Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 3/4 Teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven (or a 5-to-6-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat butter over medium. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.) Set aside.
3. Stir peas into pot. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Serve.

Corn Chowder

Serves 6-8

1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 small green bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno finely minced
4 slices bacon chopped
2 cups cooked chicken
6 cans chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 cans Mexican corn with peppers
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
Salt & Pepper
1 can diced green chilies
Rue (I used 3/4 of a cube of butter and an equal amount flour to make a stew)

Fry bacon in large skillet till done. Take out bacon with a slotted spoon leaving grease, drain bacon on a paper towel. Add peppers and onion to grease and cook until softened. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and add to Dutch Oven. Add the canned corn with juices, defrosted corn and jalapeno stir till warmed and combined. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add as much rue as you would like, more to make a chowder less to make a stew. Bring to a boil and boil for a minute to thicken. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Add cream and canned chilies stir to combine. Add cooked chicken and drained bacon at the end and let simmer for 15 minutes for all the flavors to marry. Season to taste, but remember the bacon is pretty salty so watch the salt. Serve~