Chicken and Dumplings

I did not grow up on chicken and dumplings. In fact my mother has never made them in her life. I was introduced to this comforting dish in college. Places like Murrell’s and Cracker Barrel served chicken and dumplings with rolled thin noodle like dumplings, not the fluffy biscuit style. So when I decided to start making them at home I looked for thin dumpling recipes. When I came across this recipe I had reservations. Would flour tortillas actually taste like the dumplings I have come to love? I was pleasantly surprised. These dumplings are so thin and perfect. Unless you tell, I promise nobody will know they are flour tortillas. By adding the butter and milk the broth is rich and silky. I have used skim milk, 2 %, whole milk and even fat free half and half, all with great results. I happen to really like celery, so I use cream of celery soup. If your family has an aversion to celery, you can substitute cream of chicken soup. This is one of those dishes that is even better the second day.

Chicken and Dumplings
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
14 oz flour tortillas
2 cans reduced fat cream of celery soup
1/2 cup light butter
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup fat-free skim milk

Instructions

Bring chicken to a simmer in chicken broth and water. Simmer slowly about 30 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken set aside to cool. Add cream of celery soup and butter to broth, bring back up to a simmer. Shred chicken and add back to pot. Cut tortillas into 1" strips about 3” long, slowly add to simmering soup. Pat down into soup, resist stirring. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat add in milk. Gently stir to combine. Serve.

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Sweet Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

This soup looks like fall in a bowl. That is if you use one pepper in each color. Or use just red and green and you have a Christmas soup. I discovered this soup from the Weight Watchers Recipe Review Board. There are several versions out there, but this is the first recipe I tried and I remain loyal. I have modified the proportions a little. The original recipe used a portion of a pound of beef and a portion of a box of stock. I did not like having the leftover ingredients, I wanted more soup. I have made this soup with both beef and turkey, both are wonderful. Taste just like stuffed peppers but there is no stuffing and baking. You can top with some parmesan cheese if you like. That is what my sister would do.

Sweet Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Medium onion, diced

Salt and black pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes

16 oz lean ground beef or turkey

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 bell peppers, chopped (use any color combination you like)

1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

4 cups beef or chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

Parmesan (optional)

Directions

Spray a large pot with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt & peppers and allow them to sweat for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and brown. While the beef is browning, chop the peppers, and puree the stewed tomatoes in the blender. Once the beef is brown, stir in the chopped peppers and the diced tomatoes. Let the flavors mix a bit. Add the pureed stewed tomatoes and broth. Add the rice and raise the heat to high. Bring everything to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes until rice is tender. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan if you like.

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Buffalo Turkey Burgers

My sister called yesterday. She said she wanted to have a late night meal together when she got home from work. She wanted Blue Cheese Chips, that was her only requirement. She mentioned burgers but said it was up to me to decide what goes with the chips. I decided something with Buffalo sauce would be perfect. So I went to the store to get some Zapp’s and the ingredients to make Buffalo Turkey Burgers. I used a Rachael Ray recipe from her Book of Burger as inspiration. I changed the seasoning of the turkey to flavors that we love. Right now we both love smoked paprika. Rachael’s recipe used poultry seasoning and my family does not care for it. When I went to the bakery department they only had large oval rolls in the bulk bin, so I made two large patties to fit the oval roll. We ended up sharing one burger. It was plenty with the chips as a side. The burgers were great! My sister was skeptical about the turkey but she actually loved them. The celery and green onions kept them very moist. I also think cooking them in a pan rather than a grill helps them retain their moisture. The seasoning was perfect too. You would swear that the buffalo sauce was inside the burger not just the outside. Definitely looking forward to doing it again, and happy about the leftover patty waiting in the frig.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Pinch (1/16 tsp) red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Drizzle of olive oil

1/4 cup Buffalo sauce

2 Tbsp light butter

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/8 cup blue cheese, crumbles

salt and pepper, to taste

2 oval shape rolls or 4 small hamburger buns

Lettuce leaves

Directions

In a large bowl, combine turkey, green onions, celery, salt, peppers and paprika; mix thoroughly. Form into patties a little larger than the buns. Make the patty thinner in the middle than at the edges for even cooking. The burgers will plump as they cook. Drizzle the patties with oil.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burger, flipping once, 10 - 12 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove to a plate. Wipe the pan clean and reduce heat to low. Melt the butter in the pan and stir in hot sauce. Return the burgers to the pan and turn to coat in hot sauce mixture.

Mix sour cream and blue cheese crumbles and season with salt and pepper.

Place the burgers on the roll bottoms, and top with lettuce and blue cheese sauce. Set the roll tops in place.

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Amish Chicken Corn Soup

This soup is so easy and delicious. If you can chop and boil water you can make this soup. It makes a big batch, but it freezes well for future meals. It is the perfect lunch food. The cream corn adds sweetness to the soup, while the butter add richness. Both are great additions to this chicken noodle soup. It would be great if you had a cold too. Very very good.

Amish Chicken Corn Soup

Source: Taste of Home

Makes 16 Servings

Ingredients

12 cups water

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup shredded carrots

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cans (14-3/4 ounces each) cream-style corn

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a Dutch oven, combine the water, chicken, onion, celery, carrots and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Stir in the corn, noodles and butter; cook 10 minutes longer or until noodles are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 16 servings (about 4 quarts).

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 134 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 498 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g protein.

Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup

Yesterday I tried a recipe I found on a can of tomato sauce. I did make some substitutions for ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe called for bulk hot sausage, chicken broth and tomato sauce. This soup is hearty and smells almost like a crawfish boil while cooking. I will definitley make it again. Next time I will add a tablespoon of flour to the sausage, pepper and onions before adding the liquids. I think to will give the broth a little more body.

Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup

Adapted from: Essential Everyday

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet turkey Italian sausage

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups seafood stock

2 cups water

2 tsp chicken bouillon

3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, pureed

1 Tbsp hot sauce

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and crumble sausage, red pepper, onions and peppers until no longer pink.

Add remaining ingredients; salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes).

Spinach and Portobello Salad

This salad was inspired by a salad I once had at The Market Restaurant. The chef Karen prepares a weekly menu. One of the salads in the rotation was a stuffed Portobello served over a bed of fresh salad greens. My version is not quite like hers, but it is very good. I stuffed the Portobello with sautéed spinach, garlic and top it with Parmesan bread crumbs.

By the way, how do you spell this large mushroom? Portobello or Portabella? I have seen it both ways. I read that the mushroom council has adopted Portobello. So I used that spelling this time.

Spinach and Portobello Salad

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 large Portobello

2 cups baby spinach, separated

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated

1 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs

1 to 2 tsp Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. Balsamic and Caper Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash Portobello and pat dry. Remove stem and finely chop.

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat, add mushroom stem, garlic, a dash red pepper flakes. When aromatic, add spinach, salt and black pepper. When spinach has wilted remove from pan and set aside.

Wipe pan clean, return to medium heat. Rub Portobello with olive oil. Place in the pan gills up, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Flip Portobello, cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and flip mushroom gill side up. Place spinach mixture in the mushroom cap and top with Parmesan and panko. Spray panko with olive oil. Place pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Raise oven to broil, broil for a minute or so until bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove from oven.

Dress about a cup of spinach with a tablespoon of dressing. Arrange salad on a plate and top with stuffed Portobello. Serve.

Balsamic and Caper Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup; Serves 8

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp water

1/2 cup olive oil

1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing

& Recipe Mix

2 Tbsp capers, drained

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cruet or mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well blended.

Refrigerate unused portion for up to 4 weeks. Ingredients in dressing will separate when refrigerated, especially the olive oil. To reuse, let dressing stand at room temperature about an hour and then shake just before serving.

Butter Beans and Shrimp

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I found butter beans in the pantry. Butter beans or lima beans is something I remember enjoying at my Maw Maw's. My Dad's mom always made them with shrimp and a roux. It is so good. I have made this recipe before with frozen but have not tried using dried beans. Well let me tell you dry beans will test your patience. It takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r for these beans to become tender and creamy. It is still worth it, just plan to try this recipe on one of those lazy days when you do not plan to leave the house. I did not have green onions and parsley today but it was still very good without.

Butter Beans and Shrimp

Makes 12 cups; Serves 6

1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

½ large green bell pepper, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 lb dry butter beans (6 cups; approx. 2 lbs fresh or frozen butter beans)

1-1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bay leaf

Salt and black pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Cajun seasoning to taste

Seafood Stock (optional)

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced (optional)

¼ bunch of parsley, chopped (optional)

If using dry butter beans, rinse and sort beans. Pre-soak beans overnight or use a quick soak method. Quick Soak Method: Cover with 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.

Place beans in a dutch oven cover with an inch of water. Add black pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer until beans are just almost tender.

Heat flour and oil on medium heat, stirring constantly until milk chocolate or dark caramel color.

           

Add bell pepper, celery, and onion cook until softened. About 30 minutes covered stirring often. Add beans and liquid they cooked in. Cook another 30 minutes or until tender and almost creamy in texture. Season shrimp with salt, peppers and Cajun seasoning. Add shrimp and cook until pink. If necessary add more water or seafood stock until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Add green onions and parsley just before serving. Serve over rice.

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