GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Protein is critical for maintaining a healthy immune system & repairing muscles. Our body uses protein to build and repair tissues and uses it make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Here are several ways in which eating a protein-rich diet will help your body stay healthy and assist your body during recovery after overcoming illness:
- Increases Muscle Mass and Strength
- Building Block Your Bones and Cartilage
- Lowers Your Blood Pressure
Protein-rich meals include meat, poultry, fish and beans and lentils. Thankfully, The Canning Diva®, Diane Devereaux, has created recipes you may preserve and store on the pantry shelf long-term, giving you a ready-made food source when times get tough or making a meal seems daunting.
A nationally-syndicated food preservation expert with over 25 years of experience canning and preserving food, Diane’s latest book, Beginner’s Guide to Canning: 90 Recipes to Can, Savor and Gift, teaches you how to safely preserve protein-rich meals in a jar using a pressure canner. Geared towards the beginner canner, she provides you with essential information and step-by-step instructions so you may create delicious, healthy recipes like, Minestrone Soup, Beef Stew, Turkey and Vegetables and Orange-Bourbon Salmon and more.
For more canning tips and information, go to www.canningdiva.com and follow The Canning Diva® on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Yield: Approx. 7 quarts or 14 pints
10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onions
¼ cup butter
4 cups fresh or frozen chopped carrots, chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (optional)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/3 cups ClearJel®
In a small stock pot, cover chicken with 2 inches of water and boil until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set on a cutting board to cool. Measure 10 cups of broth created from boiling chicken and set aside. Once chicken has cooled, chop or tear into bite sized pieces.
In a large, thick-bottomed stainless steel stock pot, combine celery, onions, and butter and cook on medium-heat until onions are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, peas, corn, salt, pepper, celery seeds, garlic powder and 8 cups of broth to the onion mixture. Mix well using a long-handled spoon. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add more broth as necessary (see Ingredient Tip below). Once at a boil stir in ClearJel® being sure to mix well until filling starts to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Ladle hot pie filling into hot jars leaving a generous 1” head space. Remove any air bubbles and add additional soup if necessary, keeping the 1 ¼” head space.
Wipe each rim with a warm wash cloth dipped in vinegar. Place lid and rings on each jar and hand tighten.
Place jars in pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Let canner vent for 10 minutes Close vent and continue heating to achieve 11 psi for a dial gauge and 10 psi for a weighted gauge. Process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 75 minutes.
Ingredient Tip: There should be about 2 cups of hot Chicken Broth waiting in the wings after you measured out 10 cups. This is handy in the event the mixture soaks up more liquid than expected prior to adding the ClearJel®. If your mixture appears dry while heating through, add one cup at a time. This will make the texture creamier when you add the ClearJel®.
For more canning tips go to www.canningdiva.com and follow The Canning Diva® on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
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