Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is one to keep somewhere close by. My family just loves it. It is an adaptation from a recipe I found on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I make it my own way of course but it is soooo delicious.

We made it today because it is the middle of April and we woke up to snow! So, to sooth our cold selves, we needed a warm comfort dish, and this fit the bill perfectly!

I hope you enjoy.

5 stalks celery chopped small

1 large onion chopped small

1/2 bag shreded carrots or 3 lrg carrots chopped small

4 cloves garlic minced (or garlic garlic from tastefully simple...1 tbsp)

3 quarts water and enough chicken paste per directions for that amount of water.

(or just use chicken stock...3 quarts of it)

2 tsp parsley

2 tsp thyme

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup flour

2 to 3 cups shredded, pre-cooked chicken

Dumplings:

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk (I use reg skim milk)

(I add some thyme to this also...maybe 1 tsp)

1. In medium to large stock pot, put in the 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Stir around to cook evenly. I usually add about 1/2 cup water and put a lid on so the vegies are soft. Cook until they are just barely tender.

2. Add 1/4 cup of flour and stir/cook for about 2 min. to get rid of the flour flavor.

3. Add water..a little bit at a time stirring as you add it. Keep stirring until it is all mixed well.

4. At this point add in the chicken soup base/paste and the shredded chicken.

5. Cover and let simmer for 10 min. Meanwhile, mix up the dumpling mix.

Dumplings:

1. Beat up the eggs and the milk with a fork.

2. Add the dry ingredients and stir together until moistened.

3. Take cover off pot and drop by spoonfuls into the soup mixture.

**they will touch each other and may have to be dropped on top of each other to fit. Don't worry about that.

4. Put the cover back on the pot, turn the heat down to a low simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes. You can peak at it here and there and give it a little stir if you want to.

5. When the dumplings are all puffed up and sort of dry looking, they are done.

Time to eat!