Soups and Stews - Chicken and Dumplings

Yum yum yum...comfort food at it's yummiest.
It's an American favourite and I have always wanted to try it. The dumplings eluded me- but finally I have it.

My own tweaked version of chicken and dumplings. Got a thumbs up from my daughter...hope you like it too.

To prep the chicken

3 Chicken breasts (bone in)
4 stalks of celery
1/2 cup of carrots
1/2 an onion
3-4 garlic cloves
 salt
pepper

olive oil

Rub olive oil, salt and pepper on the chicken. Roast the chicken and vegetables at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (till chicken is done).

When cool, take the meat off the bones and cut into 1 inch pieces. Should be about 3 cups.  Keep aside. Discard the vegetables.

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup onion chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 TBS dry white wine
1 1/2 cup green beans
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the butter to it. When it melts add the garlic, celery, carrots and onion. Saute till the onion is translucent. Add 1/4 cup flour and stir for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir till it is absorbed. Slowly add the chicken stock - stirring all the time. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and the green beans to the pot.

For the dumplings

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS finely chopped parsley
2 TBS cold butter
1/2 cup cold milk

Mix  everything from flour to parsley. Cut the cold butter into the flour. Mix the milk. Drop the batter by the spoonful into the saucepan.

Cover and cook for about 12 minutes till the dumplings are cooked.

Sprinkle chopped parsley on top before serving.

Sweeth Tooth - Banana Bread

A little from here, a little from there - finally I have the perfect banana bread recipe. And a perfect way to use up those over-ripe bananas.

4 ripe bananas (the skin should be all black) mashed
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add the chopped walnuts to the flour and mix in.

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar till smooth. Add 2 eggs and beat. Add the mashed bananas and mix very well. I use a hand mixer to get it smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Mix in the walnuts with the flour. This way they will not sink to the bottom of the bread when you bake it. Add the flour a little at a time and mix the batter well till all the flour is mixed in.

Pour the batter into the loaf tin.

Bake for 60-65 minutes. Check that a knife or toothpick inserted, comes out clean.

Let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Then remove onto a cooling rack and let it get completely cool.