Tomatillo Chicken Stew

Posted by Lisa
Source: www.simplyrecipes.com

I received a bag full of tomatillos from my father.  The first night I made a variation of chicken chili (with tomatillos) inside an egg roll wrapper...although good, it wasn't blog worthy.

Still having 3/4 of a bag left, I searched for a new recipe and found this one.  The whole family was leery to eat it because we are not very familiar with this little vegie (or fruit?).  

Everyone (except Haley) agreed that they liked the flavor and found that it had a natural savory/sweetness to it.  I will be putting this into my "make again" recipes.

(mine was more like a soup because I added lots more chicken stock, and we served it with a buttered roll)

Ingredients:

Tomatillo Sauce:

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos

1-2 jalapeno chile peppers or 2-3 serrano chili peppers ( I used 1 can green chilies)

1 clove garlic chopped

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp lime juice (or lemon)

pinch sugar (didn't use that)

Stew:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I had cooked /shredded chicken already in fridge so I used that)

Salt and Pepper

olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped (I added 2 tbsp flour when onions were cooked, then added the stock)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander (didn't use...was out)

1 1/2 c chicken stock (used about 4 to 6 cups )

2 cups tomatillo sauce (above)

1 tsp dry oregano (didn't use...was out)

1/2 c packed chopped cilantro (about 1 bunch rinsed and chopped, stems and leaves..I didn't use the stems)

(I added 1 bag of shredded carrots also, it added a nice texture)

1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut-side down on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool enough to handle. Place the tomatillos, any juice they have released, chile peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender, and pulse until well blended. If you make ahead, refrigerate until needed.

2 Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat until almost smoking. Pat dry the cubed chicken parts with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and adding more olive oil when necessary, brown the chicken pieces on two sides. When you place the pieces in the pan, make sure there is room between them (otherwise they will steam and not brown), and don't move them until they are browned on one side. Then use tongs or a metal spatula to turn them over and don't move them again until they are browned on the other side. Do not cook through, but only brown. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and lower the heat to medium. There should be a nice layer of browned bits (fond) at the bottom of the pan.

3 Add the onions to the pan, and a tablespoon or two more olive oil if needed (likely). Add ground cumin and coriander. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and the browned bits from the chicken have been picked up by the onions and are no longer sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.

4 Add the browned chicken, the tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the cilantro to the stew in the last minute or so of cooking.

Serve over white rice, accompanied with sour cream if needed to offset the heat from the chiles. The stew will thicken as it cools.

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!