Chicken and Dumplings

Mom wanted me to post this recipe so that she didn't have to write it down and keep track of it for the trip home. I got the recipe from the Whole Foods website and then made some modifications.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken

4 carrots chopped

1 onion chopped

2 leeks chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

2Tbs. butter or olive oil

5 or 6 chicken breasts chopped (recipe calls for 1 whole chicken quartered but I was going for simplicity)

2 cups water

1 qt. chicken broth

1/4-1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

~1 1/2 tsp. of ground rosemary

~1 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme

Dumplings

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached white flour (or use 1/2 cup of each flour and 1/2 cup of cornmeal. I don't have cornmeal lying around so I just use extra flour instead and it still tastes great).

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

ground black pepper to taste

3 Tbs. cold butter

1/4 cup green onions or chives

1 egg

1/2 cup of milk

sprinkled parsley

In a large pot heat olive oil or butter. Add carrots, onions, leeks and celery. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add chicken and continue to cook until chicken is browned (another 5-10 minutes). Add water, broth, chili flakes, rosemary and thyme. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer, covered for 2 hours.

Remove chicken (if you use the whole chicken option), de-bone and shred meat into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to stock pot.

Prepare dumplings by combining flours (and cornmeal opt.), baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut in butter or shortning. Stir in cives. Add the egg and then slowly the milk until a soft dough forms. Do not over-mix the dough.

Carefully drop walnut size dumplings into soup. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. These will expand and rise to the top of the liquid.

Serve soup with dumplings on top. Garnish with parsley.