In My Kitchen: Chicken and Dumplings

Get out your stock pot, it's time to whip up some awesome!



I made this last night because I'd half a poached chicken taunting me from the second shelf of the refrigerator. Add in some pantry & frozen ingredients and I was a dinnertime heroine!



Don't be intimidated by the dumplings in this recipe, it's ridiculous how simple they are to make. How? Self-rising flour, of course. ;) I use self-rising flour because I'm a Northern chica & this is how mi madre makes it. The salt & baking powder are already in it, so that's 3 ingredients & a step already taken care of. We're already halfway to fluffy, heavenly dumpling-mania.



For the chicken soup bit you will need:

• 1/2 poached chicken, cubed 2 large cans (49.5oz mega size) of chicken broth (unless you're extra awesome & have that much homemade broth on hand)

• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 bag (32oz) frozen peas & carrots
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup of flour (regular, not self-rising)
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• salt, pepper & garlic to taste

1. Melt butter in a pot and add flour. On medium/high heat whisk together until you have a crumbly consistency. Whisk in 1 can of chicken broth until all the crumbs are incorporated in the liquid & the mixture is smooth.
2. Add diced onions & the other can of broth, cover & bring to a simmer.
3. Add salt, pepper & garlic to taste.
4. Add chicken & frozen peas & carrots
5. Cover & bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer & stir in poultry seasoning.

While the above is simmering, make the dumplings. This recipe makes between 18-20 dumplings, by the way. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 cups self-rising flour 4 tbsp butter (softened to room-temperature)
• 1 cup 2% milk, cold
• 1 dash dried parsley

1. With flour in a bowl, add parsley & cut in the butter.
2. Stir in milk with a fork until a moist dough forms. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure you get everything mixed in.

Now that your chicken/vegetable broth is at a decent simmer, it's time to add the dumplings! Make sure it's not boiling though. You don't want your dumplings to disintegrate.

1. Use a teaspoon to measure your dumplings & drop them from the teaspoon into the pot. I don't recommend using tablespoons for this recipe, they'll be ginormous. Even if your dumplings look small when you're dropping them in, worry not! These will seriously double as they cook.
2. Once you've dropped all your dumplings in the pot, cover tightly with the lid and let them cook for 10 minutes. Don't peek! They'll be fine & they don't need you.
3. After 10 minutes, check on your lovelies for doneness by poking with the end of a sharp knife. Clean knife = done dumplings (just like when you bake a cake).

Pull up a bowl. Break out a spoon. Bask in the raves.