Chicken and Dumplings. Those very words take me back to my childhood, sitting in my great-grandma’s kitchen as she rolled out dumplings for our supper. I close my eyes and I am transported back into that sweet little farmhouse kitchen with all of those delicious smells that only a true Southern woman could prepare with such finesse and flair.  The feast would rival any restaurant I had ever been to and her secrets to great dishes like chicken and dumplings or her famous biscuits would yield only the words, “A little of this and a little of that.” No measurements, yet it turned out every time.

This New Year’s Day I decided to try to make chicken and dumplings for my family.  New Year’s Day always makes me a little reflective.

What have I done?

What could I do better?

Who do I hope to be?

What’s missing?

Whose missing?

I decided to work out my New Year’s issues in the kitchen.

I lack my great-grandma’s instincts when it comes to baking, but I mixed, I cut, I rolled, I shredded.  I would wipe a tear as I thought about how special she was to us, how much I miss her,  how proud I thought she would be if she knew I was trying to make her dish in my kitchen, and who her grandchildren are becoming.

I didn’t think anyone else in our family would like what I was creating.  My kids have never tasted chicken & dumplings before. My husband looked scared when he saw the mess.  Frankly, he looked really scared when I dished the bowls.  In the words that only my eloquent Emily could pull forth, “That sure smells yummy, but it sure looks yucky.”  No, this dish was all for me. All for her..

I dove in.

More tears.

It wasn’t as perfect as Ma’s, but it was as close as this Midwest girl could create. It made my heart happy.

Richly satisfying, full of chicken flavor, delicious dumplings. It is a stick-to-your ribs taste that makes you full, happy, and groggy all at the same time.

The whole family scraped their bowls clean and even had seconds.

My kids have asked for it every day since we have had it. I am not my great-grandma though and can only gather the energy to do this once in awhile. I do think though that I have found my new New Year’s Day tradition. Each year, I will reflect on life while making dumplings for my kids.

I hope my great-grandma is proud of her grandaughter even though she had to find a recipe on the internet that would fail to compare to her delicious goodness.

Recipe:

Chicken and Dumplings

For the chicken
1 large fryer chicken, neck and gizzards removed
1 onion, cut in half and peeled
3 carrots, cut into large pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the dumplings
3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
4 1/2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup milk (or just enough to make the dough stick together)

For the chicken
Place the chicken, onions, carrots, and celery in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water maintains a gentle simmer. Cook chicken for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through (approximately165 degrees).

Once chicken is cooked, remove from the broth and allow to cool. Remove chicken from the bone and shred into medium-sized pieces, discarding bones and skin for another use. Pour the chicken broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth, discarding vegetables. Reserve 6 cups of the broth for the dumplings (the rest can be used for another time).

For the dumplings
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with fingertips until it resembles small peas. Add milk — 1/4 cup at a time — and stir until a ball of dough just begins to form, being careful not to over-mix. Roll out the dough onto floured surface, about ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into rectangles or squares. Place strips on wax paper and allow to harden up a little, approximately 30 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, bring broth to a gentle simmer and drop in dumplings. Cover and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add chicken. Allow to cook until thickened, approximately 15-20 minutes, or longer. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Serving Size: 6-8

Source: The Kitchn

One thing I can admit that our family is wholeheartedly embracing is our love for all things shrimp. Although I have tried many great grilled shrimp recipes and too many pasta dishes to count, I haven’t had the pleasure of a super simple shrimp dish I could create on the stove top…until now.

With surprisingly few ingredients, this dish offers robust flavor thanks to the lemon juice & zest, the garlic, and a little bit of paprika to add that smokey flavor that I love. The best part though is that the whole thing can be pulled together in less than fifteen minutes and served over brown rice for a weeknight meal that is both satisfying and healthy.

I will admit, I knew this dish would be a bit of a stretch for everyone except me in our family. My favorite orzo pasta dish incorporates this delicious flavor profile so I just knew I would love it.  Once again, the family shocks me and absolutely devoured every single bite… even the green stuff.  I have to remind myself often to continue re-introducing new flavors to my kids, even if they have turned it down before.

I am going to be making this dish often in our house and I can’t recommend it enough for an easy and healthful weeknight meal. What a great start to the New Year.

Now please turn a blind eye next week when I share my Chicken & Dumpling adventures in the kitchen next week.

All good things in moderation.

That’s what we like to say in our house.

Recipe:

Sauteed Shrimp With Spinach & Tomatoes

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 ounces spinach or baby arugula (about 4 cups)

Sea Salt & Black Pepper

1 Lemon (Juice & Zest)

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they blister, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp and the zest of one lemon.  Cook, stirring often, until almost opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Add spinach  season with salt and pepper, and toss until wilted, 1 minute. Add lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve with brown rice.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

If there is one thing our family loves it is anything that combines shrimp and pasta. Despite trying a lot of things in the kitchen, I had never infused oil before and used it in a dish.  When I happened upon this recipe for Roasted Shrimp with Rosemary & Thyme using the technique of infusing the oil with herbs, I just knew that it would be delicious combination of flavors.

Infused oils add so much flavor to food and can be simply done by warming the oil with a selection of herbs from your grocery store or garden.  The flavor from the herbs incorporates into the oils and adds a rich depth of flavor that is incomparable to your standard olive oil. I adapted the recipe and added my own fresh lemon juice and zest to add more fresh flavor to the pasta and the incorporation of the salty pasta water created a delicious sauce to our pasta that rivals any restaurant.

The best part was that the kitchen smelled heavenly while this was cooking and our whole family agreed that this recipe needs to be repeated often in our house. Toss this infused oil and roasted shrimp with your favorite whole grain pasta or brown rice for a healthy start to the new year or be sinful like us and really indulge with angel hair pasta and lots of bread for mopping up the sauce.

Source: Adapted from Fine Cooking 

Sometimes you happen upon a recipe that you just know is going to be a winner. When I saw this recipe for Shrimp Pasta With Oven Dried Tomatoes, I just knew that our family would flip for it and could not wait to try it.  I decided to make this one for a yummy weekend meal and there were barely any leftovers because, in their words, “We just can’t stop eating this.”

This dish is restaurant-worthy and is another dish that I can add to our pool of date night meals in for my husband and I. The sweetness of the tomatoes, the creaminess of the mascarpone cheese, and the big bites of shrimp throughout make this the perfect dish to entertain with or just to share with your family around the table.

Many of my favorite dishes (like my Presto Pesto Pasta Con Pollo or my Skillet Penne & Sausage Supper) call for sundried tomatoes as an ingredient and these can be both expensive and not available at the grocery stores that I shop at. I had never thought to try oven drying the tomatoes, but this technique yielded a deliciously chewy tomato that would be perfect as a substitution in my pasta recipes.  You do need to plan ahead with this technique, but it is so simple and straightforward that you can be tackling other things around the house while you create your own dried tomatoes for your recipes.

Recipe:

Shrimp Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Olive oil

Small pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and pepper

1 lb. bowtie pasta

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

¾ cup chopped yellow onion (I did omit these)

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)

6 oz. mascarpone cheese*

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

*Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese and can be found in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores.

Directions:

To make the oven dried tomatoes, preheat the oven to 225˚ F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish in a single layer, cut side facing up. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. Bake for about 3 hours, or until the tomatoes are mostly shriveled up. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook in a single layer, flipping once during cooking, just until opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate, tent loosely with foil and set aside. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Sauté the onion until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine or broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Return the shrimp to the pan and add in the drained pasta along with the oven-dried tomatoes. Add the mascarpone to the pan and stir until completely melted. Stir in the basil and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan as desired.

Prep Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Serving Size: 6
Source:  Annie’s Eats (not adapted at all, absolute perfection)