Bone broth is super nourishing for kids and adults. Broth supports immunity and strengthens the digestive system. It’s also tasty and makes many dishes taste much more delicious. My curry sauces for example are all based in bone broth for the nutritional value of the broth as well as for the quality of the dishes. For my bone broth recipe click here!
I store my bone broth in 500ml containers in the freezer. If I need broth at the last minute, I pop the jars or safe plastic pouches in just boiled water for a few minutes to start the defrost and then tip the half-defrosted stock into a saucepan to reheat.
Here are my favourite quick and nutritious meals with bone broth that are great for kids and adults:
Make Your Own Adventure Soup. This is a great way of using up spare roast veg or freshly cut veg, leftover pasta or soba noodles, leftover roast chicken, fresh prawns or frozen prawns that have been cooked in a bit of broth (takes a few minutes). I pop a beautiful board on the table with lots of different bits the kids can add to their own soup bowl. I pretty much tip leftovers gently onto the board and that’s it! The kids add their own chosen veg and protein to their bowl and give their dish a name! eg Felix’s magic prawn & sugar snap noodle adventure… If your kids fancy, you can include herbs on the board or even a bit of mild chilli. I then pour over some broth that I’ve heated and allowed to cool on the stove. This is an endlessly fun, delicious dish and you can roll it out a couple of times a week with different protein and different veg.
Organic Ham & Pea Mess. We sell organic ham through our online shop, cook with the ham and also sell ham sandwiches through our café. So I always order some from myself so I’ve got a bit for school lunchboxes and our breakfasts and dinners! This dish is a great kids dish. I cook some organic frozen peas in broth until they are just going mushy and absorbing the broth. I then make a pile of peas (it can be a bit brothy), pop the torn or sliced ham on top and serve up with some chopped veg. If I’ve got an extra couple of minutes, I’ll add a poached or fried egg to the plate.
Chicken Fried Rice! I use day old brown basmati rice (as it’s low GI) toss the rice in a pan with a little chicken fat or quality coconut oil, add veg, a little bone broth, a little ham or some frozen prawns and an organic egg or 2 and voila!
Cheats Chicken Chow Mein (with 6 ingredients)! Yummo. This dish is amazing. Sautee 1kg chicken mince in a pan (I always make a little extra so I have leftovers). I add the mince to the pan in a shallow layer and leave it until going brown on the bottom. Sprinkle a tsp of Chinese 5 Spice Powder. While the mince is browning, I use a bbq or fish slice to break up the meat a little by cutting it vertically so that I don’t move the mince much. Once brown on the bottom gently turn the mince breaking it up a bit more with the fish slice. When you turn the mince, add a cup of bone broth which will start bubbling and reducing and will keep the chicken moist. Once the meat has almost finished cooking, add 2 tbs coconut sugar or brown rice syrup, 3 tbs tamari soy, 1 tsp of red miso. Taste for salty and sweet and adjust with more tamari soy or sugar/brown rice syrup until it tastes super amazing. If you fancy you can throw in some carrots, beans, cabbage or greens in when you are seasoning the dish or serve the veg on the side.
Sausage Bake. I pop my sausages (organic beef or chicken!) in one layer in a baking dish and add broth until it is coming half up the side of the sausages. Add some pumpkin (chopped thinly so it cooks quickly), carrots, zucchini, squash, broccoli or other veg that your kids like around the sausages so they are also half in the broth. Sprinkle the veg with a little Himalayan sea salt or good sea salt. Bake at 220deg C until the sausages start browning and are cooked through and the veggies are going brown. I like the zucchini squash and broccoli with a little bite. I often serve this dish at home with handmade mayo and some leaves of basil on top and some toasted sourdough to mop up the juices! Also delicious with brown basmati.
Kamilla Johns