Operation Dumpling Drop

The recent chilly snap here in my neck of the woods has left me craving all sorts of fall oriented coziness that, for me, can usually be found in fuzzy blankets and warm comfort food.  Normally inspiring me to scour all sorts of new recipes to find something yummy and warm, this year I am also trying to keep everything low(er) cal as well.  Afterall, nothing grows as quickly in the winter as our backsides.  Since, as some of you know, I loathe beef stew (please click here if you need to be reminded just how much I loathe it), last night it just so happened that I was on a mission for chicken and dumplings.  All of that golden broth filled with chunks of chicken and vegetables floating around puffy spoon-dropped buttermilk dumplings was just too tempting to resist. Believe it or not, I managed to locate a low-cal recipe that seemed to fit the bill, and 'Operation Dumpling Drop' went into full effect.  As a result, a trifecta of amazingness happened in my kitchen that I couldn't help but share.  I found a recipe that was OMG good, low-cal, AND easy to make.  To top it off, it does not take all day to make.  This being the case, I couldn't NOT share the recipe here with you.  I hope you enjoy, now I'm off to grab the leftovers!  Nom nom nom.  :)

Chicken and Rosemary Dumplings

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 pound chicken drumsticks, skinned
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I prefer more garlic, so 4 cloves were used in mine)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dumplings:
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (regular salt was swapped out here for Borsari seasoned salt)
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Remaining ingredient:
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from heat. Remove chicken pieces from broth; cool slightly. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Remove chicken from bones. Discard bones; chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set chicken aside.
• Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add reserved broth mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Keep warm.
• To prepare dumplings, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, rosemary, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
• Return chopped chicken to the broth mixture; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Add flour mixture to pan; simmer 3 minutes. Drop the dumpling dough, 1 tablespoon per dumpling, onto chicken mixture to form 12 dumplings. Cover and cook 7 minutes (do not let broth boil). Sprinkle with black pepper.

Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light
APRIL 2004

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 366
• Calories from fat: 24%
• Fat: 9.7g
• Saturated fat: 3.8g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g
• Protein: 32.5g
• Carbohydrate: 35.1g
• Fiber: 2.9g
• Cholesterol: 115mg
• Iron: 3.3mg
• Sodium: 936mg
• Calcium: 169mg

Battling Beef Stew: The Ruin and Rediscovery of Winter Comfort Food

So, with all of the cold and ice around I usually find myself questing for creature comforts like the furry leopard throw on my couch, warm chunky knit sweaters, and the perfect pair of soft slippers.  Along with these, I seem to find myself looking for food that makes me feel just as warm and comforted;  like a stew should.  This said, I run into an annual dilemma, because I really don't like most stews (especially of the beef variety).  After being forced to eat the stuff as a kid every year on Halloween before heading out for the annual candy grab, I think I can say without hesitation that I have had enough beef stew for a lifetime and am properly scarred by it.  (Side note - quickest way to engrain a certain hate of a particular food item into your children is to serve something completely non-appetizing that they MUST finish before going out in drag to get candy.  Longest. meals. ever).  This being the case, I usually find myself on a quest for that oh-so-warming 'stew replacement' every winter at about this time.  Imagine my surprise when I was actually inspired by a recipe I came across that I got excited enough to make it ... and on a weeknight after work no less!

Willing to take a gamble on whether or not my time making this new concoction would lead to stew nirvana or further ruin my life, I proceeded to chop, boil, and simmer away.  This little recipe, as it turns out, is not really a stew at all, but a vegetable curry ... sigh of relief.  While covering the bases of a stew in warmth, comfort, and one pot cooking, it by far surpasses the sad, watery, lackluster of a stew.  The aroma of the spices cooking will do wonders to improve the happy factor in your humble abode, and watch out for the perky bright color of the dish, which will liven up any bleak winter evening.  Imagine my shock when it turned out to be incredibly tasty as well.  (Take that beef stew)!  Though the version made last night was vegetarian, even my die-hard carnivore Jay loved it enough to say it should be made again sometime, and though he did have a side of chicken, you could certainly include the chicken in the dish should you wish.  I've included the recipe basics below (with pics) for all of you other stew haters out there that need a different inspiration.  Now you can cling to the idea of a winter infatuation with stew and be able to eat it too!

Fry up some diced potatoes in about half a cup of veggie oil until golden brown.  (You could use chicken here instead if you prefer, or mix it up a bit and use both).  Once golden, remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.   Add two sticks of cinnamon (or one broken in half), 4 or 5 crushed green cardamom pods, 3 or 4 whole cloves, and about 2 teaspoons of cumin seed  into the remaining oil and simmer until very fragrant.

Once your spices have made your kitchen smell like the only place you want to be in the world at that moment, add one medium chopped onion and cook until soft.

To your onion, add crushed garlic and shredded ginger to taste (I used 3 cloves or garlic and about 1 tsp of zested ginger); generously shake in some ground coriander, salt, and pepper, and add one can of UNdrained diced tomatoes.  Add your potatoes/chicken/paneer cheese back into the pot along with a chopped carrot or three (depending on how much you like them - I used 2), some spicy green chiles (depending on how hot you like it - I used 2, but could have gone for more), and a cup and half of water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until all of the veggies are tender.

Once your veggies are tender, pump the heat back up to medium and toss in MORE veggies - this time about half of a small green cabbage, chopped; some cauliflower florets, and a bag of frozen peas.  Mix these around until soft, adding water as needed.  Once you're happy with the tenderness of the veggies, and the consistency of your mixture, toss in a generous handful of chopped cilantro, and mix well.  At this time, you also might want to pull out the cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and cloves if you can find them.  In my house, we just called them 'prizes' though.

Dish up your gloriously colorful pile of goodness over some basmati rice (or Uncle Ben's if that's what's in the cabinet), and serve with some naan or whatever type of flatbread you have available.  Nom nom nom...