Stew: Chicken and dumplings

January 9, 2015

My favorite thing to eat on a regular basis is soup.  I love soup, it's big in my family.  The only thing is that I only know how to make about five different ones by heart, so I love trying new ones out at restaurants.  I have found that I love chowders and really enjoy creamy soups especially on cold days.  GTLF has a whole cookbook just for soups.  Here is one I really enjoyed.

Chicken Stew with Onion Dumplings

GTLF: Hearty Soups and Stews p. 21

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 C evaporated skimmed milk

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/4 tsp. olive oil

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 C peeled baby carrots, halved lengthwise

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 in cubes

1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning, or 1 tsp. dried thyme and 1/2 tsp. dried basil

13 3/4 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted

1 C frozen peas

3/4 C Skim milk

4 scallions, chopped

1/2 C plain dried bread crumbs

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1. In a far with a tight fitting lid, combine 1/4 C of the flour, the evaporated milk, hot pepper sauce, and salt and shake to blend.

2. In a large, deep nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp. of the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the celery, onion, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.  Add the chicken and Italian seasoning and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes.  Add the broth and 1/3 C of water and bring to a simmer.  Shake the reserved evaporated milk mixture to recombine and stir the mixture into the pan.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the peas.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the skim milk, and scallions.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining 1 C flour, the bread crumbs, baking powder, and mustard.  With a large spoon, drop the dough into 12 dumplings on top of the simmering stew.  Cover and cook until the chicken and dumplings are cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Divide the chicken mixture and dumplings among 4 bowls and serve.

Nutritional Information: 10 g fat, 454 calories, 1.8 g saturated fat, 60 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 73 mg cholesterol, 991 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. Try to space the dumplings about 1 inch apart.  Do not uncover the skillet until the full cooking time has passed for the best results for dumplings.  They are done if you stick a toothpick through and it comes out clean.  They should also be firm to the touch.