Chicken and Dumplings

This will serve a family of 6 well...and you'll have some leftovers :-)

STOCK:
3 Chicken Breasts (skin and bone in)
1 peeled and chopped carrot
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
(chopped meaning the size of a green pea or so)
6-8 chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 if using large ones)
Ground black pepper to taste
3 teaspoons salt (leave out if your bouillon has salt already in it)
Water to cover all ingredients (see note below)
*I add some random seasonings like garlic, do it the way you like it* 

Put all of these items into enough water in a large stockpot to thoroughly cover the ingredients with about 2 inches of water over them (7-9 cups water). Cook on high to medium high long enough to cook the chicken breasts thoroughly without overcooking. (about 20 minutes of full on boiling)...

(Meanwhile, go make the dumplings)...

DUMPLINGS/BISCUIT DOUGH:
(Makes about 20 biscuits or enough for 6-8 biscuits and dough for dumplings)
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
14 tsp baking powder (yes, 14 teaspoons)
2 tsp baking soda
9-10 tbsp margarine (or butter, softened to margarine consistency, OR Crisco)
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cup regular milk (or 2%, not skim)

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Cut the butter/margarine into bits and either pulse it in the food processor or rub the margarine and flour mixture between your palms until it crumbles and falls into very small pieces. All the margarine/butter should be completely mixed in before adding milk. Add milk in half portions and mix together just until a ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it TEN times...no more than that. Add flour to your surface if the dough is sticking, but don't knead it too much. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut out 6-8 biscuits by using a biscuit cutter or a 2" rimmed glass. Put these onto a non-greased pan and set aside. Roll the remaining dough out pretty thin for the dumplings and cut them into 1 inch squares using a floured butter knife or a pizza cutter (easiest).

Now, back to your cooked chicken stock.....Remove the chicken breasts from the stock and let cool long enough for you to handle the chicken. Remove all meat and tear into bite-portions, putting these into a bowl to be added back to the stock after the dumplings are done. (take the boiled skin and cut it up for your pets to have a nice treat :-)

After you've removed the chicken and prepared it for adding back to the stock, go back to your stockpan and make sure the heat is set so that it is still boiling. Add dumplings (about 10 at a time) and stir as they start to plump up. Continue adding 10 at a time, then stirring, to keep the dumplings cooking. After you've added the last of the dumplings and stirred, cover your pot and let it cook about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the torn up chicken. The dumplings will continue to cook as the pot gets to "eating temperature".

Now...with your oven set to 450 degrees, cook the biscuits for 7-9 minutes until nice golden on the tops.

Serve the chicken and dumplings with the biscuits and a nice salad :-)

Enjoy...and remember to invite your Grandma over for dinner every now and then... 



<3 JLH