Just Like Grandma's Used To Make...

We all know the saying the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well, apparently the way to David's heart was through nearly burning his apartment down (this story will be saved for a future gumbo post)! When we first started dating I attempted to woo him through my cooking. Of course, I did this making things that I had never cooked before. My first attempt at Chicken and Dumplings was good, but the dumplings completely fell apart. I was humiliated, even though David went back for seconds. David informed me that I shouldn't point out my cooking errors and that I should just say something like "this is an old family recipe, just like my grandma used to make". 

No, my grandmother never made this soup. I was referring to Grandma's in Duluth, Minnesota. Every time I go to Grandma's I always get a bowl of their Chicken and Wild Rice soup. I can't get enough of the stuff. I have come close to re-creating it at home in the past, but this recipe with a few adaptations from Eating Well magazine is the closest it has every been to the real thing. This one really is just like Grandma's used to make (and probably still does).

Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

adapted from Eating Well
Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each
Ingredients
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup wild rice

2 large chicken (or turkey) breasts, should equal 3 cups shredded

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)

¾ cup chopped celery

¾ cup chopped carrots

¼ cup chopped shallots

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup reduced-fat sour cream 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large soup pot or dutch oven (4 quart) over medium heat add chicken broth, wild rice, chicken, thyme, and sage. Let simmer for about 40 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot, shred, and return to pot.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. . Add 1 cup broth from soup pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add mixture to the soup pot. Stir in sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

Stir Fried Brussel Sprouts with Soba Noodles

From Asparagus to Zucchini has been my CSA bible this summer. Not only does it have some really great recipes, but it is a great resource for storing produce as well. This book was put out by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition. It is arranged by vegetable rather than season like a lot of farm cookbooks. There are a lot of simple recipes that I have really appreciated. I am feeling rather sad that our fresh produce season has nearly come to an end. It was a really poor season this year for the farms in Fairbanks and although I was sad we never got fresh garlic and our CSA was quite meager, I was also thankful that I have not bought produce with the exception of garlic and ginger at Fred Meyer for over 2 months now. Between our CSA and the Farmers Market we have still eaten quite well. Our garden didn't do so well, but it was really a hard season for a first year garden. We will try again next summer. We will enjoy our last week of fresh produce here in Fairbanks and we will stock up on squash, potatoes, and carrots along with the 20 lbs. of raspberries in our freezer to make the season last a little longer. The thing I will miss the most is all the fresh herbs from Basically Basil. They have brought us some wonderful Spanikopita and Tabouli salad this summer. I couldn't resist the Brussel Sprouts fresh on their stalk at the market today. I made Sesame Garlic Brussel Sprouts and added them to a stir fry with snow peas, chard, carrots, garlic, ginger and soba noodles and of course pork dumlings on the side!

Sesame Garlic Brussel Sprouts
from Asparagus to Zucchini
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts, trimmed
4-5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed pepper, garlic, and 3 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Blanch the brussel sprouts in boiling water until partially tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain well. Heat wok, or large heavy skillet over high heat 2-4 minutes. Add a small amount of the peanut oil, swirl the pan to coat the surface, and add about a third of the sprouts. Stir-fry until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain on paper towels. Stir-fry the remaining sprouts similarly, in batches. Add stir-fried brussel sprouts to soy sauce mixture and toss well. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken and Dumplings

With a whole bowl of pork dumpling mixture waiting for me to get home tonight, I decided that something simple would be good for dinner. With it being the peak of the fall season here in Fairbanks I also was craving something hearty as well. This is my quick Chicken and Dumpling recipe. David says this should go on the weekly winter menu. We will have to do some serious skiing if we eat this every week this winter! By the way that recipe from last night made way more than 40 potstickers.

Chicken and Dumplings
Stew
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 ribs celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion , minced
6 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 rotisserie chicken
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Dumplings
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled

Stew: Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves.
Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, add it to the stew. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.
Discard the bay leaves. Bring the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.