Chicken and Dumplings

This is the meal I want to have on a Minnesota Snow Day.  I believe this recipe originated from the magazine Everyday Food.  Mom made this recipe for a family gathering recently.  She has made chicken and dumplings in the past for us, but this recipe had a couple of great qualities to it that surpassed the previous recipe.  For one, the dumplings have a soft texture and are less like a biscuit.  The second is the thickened broth, which carries all of the gelatin and flavors of the chicken broth but will leave you knowing you ate something of substance that will keep you sated until tomorrow's breakfast.

Serves: 6-8 (depending on the size of your ladle.)

Ingredients:

• Broth
• 2 lbs Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 5)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cups water
• Roux
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion-diced
• 3 carrots-diced
• 1 celery stalk-diced
• 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes-peeled and cut into ½-inch dice.
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley-chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• Dumplings
• 1⅔ cups flour
• 1½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• ¾ cup whole milk
• Garnish
• Parsley
• Lemon Wedges

Directions: 

Make the broth: Within a medium saucepan combine 

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cups water
  
• Bring to a boil, then 
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered until the chicken is cooked-about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate, let cool 10 minutes
• Strain Broth-there should be 4 cups.  If not, add more water.
• Discard skin and bones.
• Shred meat into bite-sized pieces, (there should be about 3 cups).

The Roux

• Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add diced onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme.
• Cook stirring, until the onion is translucent, (3 to 4 minutes). 
• Sprinkle with ¼ cup flour.
• Cook 30 seconds.
• Gradually stir in broth.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer two minutes.
• Stir in chicken and 3 Tbsp chopped parsley.
• Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

The Dumplings

• Whisk together:
• 1⅔ cup flour, 
• 1½ teaspoon salt, 
• ¾ tsp ground pepper, 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• Cut in 4 Tbsp cold butter.
• Stir in ¾ cup milk until dough holds together.
• Drop 8 heaping spoonfuls of dough on top of chicken mixture.
• Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Serve with more parsley and a lemon wedge.

Doc's Chili - It has been doctored a bit

This recipe arrives on the blog by way of The Biggest Loser: 30-Day Jump Start.  With this the third, chili recipe, we now have as many chili recipes as we do banana bread recipes.  Each one has their strengths.  This chili is low in fat, simple to prep, quicker to cook and remarkably flavorful.  Ground turkey is the base of this recipe. If you are not a "ground turkey" person, this recipe may change your mind.  As with all chili, be certain to serve it with hot corn bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean turkey sausage)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (see alternative below)
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (not an ingredient from the original recipe)
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 1½cups pinto beans, cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1½ cups black beans, cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups diced tomatoes or 1 (28 ounce) can roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (not an ingredient from the original recipe)
• 1 small can of tomato paste (not an ingredient from the original recipe)

• ½ cup black olives (used as a garnish)
• ½ cup green onions, chopped. (also used as a garnish)

Alternative to chili powder:  

• Seed and slice 2 dried ancho chili pods
• heat the 1 cup chicken broth 
• add sliced pepper pods to hot broth
• Use an immersion blender to create a chili slurry

Pasta e Fagioli

(Pasta & Bean Soup)

This was a favorite of the Rumppe grandsons when young and at the lake. The recipe was acquired from the Olive Garden.  The original recipe was for 36 servings. This one was cut in half, so rather than preparing enough soup to feed the students in a high school math class, it is now down to feeding the rosters of both the local home and visiting baseball teams. As such, you might not be able to buy some items in the exact quantities listed. Don't fret.  You're not baking.  It's soup.  Get as close as you can and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ Tbsp Oil
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 6 oz Onion, Chopped
• 7 oz Carrots, slivered
• 7 oz Celery, diced
• 24 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 1 cup Red Kidney Beans
• 1 cup White Kidney Beans
• 44 oz Beef Stock
• ½ Tbsp Oregano
• 1¼ tsp Pepper
• 2½ tsp Parsley, (fresh chopped)
• ¾ tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 24 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
• 8 oz pasta, shells or macaroni 

Rick's Good-As-Gold Chili

This recipe was a prize winner at the 1987 Golden Chili Pepper Awards sponsored by the American Spice Trade Association.  An article with more details on Rick Christman can be found here.  The number of spices in this recipe would make it an obvious choice for the Spice Trade Association.  That said, the flavors all blend together well and make this a delicious chili.  It pairs well with corn bread and a chilled chardonnay.

Makes 4 1/2 cups.  Cooking Time: 40 minutes-ish

Turkey, Tortellini & Watercress Soup

This recipe is extremely easy to make, light and very delicious! I usually make this right after Thanksgiving or any time we have turkey. It takes about 2 hours to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts (16 cups) water
• the carcass of a turkey, broken into large pieces
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 ribs of celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 pound fresh cheese tortellini
• 4 cups coarsely chopped rinsed watercress

Savory Beef Stew

Source: Betty Crocker's Dinner For Two-Book 3, pg 64. ISBN 0-553-20656-7

I got the aforementioned book when Kathy and I were first married and before the ravenous pirannas were around to clear out our fridge and pantry.  The recipe below is a doubling of the recipe in the book.

Lentil Chili

I think the turn of a phrase that best applies to this recipe is "Mothers are the necessity of invention." 

Kathy is not a big fan of chili made with kidney beans.  She says having a kidney bean in one's mouth must be what it is like to have a June bug in your mouth.  (Try not to think of June bugs next time you eat a kidney bean!) This is a recipe that is of my own creation and uses lentils in place of other beans.  As a warning, without the garnishes it doesn't look appetizing. Looks are deceiving.

As with any chili, it well with corn bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 package lentils (red if possible)
• 6 cups water
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 2 med. onions (diced)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 quart stewed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Basil (crushed)
• 1 ½ tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper spice
• 3 Tbsp Cocoa
• 1 Tbsp salt

Garnish Options:

• Green Onion
• Grated Cheddar
• Sliced Jalapeño 
• Sour Cream

Pulled Pork and Bean Soup

I got this recipe from my mother who got it from a friend of hers, (J.B.). The soup has relatively few ingredients and since it is made in a slow cooker, it is very simple. This recipe has won its way onto our dinner table at least once a month. Pairs well with Three-Herb Bread.