Accidental Chicken Noodle Soup

 

The other day I began to make my favorite Chicken and Dumplings.  I started with the chicken and broth base. 

4 pounds whole frying chicken
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Then I decided that it was too warm to eat Chicken and Dumplings, so we had Sonic for dinner. Not a healthy choice, but one that I love every once in a while. After the chicken was cooled, I stored in the refrigerator for another night.  Well, that night was last night, or so I thought.

While out shopping, I found a box of premade dumplings.  I thought they were worth a try at least once.

So following the directions on the box, I continued on with my dumplings (reserving a few layers) as follows:

Remove the frozen dumplings from freezer while broth is heating.(I also added 2 chopped carrots and 2 stalks of chopped celery)  Separate each layer of dumplings as needed and drop 8-10 in boiling broth stirring under as added. As broth comes back to a boil, add more dumplings stirring after each addition until all are in boiling broth. Cook at a full boil about 10-12 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved Add cooked chicken and boil 2 more minutes. Check to see if more salt is needed and add pepper as desired. Remove from heat, cover and wait 20-30 minutes before serving. 

As I waited for the dumplings to thicken, I decided to bake the 6 reserved dough strips to make crackers.  I placed them on a baking pan, rub them lightly with butter and picked them several times with a fork.  I put them in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  I checked on them several times, but as luck would have it I over cooked them.  This happens to me often when I try to do too much at one time. Regardless, they turned out ok.  Nice a crispy crackers that would have gone perfect with the soup, if the hubby and I didn’t have to taste them all to make sure they were good.  Oh well!  Back to the dumplings…

So I pulled off the lid to taste test the dumplings.  To my surprise, they did not thicken one iota!  I tasted it and it had great flavor, but it looked more like Chicken Noodles soup.  The family concurred.  Nonetheless, We all enjoyed it.

Update:  The next night I decided to make biscuits to go along with our soup.  I heated up some of the leftovers on the stove.  Much to my surprise, the soup turned into Dumplings!  LOL!!!  So there you have it Accidental Chicken Noodle Soup one night and Chicken and Dumplings the next.  

What I learned while at the Farmers Market

We went to the Virginia Beach farmers market this weekend.  I had a list mile long of items to pick up, but first we were all starving!  We happened upon the Princess Anne County Grill.  They have a daily blue plate special that is only $5.99.  On this particular day it was Chicken and Dumplings.  Oh My, was it wonderful!!  The dumplings were scrumptious and the chicken was so tender.  If I had enough room left I would have eaten another bowl!  This inspired me to try and make my own version.

{Insert photo here once I find my SD card.}


INGREDIENTS:
Chicken
4 pounds whole frying chicken
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk

PREPARATION:

Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Add celery, carrots, bay leaf, onion, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender (should almost fall off bone). Remove the chicken and vegetables from the broth.  Discard the vegetables and allow the chicken to cool. Bone the chicken and cut meat into bite-sized pieces (try to keep the chicken in nice big chunks). Bring the broth to a boil and add pepper.

For Dumplings: Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened. Pinch off pieces and add to boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will see the broth start to thicken. Stir in the chicken and serve.