Chicken & Dumplings II

Alrighty I've been asked to post my recipe from last night's dumplings. I've posted a recipe HERE before but I must admit that's not how I normally do it. Yes that recipe is still good but I've found that when I just kinda throw it all together by taste & feel, it turns out so much better :o) So here's my best explanation of an off the cuff chicken & dumplings "recipe".

I start by filling up halfway a large pot(5-6qt) with water. Then I do the same with a medium sized(2-3qt) pot, throw'em on the stove & set the water to boiling. I start looking in my fridge for goodies that I can throw together. Last night just happened to be peas, carrots, & mushrooms. I also had some fresh oregano on hand via my new oregano plant :o) YUM! So I start chopping my veggies, how many? I eyeball it, depending on if I'd like more veggies or chicken. I throw them in the medium pot to cook.

I pullout my chicken breast & slice them into tenders, plop them into the large pot of boiling water. Yes you can do this the hard way by cooking an entire chicken, pulling the meat from the bones, etc etc. It's still probably one of the tastiest ways but I'm a last minute kind of gal so I don't always have time to boil an entire chicken :oP For now your work is done, let the veggies & chicken boil until done/tender.



The chicken needs to be cut again once it's cooked thoroughly. So I pull them out of the pot & commence to dicing to whatever size I deem appropriate for the evening lol! & if you look inside your pot of "water", guess what? You now have chicken stock! At this point you can leave the stock the way it is or you can add a lil chicken bouillon to it. I add the cubes, about 4, just enough to give it some extra flavor. Maybe add a dash or 2 of salt & pepper. And of course, some milk, about 1-2 cups, again I don't measure I just pour :oP Throw your diced chicken in, along with your veggies(the whole pot, water n all). I finely minced about 2 large leaves of oregano & threw those in too. Now let this boil for another 5-10 minutes, stir it up, let it all meet & mingle together :o)

Now everyone wants to know my dumpling secret, sshhh, it's..... are you ready for it?

Bisquick! Seriously this stuff is so versatile, you can do biscuits, pancakes, dumplings, just about anything bread wise. So just follow the directions on the box for dumplings(2 1/4 cup bisquick, 2/3 cup milk). Drop them into your boiling concoction of meat & veggies, about a spoonful at a time. Cover with a lid & let them "bake". Look at them, you'll know when they're done :o)

Now a few tips:
You can thicken up your dumplings with sour cream, milk, etc but the surest way to get them the consistency you want them is to watch how much stock/water you leave in your pot. You don't need a pot full of water to boil your chicken in. And remember the more things you add to that pot ie:chicken, veggies, other liquids, the more displacement of water your gonna have so start out with the smallest amount of water to get the job done. If you think you have too much then drain it off with a measuring cup & set it to the side. That way if you NEED the extra liquid you have it on hand all ready to go.

Now I'm by no means an expert, everything I've learned in the kitchen have been from various people in my life or by trial & error. But I don't think I'm half bad at it ;o)
My finished product:


Next recipe I'm dying to make: Eggplant Parmesan YUM!