RECIPE TIME

On my previous post, I mentioned that Chicken & Dumplings are one of my favorite comfort foods. I promised to share the recipe at some point and since there was some interest, I will share it now.

I think I should preface my recipe post by saying that I am by no means a chef. I love to cook, I love to cook things my family likes, and I love to cook for anyone who will eat what I cook. I love to "tweak" recipes to fit our tastes - you know make adjustments here & there to make them more compatible with our pallets. I also love to try to create my own recipes. But again, I am not a chef - I do not always know the "proper" terminology, or make things fancy. I do have some low fat recipes that are good, but I also have plenty that are in no way low fat - so if low fat is your style, I may disappoint on occasion as many of my recipes have real butter, and other very bad for you things in them. Also, please remember I am Arkansas born & raised, so my recipes are just good ol' southern home cookin - most are simple, passed down through generations, etc... I think I will try to throw in a recipe post weekly ( I think I will have to see how it goes.) If you have requests, let me know I will share if I have what you request.

So, my Chicken & Dumpling recipe will be the first I share. Naomi, here, asked what dumplings are - they are defined at Wikipedia.com as: "piece[s] of dough, sometimes filled, that [are] cooked in liquid such as water or soup" or "sweetened dough wrapped around fruit, such as an apple, baked and served as a dessert." - for my recipe, it would be the pieces of dough cooked in liquid (no filling).

Here is the recipe:

1 chicken

3 cups flour (all purpose)

1 tsp. salt

1- 2 sticks butter or margarine (divided use)

1 1/2 - 2 cups milk (divided use)

Season chicken with salt & pepper and boil with enough water to cover. Add water if needed while cooking. When chicken is done remove from broth to cool. Save broth. Debone chicken when cool and set aside.

Mix flour & salt. Cut 1/2 stick butter or margarine into flour mixture (should be a cornmeal type consistency). Add enough milk to make a stiff dough (not sticky). Turn dough onto floured surface and knead (don't over knead, this will make it tough). Roll thin (1/4 inch or less) and cut into narrow strips (about 1'' by 1'' or smaller, needs to be bite size).

Bring broth to a rolling boil and drop strips in one at a time (I know this sounds crazy, but they stick together if you drop them together). Cook until tender (approximately 10 minutes). Add cooked chicken, 1/4 stick butter (I usually use a whole stick), 1 cup milk, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Sauce should thicken as it simmers. If not thick enough, thicken with milk & flour (or cornstarch). If too thick, thin with milk or water. (we like our sauce thick).

Several fellow bloggers commented that the use canned biscuits, I have tried this & it is good, definitely easier (and I love easy), but we like the thinner dumplings over the thicker ones (the thicker ones tend to be too gooey for our taste). There are many chicken & dumpling recipes out there w/many variations, this one just happens to be my family's favorite!

Hope you enjoy them if you use the recipe! Happy Eating!

I have a recipe request of all of you - if anyone has a good potato soup recipe, I will love you forever if you share it with me (LOL)! Any recipe requests from me???