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.

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.