Chicken and Dumplings

Last week I was looking for something comforting and easy to make. In my search on the Food Network's website I found this recipe for Rachael Ray's Chicken and Dumplings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
2 tablespoons flour, a handful
1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container, preferred brand Kitchen Basics
1 small box biscuit mix(preferred brand Jiffy Mix)
1/2 cup warm water
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas

The How To:
Dice tenders into bite size pieces and set aside.

Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.


Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.


Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley.


Drop tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly.

Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Stir peas into the pan, remove chicken and dumplings from heat and serve in shallow bowls.

The Verdict: I made the mistake of using salt-free chicken stock (it was all they had at the supermarket and I didn't think it would matter). This made for a very bland (at least in my opinion) stoup, but it was nothing a little added salt couldn't fix. I love the way the dumplings turned out, it gave me that comforting feeling I was looking for on a cold winter night. This dish is really easy to make and I would highly recommend this if, like me, you're in the mood for some yummy, easy to make, comfort food!

Double Chicken Dumpling Stoup

Anyone who has ever watched 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network knows that Stoup is thicker than a soup and thinner than a stew! I stumbled across this dish, Double Chicken Dumpling Stoup on the Every Day with Rachael Ray website and made it tonight for dinner!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, shredded (1-1/2 cups)
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
One 1-pound package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a couple of generous handfuls)
Crusty bread, for dunking

The How To:
1.In a soup pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. add the celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil.

2.Meanwhile, in a bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and nutmeg. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (you'll have about 40) and add to the stoup. Simmer for about 10 minutes while you wash up. Add the gnocchi to the stoup and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the stoup from the heat, discard the bay leaf and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with the bread.


The Verdict:
This was a solid dish. It is different take on Chicken Noodle Soup and any dish that has gnocchi in it is going to be a winner in my book! Again I can't stress enough how amazing 30 Minute Meals are. This was done in no time and with very little prep. This is the perfect dish to make on a night you just don't want to cook but still want something healthy and tasty!

Bon Appétit