Jamie Oliver Chicken & Homemade Chicken Stock/Broth

I love Jamie Oliver and his recipes. And his cookbook is full of Healthy Recipes. I will be sure to be pulling out his cookbook this month and begin cooking lots of his healthy meals. I know I will be making this at least once a week this whole month while we are on this "meat, vegetable and fruit only diet". I love this chicken it's simple to throw together and we cook it in the crock-pot. The BEST kind of cooking. Plus after cooking this delicious chicken, I make homemade chicken broth for the freeze and that my friends, I just LOVE having on hand, and I just ran out!

Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken (crock-pot)
adapted but found on Fabulously Fun Food

Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken

1 small whole chicken 

salt and fresh ground pepper (use less than 2 tsp of salt)
3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano) finely chopped, or use dry herbs
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, quartered
4 bay leaves, torn
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or dry works great too
1 onions, diced

Wash chicken inside and out and pat dry. Rub the cavity with salt. Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle the outside with a bit of olive oil and the fresh or dry herbs (and a little salt if you wish).

Put a layer of onions on the bottom of the crock-pot and then put the chicken on top. Stuff the bird with one of the lemons, bay leaves, and rosemary. Pull the skin forward making sure the flesh isn't exposed. The second lemon can be squeezed all over the chicken and then placed on top of the chicken for cooking. Place the lid on the crock-pot and cook on low for about 8 hours (some crock pots may take less or more time).

The added bonus is making homemade chicken stock and it's easier than pie!  It’s also extremely frugal!  I just figured out how to make this... and wondering why oh why didn't someone show me this sooner ?

Homemade Chicken Stock (crock-pot)
following instructions found at Real Food, Allergy Free
and adapted slightly by me!

I cook the Jamie Oliver Chicken in my crock-pot and then after dinner take all that's left in the crock-pot add a few things and make homemade chicken stock/chicken broth. 

1. First pick the rest of the meat off the bones and refrigerate or freeze for soups, stir fry's or chicken salad sandwiches.
2. Then I toss the bones back in the crockpot.  I now save the “gizzards,”  and toss them in the crockpot too.  Organ meat actually contain more nutrients than the muscle meat.  Most Americans are uncomfortable eating the organs.  By cooking them in the broth, you can transfer many of the nutrients into the stock. (I tried this for the first time and the chicken broth looks and tastes the same, so if it adds more nutritional value, I am all for it).
3. Next, I add vegetables (whatever I have on hand), and only if you wish. The chicken sometimes already has vegetables in them, so there was no need to add more. But, if you'd like add in a couple onions, carrots and celery. Use frozen vegeatbles too, or whatever you have left over in the refrigerator. You can even use the tough part of asparagus. I add in parsley too, for additional minerals.
4. Cover the bones and veggies with cold water, I fill my crock-pot up almost to the top, then add in 2 - 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
5. Turn the crockpot on low.  Cook 12+ hours, I leave in the crock-pot overnight. So from about 8pm to about 8 or 9am. I heard the longer you cook, the richer the broth.
6. After the chicken and stock cool, remove the bones and veggies and strain the stock (I use an extemley small strainer so that all I get is the liquid). 
7. Take all of the liquid and mix it in a food processor or blender.
8. Pour the stock into freezer containers, freezer bags or ice cube trays if you want small amounts.

Homemade stock will keep in the fridge 5-7 days or can be frozen indefinitely.