky bits cut out.

I can’t seem to find that advice from DEFRA anywhere, do you happen to have a link? I’d be keen to see their advice/reasoning if this is the case. The only advice I can find from them is to wash root vegetables.

 

[Toddy]

Here's a thing that works well - I'd likely skip the cheese to an extent and replace with chilli flakes and shrimps and parsley ... even a dash of white wine in there, stir in some broccoli or munch up with asparagus

That must boost the flavour.....like roasting flour and butter to cook before you make the roux for the cheese sauce.

I'm going to give it a go Can't say I'm terribly fond of pasta, it's just filling stuff, and anything that helps is welcome

 

[Falstaff]

I can’t seem to find that advice from DEFRA anywhere, do you happen to have a link? I’d be keen to see their advice/reasoning if this is the case. The only advice I can find from them is to wash root vegetables.

No link and didn't bother downloading. You might be able to find something in the press, which is how I became aware of it.
Ha, found a specific reference to the advice in Hansard:
Just found this : https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1998/may/13/organophosphate-pesticides

They did an investigation and report on the quality of a range of veg, which found that the surfaces of carrots, potatoes and something else absorbed and held these, but were ok below the skin layer. This was a sort of follow-on from a previous report on the lack of nutrients in East Anglian veg, notably zinc, due to years of use of single/incomplete nutrient fertilizers, (principally nitrogen) that did not replace the trace elements in the soil etc. That report was widely referenced, and the same deficiencies found in the US food supply. Don't know if there is any corresponding info on organo phospates etc skin absorbption in the US/WHO etc. There is a heck of a lot on the web about organophosphate risks.
It would appear to me that certain ones (of many) are now banned, and there is some science reports regarding how to "Wash it out of soil" using surfactants. (Impossible, object is to dilute enough to be below "safe" levels. Peeling and boiling also dilutes the risk)
I think agro chem interests/lobby groups have been hard at work and now have the "oh it's all dealt with now and its safe to go back into the water" line. They are trying very hard presently, to justify reversing the ban on neonicotoids, which they were trying to use as an alternative.

Your choice, I'm sticking to scrubbing or scraping organic carrots as I like to eat them raw. All other roots I peel, as organics are less available at prices I'm ok with.

 

[Megatramp]

Looks great as it is!

Think I must be hungry coz I keep looking at food posts!

 

[Ystranc]

Well I made soup today. Chicken broth, tomatoes, carrots, onion, peas, mixed herbs, fresh rosemary + Bay from the garden, pinch of salt & pepper. I didn't add anything to thicken. It was very nice, so nice in fact that my girlfriend had seconds! I'll be making it again next week.

What's peoples opinion on peeling carrots from the supermarket? Safe to leave the skin on if cleaened? (I'm thinking pesticides etc.)

Personal choice about peeling carrots, I don’t if it’s just me and the Mrs but if we’re having picky guests I will.

 

[Nice65]

I do a rich chicken stock/broth of wings, thighs etc for the dog, I don't put any veg in until after I've taken all the bones out and the meat out for her, onions are really bad for her guts, and her guts is usually why I'm making boiled chicken in the first place.

I almost always use the broth to make the simplest risotto, two or three ingredients not including the Arborio rice. Some of the shredded chicken and peas, good handful of Parmesan and parsley. Add anything more and it's like overloading a pizza, ruins it.

 

[Falstaff]

Carrots - MAF advice is to peel, as the skin absorbs the organo phosphates/ poisons used. Organic carrots of course don't have this, so a good scrub with a nail brush is enough (unless their old) and provides more useful nutrients from the skin. Plus organic carrots normally taste a heck of a lot better, and there seems to be more seasonal variety.

 

[Billy-o]

The other thing you could try is put in a cup of pearl barley and cook til it's done, maybe add a can of black beans too. This will all depend on how tasty your stock is, which I am sure it is. But maybe have half a Knorr stock cube to hand.