Making Broth from Black Chicken

I first discovered black chicken while shopping at a Chinese supermarket near me. I was tempted to buy it but never did.

Last week my mom asked me to get it. She wanted me to make broth from it for her friend. I went to the Chinese supermarket to see if they had it and luckily there were many on the shelf. 

The black chicken was on the smaller side. I’m not sure how much it weighed but it was being sold for $11.99 each. That is a bit pricey but as there’s no other place near me where I can get a black chicken I ended up buying it.

To make the broth I used an entire black chicken, head included. After letting the chicken soak for a bit I rinsed it under cold water. I then cut off the head and the feet from the chicken, and trimmed the nails before putting both in a large pot along with the rest of the chicken. I filled it almost to the top with water, added sea salt, and put it on high heat. Once the pot came to a boil I lowered the heat and let it cook for about an hour. When the time was up I added a carrot, a few scallions, and some whole shiitake mushrooms and let it cook for another 1.5 hours. I forgot to add some ginger so added a big piece after the 1.5 hours passed. 

I covered the pot and let it sit. Once it cooled off I put it in the fridge. Taking it out of the fridge after a day had passed I gave it a try. The broth was very flavorful. I had some with the carrot and the shiitake mushrooms from the pot, along with a drumstick and a wing. It made for a delicious soup. I decided to discard the scallion as it was too soft but perhaps I could have ate it. 

My mom gave a lot of the broth to her friend. He really enjoyed it. She even had some herself and thought it was good. I think I will be making it again in the future. I may even try baking the black chicken. It will be delicious I’m sure.

Turns out that black chicken is good for you. It has a high collagen content, is a good source of protein, and has other nutrients too. The broth and the chicken, along with the shiitake mushrooms and carrots, are great to have when you feel sick. 

I am not sure why the black chicken is only available at the Chinese supermarket but it’s good to know that at least I can get it there if I need it.

A Big Bowl of Salad

I usually eat breakfast around eleven in the morning. It's basically close to lunch time, so what I have been eating lately are salads. I always eat a big bowl. It's filling, nutritious, and delicious. 

The ingredients can vary based on what I have at home or what I am in the mood for but these are the things that I usually put into the salad: apple, bell pepper, red radish, mini cucumber, celery, greens (lettuce, arugula or watercress), onion (red, white or sweet), cilantro (parsley or dill if no cilantro), canned tuna or canned salmon, dried cranberries, roasted sesame seeds or chia seeds, sea salt, squeeze of fresh lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and Hellmann's mayo. 

Sometimes I may add green cabbage and even a carrot. I can also add scallion and sprinkle some dried coconut as well. If I am in the mood for an egg I sometimes hard boil (or even soft boil) an egg and have it along with the salad. Gives me an added amount of protein and satisfies my cravings.

Black Bean Salad

I love Goya black beans. I make a salad with them that I enjoy eating with a soft boiled egg on the side. It makes for a nice and healthy breakfast.

To make the salad I first place the beans in a colander and rinse under cold water. Once done, I place them into a bowl and add the rest of the (chopped) ingredients—celery, mini cucumber, bell pepper, onion (Vidalia, red, white, or shallot), and fresh herbs (cilantro or parsley). To that I add chia seeds, sea salt, sumac, and olive oil. I also squeeze some lemon juice. Mix everything together and you have a salad that not only tastes great but is good for you too. And it's quite filling. 

Since I am the only one that usually eats this salad one can of Goya black beans makes for two portions, which means I enjoy it two days in a row. I don't make it all at once though. I prefer to make the salad fresh right before eating.