Chicken and Dumplings

Tags

carrot, celery, chicken, dumplings, onion, soup, stew

The time change is this weekend, which means that spring is nearly upon us. Yet I’m still making soup, and I will continue probably through summer! But at least this soup isn’t a super heavy one, so it could work even in summer! I did make some tweaks to it, though, which is bound to happen after making it 3 times in a couple months. 🙂 The first time I tried making chicken and dumplings, it came out bland and not very good at all. I just assumed that’s how all chicken and dumplings must be, but boy was I wrong! This has definitely come to be one of my favorite soups (or stews… whatever you want to consider it), and I’m so glad I gave chicken and dumplings another chance.

Since I love to have leftovers, I found I needed to up the chicken broth or else it all got absorbed while sitting in the frig. And it never hurts to have some more broth in your soup! My husband and I also found the dumplings in the original recipe to taste a little off, so I went with my own favorite dumpling recipe. Of course, if you have your own, go ahead and use it. It will only make the soup taste that much better!Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Stew:
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4‑inch pieces
1 celery rib, chopped fine
¼ cup dry sherry
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup milk

To make the stew: Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until skin is well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken pieces and brown on second side, 5 to 7 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Discard all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to now-empty pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot; stir in broth and thyme. Return chicken thighs, with any accumulated juices, to pot. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until meat is cooked and tender, but still clings to bones, 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and transfer chicken to cutting board. Allow broth to settle 5 minutes, then skim fat from surface. When chicken is slightly cooled, remove and discard skin. Using fingers or fork, pull meat from chicken thighs and cut into 1‑inch pieces; return meat to pot.

To make the dumplings: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add melted butter and milk and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Return stew to simmer, stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scoop dumpling batter by the rounded tablespoon over top of stew, spacing about ¼-inch apart. Wrap lid of Dutch oven with clean kitchen towel, keeping towel away from heat source, and cover pot. Simmer gently until dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 13 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eats

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Tuscan Bean Stew

Tags

beans, cannelini beans, carrot, celery, Italian, kale, onion

I totally didn’t realize there was so little time until Christmas! I’m so not ready yet! I had all these plans to make cookies and candies, and try all sorts of new and festive treats and share with you… but alas, I am running out of time. Guess I’ll have to see what I can bust out in the next week, and share what I can. There’s always next year to share more!

Now this soup isn’t festive, but it’s perfect for fall and winter. I tried this last year, and when the temps started dropping here, this is one of the first soups I got a craving for. It’s loaded with vegetables and beans, and is super hearty and filling. Cook’s Illustrated has a quick version, which is the one I used, and a longer version that uses dried beans. I would love to try this with dried beans, but I can’t seem to find dried cannelini beans in any stores nearby! Please let me know if you’ve ever found them, and if so where!! But anyways, if you’re a fan of beans and vegetables in soup, then you’ve got to try this delicious recipe!Tuscan Bean Stew

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
6 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1½ cups)
2 medium celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces (about ¾ cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
8 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
2 bay leaves
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium bunch kale (about 1 pound), thick stems trimmed and leaves coarsely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Heat oil and pancetta or bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, beans, bay leaves, tomatoes, and kale. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rosemary and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables and greens are fully tender. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig; season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew. Serve lightly drizzled with olive oil.

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, March 2008

Tourtière

Tags

carrot, celery, onion, pie, pork, potato

So as of my last post, I wasn’t in the Christmas spirit, and I hadn’t started shopping. I went on a shopping spree yesterday, both online and in the stores, and got most of it done! And I am now feeling much more in the spirit. The decorations in the store, the music on the radio. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas now! 🙂If you’re looking for a new holiday tradition, consider tourtière. It’s a French-Canadian meat pie served traditionally on Christmas Eve, Christmas, or New Years. It originated in Quebec but has since spread in popularity throughout Canada and bordering states in the United States. The recipe I found uses ground pork along with potatoes, carrots, celery and onion to make it a well rounded dish. The cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg provide a unique and delicious flavor that is both warming and comforting. Traditionally, tourtière is served in a full sized pie dish with both a top and bottom crust. This Cooking Light version makes individual portions with only a top crust, which cuts calories and makes for adorable presentation! Bon appetit!Tourtière

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
⅓ cup finely chopped celery
1 (1-pound) russet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
Pastry for 1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil until shimmering, then add pork. Sprinkle pork with salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, and cloves; sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, carrot, celery, potato, and garlic; toss to combine and sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick.

Place 1 cup pork mixture into each of 6 (8-ounce) ramekins. Roll pie dough to an 11-inch circle. Cut dough into 6 (5-inch) circles, re-rolling dough as needed. Place 1 dough circle on each ramekin, tucking edges inside. Cut 4 slits in the top of each circle. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

Marinara Sauce

Tags

carrot, celery, onion, tomato, wine

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m all about pasta. This means I love the more complex pasta dishes, all the way down to the most simplistic. And what is more simplistic or basic than good ol’ spaghetti, which of course needs a basic marinara sauce. This is a staple for any pasta lover, so you can build upon it if desired, adding meat or mushrooms, extra garlic or basil, or anything your heart desires.The sauce starts out with a mirepoix, which is a fun and fancy French term which means the combination of onion, celery, and carrot. I add some wine to this sauce because it makes the sauce richer, without adding any wine flavor.

Marinara is about more than just spaghetti. It’s a great dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks, zucchini sticks, or calamari. It’s a great accompaniment for Italian burgers, which I’ll be posting next. Another fun meal is eggs poached in marinara sauce, which is served over a nice, crusty slice of bread.This recipe doubles or even triples really well, if you have a large enough pot, then freeze it in large freezer bags and you’ll always have homemade marinara sauce on hand. And homemade food always tastes that much better than store bought!

Marinara Sauce

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
⅓ cup dry red wine
2 dried bay leaves

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and ½ teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 70 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce to the desired consistency. Alternatively, a blender can be used, working the sauce in small batches (hot liquids expand and can blast the blender lid off). Serve immediately, or cool, then cover and refrigerate for a day, rewarming over medium heat before serving.

Source: Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis