Bone Broth

It might be the most fashionable way of eating at the moment but bone broth is something I have been hooked on for years.  It is highly nutritious, great for healing the gut, a nice alternative to a cup of tea on a cold winters morning and it makes a great base for soups and other dishes.  The best part about it is the amount of time it takes to prepare - 10 minutes, then you leave it for the day and its all done!

Chicken Broth:
1 whole, fresh chicken  
4 litres filtered water, room temperature    
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar     
1 large onion, roughly chopped      
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped     
3 celery sticks with leaves, roughly chopped    
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped     
a handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Cut the chicken apart and remove most of the meat to use in other dishes, leaving a little bit of meat on the bones (if you have a good butcher they may have chicken carcasses in stock to save this step). The fat can be kept to use in the stock as it adds to the flavour and helps nutrients to be absorbed more easily.
Place the meaty bones (and fat if using) into a large, heavy based pot on the stove, or in a slow cooker. If you are cooking up your own chickens, or have access to the 'whole' chickens, you can also add the chicken feet and head.
Cover bones with water, add other ingredients and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Bring to a boil, remove any foam that rises to the top, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. Longer is better, as the more time it cooks, the more nutrients and minerals are released from the bones. A slow cooker is easiest, but make sure it's stainless steel or ceramic, preferably not teflon lined. If you use a pot on the stove, keep heat as low as possible and top up water as needed so that the bones are always covered.
Strain the broth into a bowl, then pour into jars. Discard bones and vegetables, but include meat scraps in the broth if you like. Store in the fridge for a few days or freeze into containers.
It is concentrated goodness, so you can add water to it for soups and stews. If you're taking it as a gut-healing 'medicine', just warm up half a cup of broth on the stovetop, add a little sea salt if you like, and sip like a cup of hot tea at least once a day.

Beef Broth:
2kg beef bones - a mixture of marrow, knuckle and meat bones
3 litres filtered water, room temperature
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar 
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks with leaves, roughly chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together, or 1 tsp dried
a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf

Place the knuckle and marrow bones into a heavy-based pot on the stove, or in a slow cooker, cover with water, add vinegar and leave to stand for one hour. Meanwhile, roast meat bones in oven at 180° for 30 mins. Add to pot with other bones.
Add all other ingredients, with extra water if needed to keep bones covered. Simmer for at least 12 hours or as long as 48 hours on low temperature. 
Strain and store as for chicken broth.

For this and other great recipes head to Quirky Cooking http://www.quirkycooking.com.au/