Easy Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

I know a lot of y'all are stuck at home because of the weather. It's actually been warm here but we love chicken and dumplings. This recipe is quick if you have leftover chicken. We use half whole wheat flour and half white. Don't use all whole wheat flour. It makes the dumplings too dense.

Chicken

1 to 2 chicken breast worth of meat, cut into chunks

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp canola or olive oil

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lg onion, diced

2 handfuls of baby carrots, sliced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

3 tbsp flour

3 c chicken stock, we used homemade that I posted about here

3 tbsp fresh parsley

2 tsp herbes de Provence

1 bay leaf

1 10 oz. pkg frozen peas

Dumplings

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c white flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk

If using raw chicken sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken to pot brown on all sides. Remove chicken from the pot.

Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery, cook for about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add stock, herbs, parsley, and bay leaf to the pot, bring to a boil.

Return chicken to the pot and cook covered for 20 - 30 minutes, less if using leftover cooked chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare dumplings. Combine all the dumpling ingredients, except the milk, using 2 knives or a pastry blender. When it resembles coarse crumbs, add milk and stir to blend. Knead dough on a lightly floured counter, then cut and roll into 12 balls.

Add peas to the pot, remove bay leaf and stir. Top mixture with dumplings. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

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Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Tilapia w/Avocado Salsa

I decided to try a new recipe with a refreshing salsa. We have been enjoying a lot of heavy comfort food with the cold weather. I have been missing our summer menu and wanted a little reminder that winter won't last forever. Avocados have been on sale here and we love them. So, this week we will be making a Tilapia with Avocado salsa and serving it with a cilantro and lemon rice. I think in addition to the food, we will put on some island music and forget about the cold outside. I hope some of you will join us for a small vacation from winter.



Tilapia with Avocado Salsa



Salsa:

1/2 yellow pepper, chopped

12 grape tomatoes, cut in quarters

1/3 c. cucumber, diced

1/3 c. red onion, diced

small handful or as much as you like of cilantro, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 small jalapeno, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes


Tilapia:

4 tilapia fillets

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt



In a medium bowl, stir together the first 8 ingredients of the salsa. Add in the avocado and stir gently to combine. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.



Turn broiler on to preheat while you prepare the fish, set rack 4" from heat. Rub olive oil on fish and season with salt and ground cumin. Cook fish 5 to 6 minutes, until it flakes easily.



Serve fish topped with salsa and a side of Lemon and Cilantro Rice.





Lemon and Cilantro Rice:



Grate the zest of one lemon into a sauce pan. Add the juice of half the lemon. Next, put 1 cup of rice into the pan and 2 cups of water. Cook rice like you normally would. When the rice is done, put 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro on top of rice and fluff with a fork.



I hope you and your family enjoyed this little break from the cold winter outside.



And for more ways to tempt your families to enjoy dinner at home, visit "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday".



Please feel free to share any ways or recipes you use to escape from winter.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Sicilian Tuna Salad

Well, that certainly was a long blogging break. I have to say, "I have really missed my blogging." The Christmas season is always a busy time for my family. I try to slow down a bit and spend as much time as I possible can with them. My son and daughter are both teenagers now and will be grown and gone before I know it. I am really struggling with that.

In an attempt to get on a blogging schedule, I am going to be linking up with other blogs that I find interesting and helpful. I hope you will find a few new favorites as well. My first link this month is "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday" over at Blessed with Grace.

I'm re posting my version of Sicilian Tuna Salad to get started. I know a lot of you have tuna stockpiled and this will give you something a little different.

Sicilian Tuna Salad

12 oz. of tuna (close as you can get with what you have on hand)

1 Roma tomato, diced

2 green onions, sliced or a little chopped onion

12 black olives, sliced

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or 1 cheese stick chopped

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 to 3 tbsps of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Drain the tuna if using canned tuna. Put tuna in a large bowl and flake. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is distributed throughout.

I love this salad on a croissant but Jessica loves it on whole wheat bread. What's your favorite bread for a tuna salad sandwich?

For more yummy recipes, hop on over to Blessed with Grace for "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday".