Maureen's Homemade Chicken Stew

• 1 whole plump roaster (peel off 3/4 of the skin and remove pop-up thermometer)

• 3 large organic carrots peeled and cubed or 1.5 cups of cubed carrots

• ½ medium organic turnip peeled and cubed or 1 cup of cubed turnip

• 2 medium parsnips or 1 cup of cubed parsnip

• ½ medium sweet onion or 3/4 cup of cubed onion

• 2 cloves garlic chopped into fine pieces

• 1 tsp. of garlic powder (not garlic salt)

• 2 medium potatoes or 1.5 cups of cubed potatoes

• Enough water to cover

 In a large crockpot place the chopped garlic cloves with the whole chicken breast side down. Pile the vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle with the garlic powder and then add enough water to cover or almost cover the whole.Set crockpot on medium low and let stew/simmer overnight. In the morning unplug crockpot and let cool completely. Lift chicken out into a separate bowl and debone. Replace chicken meat back into the stew and mix. Serve hot with a salad of mixed organic greens and/or your favorite bread or crackers.

Notes:

I buy organic vegetables from other local farmers and chicken (when available) in my area or use our own organic vegetables in this stew. Because the stew is made with a whole chicken the flavor is really excellent and actually often matures into its best flavor once it’s sat in the refrigerator for a couple of days.We’ve found this stew to be a great cold-stopper. And because the quantity made is large you can freeze it in portions and take it out and pop it into the microwave anytime anyone needs a pick-me-up or some cold-defense.