Chicken and dumplings

Another day, another blizzard. Here's what I do when I'm stuck home on a snow day.



INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 1 whole chicken, cut in pieces
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 parsnips
- 3 carrots
- 1 bunch parsley (I used celery because I had no celery at home and was not about to brave the elements for just a couple of ribs!)
- 1 medium onion
- salt, pepper
- 1/4 cup flour, to dredge the chicken pieces
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1 tbsp apple butter (or 1 stick cinnamon and a pinch of cloves)
- 2 tbsp butter, not pictured


for the dumplings:
- 1 cup light cream
- 3/4 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt


RECIPE:
start with the chicken stew
- season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, place in a bag with the flour and shake until completely dredged in flour and shake of the excess

- melt the butter in a dutch oven and saute the chicken pieces over medium-high heat until golden and crispy (about 2 minutes per side) and reserve on the side

Note: the chicken is still raw inside! that is normal, it will simmer for about 30 minutes later.
- dice the carrots, parsnips and onions in 1/4" cubes and saute them in the pot with the chicken drippings over medium heat until soft (abut 3-4 minutes)

- tie the parsley stems with a bit of twine (it'll be easier to remove it later) and add to the softened veggies, then add the apple butter, broth, chicken pieces, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through

- when the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pot and shred with forks

- return the shredded chicken meat to the pot, add the cream and keep warm on very low heat

Note: you do not want to bring it back to a boil or simmer once the cream is in, otherwise it will separate

prepare the dumplings
- mix the dry ingredients of the dumplings, add the cream and stir until just combined

Note: the dumpling dough will be chunky and on the dry side (you don't want it runny)
- with a couple of forks, form the dumplings and drop in the simmering stew

- cover and cook until the dumplings are fluffy and float to the surface (about 5 minutes)

- sprinkle chopped parsley leaves and serve hot
- enjoy!

Leftover chicken noodle soup and biscuits nuggets

This is the ultimate leftover upcycling recipe!

Now, I don't know about you but I love me a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup and a biscuit when the weather is frigid and I just need a little bit of comfort in my life :)

The only problem is that leftover chicken noodle soup is not the most appealing thing in the world, what with the noodles getting super soggy and all… And those day-old biscuits that are glorified edible hockey pucks…

I wanted to transform my leftovers into something fun and yummy-looking and I came up with the idea of those nuggets. I served them with a side of fresh spinach salad and it was all I could ask for!

Here's how I made them.



INGREDIENTS:
- leftover chicken noodle soup (click here for a recipe)
- leftover biscuits (the staler the better)
- a splash of olive oil



RECIPE:
- crumble the biscuits and drain the soup (reserve the solids and either discard the broth or use it in another recipe that requires chicken broth)

- mix the drained soup solids until well mixed and adjust texture with some of the biscuit crumbs if needed

- using a table spoon, form patties and drop them in the biscuit crumbs to coat them

- fry the nuggets in the olive oil over medium heat until golden and warm through (about 2-3 minutes per side)

- serve with a side salad for a quick and easy meal :)

Warm bacon and brussel sprouts salad

Here is a super simple 4-ingredients warm salad recipe, perfect for cold fall and winter days as well as a beautiful side dish to any feast!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main dish, 4 people as side dish):
- 1 lb fresh brussel sprouts
- 6 to 8 strips of thick cut bacon
- a dash of apple cider vinegar, to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic mustard (I used Fox Hollow Farm More than a Mustard, which I bought last fall while on a trip to VT)
Note: you can find this mustard here or here, but you can also replace it with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 grated clove of garlic and 1 tsp of quality balsamic vinegar)


RECIPE:
- chop the bacon in bite-sized segments and brown in a dry skillet over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden and crispy

- reserve the bacon on a paper towel and saute the halved brussel sprouts in the same skillet with the rendered bacon fat and drippings over medium heat for 3-4 minutes

- deglaze with the mustard and the apple cider vinegar then turn off the heat

- add the crispy bacon and serve warm