Thursday, March 31, 2011

Chicken and Dumplings

Hello!! I want to start off by setting a schedule that I am going to follow for this blog. And that way, you will know when to expect new recipes. Although I am sorry for this last month but I really hadn't been feeling well. But everyone is better now and back to normal! So, the schedule for posting will be the 10th, 20th, and 30th of every month. Now, on to our recipe.

I started off by chopping a couple of carrots and an onion then adding them to a large pot over medium heat with olive oil and seasoning them with salt and pepper.


When they were just starting to become soft, I added in a 28oz can of pre-cooked chicken.



I really like using canned chicken in this because it just shreds all throughout the dish and I just love how then it is in every bite. It also makes this dish rather fast to make! At this point I also added in chicken broth and seasonings and brought it to a boil. While I was waiting for it to come to a boil, I "made" my dumplings.
I took a refrigerated roll of biscuits........



......and cut each biscuit into quarters.



If some of the pieces were a little big, I just cut them again. It doesn't have to be anything exact. It is better to use an original biscuit or a buttermilk biscuit. Try not to use the biscuits that are "flake" or "pull-a-part" because they tend to not work as well in this dish. I dropped each dumpling into the boiling pot one or two at a time while stirring.


I covered the pot with a lid for 5-10 minutes until the dumplings were cooked. Then I stirred in some milk I had mixed with corn starch to thicken it all and make it more gravy like and stirred in some frozen peas.

Viola! Chicken and Dumplings!


Chicken and Dumplings

2-4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
28oz Canned Cooked Chicken
6 Cups Chicken Broth (equals 3 regular size cans)
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
1 Refrigerated Can of 8 biscuits, Original or Buttermilk
2/3 Cup milk
3 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/2 to 1 Cup frozen peas
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Over medium heat, cook carrot and onion with olive oil until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add can of chicken, chicken broth, thyme, parsley, and a pinch more salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cut biscuits into quarters or bite sized pieces. Drop one or two at a time into boiling liquid while stirring. Place cover on pan, turn heat down slightly and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Whisk corn starch and milk together, add to pot while stirring and bring back to boil to thicken. Add in frozen peas and stir. Season with a pinch more salt and pepper if needed. 

Friday, March 18, 2011

A Little Update

Hi Everyone......
Sorry for my lack of posting lately but I have been a bit under the weather......Ok, more than a bit.  And I haven't been cooking at all lately. I am finally on my way to recovery (fingers crossed) and should hopefully be back sometime this next week with a recipe. If all goes well, I'm hoping to post Chicken and Dumplings! Have a good weekend.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Sesame Noodles

Are you ready for a side dish that is completely different and totally easy? These Sesame Noodles are it!

Using the large tablespoon out of my silverware set, I roughly measure out:

2 spoons peanut butter
1 spoon soy sauce
1 1/2 spoons vegetable oil
1/2 spoon sesame oil
sprinkle in chili powder to taste



The nice thing is, you don't have to be exact with this. Using a tablespoon for rough measurments will work just fine.

The sesame oil adds a really nice flavor but it is strong. Start with the half spoon full and then add more if you wish after you taste it.



Mix everything together using a fork. When you first start mixing, it will seem that it won't ever come together. After a minute or two though, you get a nice creamy sauce.



Mix with a a half pound of cooked spaghetti noodles that are still hot.



Again this makes a wonderful side dish, especially for Chicken Curry. It also makes a simple lunch or dinner all on its own. Enjoy!