Chicken and Dumplings

I was in the mood for something hot and comforting yesterday after finally getting out for an early morning run for the first time since February 1st! Between now and then I've definitely slowed down but Kate very graciously insisted she didn't mind, even though I know how nice of her it is to meet me at o'dark thirty to run at a slow pace. Thanks Kate :)

It felt awesome to breathe in some cold, fresh crisp air and actually enjoy it, as opposed to the "fresh air" I get from sprinting with the kids from the car to Target or some other errand. The cold is just way better when you can get some blood pumping to go with it.

So back to food, I knew I wanted something warm and cozy for dinner, especially since the weathermen were calling for more snow. This recipe might seem pretty standard to most people. With two military parents our weekly meals were a little unusual growing up. My idea of comfort food is something like Japanese curry. So this was actually out of my box. I fought the urge to throw in a tablespoon of cayenne pepper or curry powder and just let the vegetables stand out on their own. I'm glad I did, it was perfect.

Also I DONT BAKE so these dumplings were so amazing to me.

You throw dough. In some soup. And it cooks into a biscuit. Mind-blowing.

My favorite thing about this recipe is the PARSNIPS!! Please don't leave this out! They have the best lemony flavor. Hope you give this one a try before spring is upon us and these root vegetables are long gone! And of course, its also a great meal to just throw in any veggies you have on hand!

Chicken and Dumplings

chicken tenders (or thighs, or breasts, whatever you have)

4 cups of Chicken Broth (about 1 32 oz carton)

2 -4 tablespoons flour

1 to 2 leeks (I now love leeks, so I did 2), chopped

2 parsnips chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, and either 2 tsp dried thyme or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Heat enough olive oil to coat a pan over medium high heat. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour, salt and pepper and shake off the excess.

Put in pan and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.

In that same oil add allllllll your yummy veggies. I even threw the peas in even though I probably should have waited til the end. But aren't they pretty??

Add the 4 cups of chicken broth, put the chicken back in, the bay leaf, the thyme, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, cover partially and then ignore it for as little as 15 minutes or as long as you want.

About 15 minutes before serving take out the chicken tenders and shred, then add back in (you can avoid all this by chopping chicken into pieces before cooking but I like shredded chicken).

For the Dumplings:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
any herbs you want to add like chives or thyme (I didn't)


You're supposed to sift the flour, salt and baking powder, but like I said I don't bake so I just kind of shook it all together. Worked fine. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Grab about a tablespoonish with a spoon. I like to make mine a little smaller because they get sooo much bigger when they cook.

Just put it in the simmering broth. NOT boiling, because that will make the dumpling break up.

Cover for 15 minutes (or more) and let them cook into big biscuit like things. I know, its so cool.

Serve it in a bowl like soup! So yummy and filling and delicious!