Tarragon Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings was one dish I became fairly good at creating last minute sans a recipe.  Homemade stock and fresh vegetables always make for a superior dinner, but in a pinch last night's rotisserie chicken, a can of cream of whatever-I-have-on-hand soup and a bag of frozen veggies paired up with from-scratch dumplings for an above average meal.

For some reason tarragon has been on my mind of late.  This spice is underutilized in my repertoire.  Itching to change that, I decided to take this basic dish and infuse it with the seasoning from the ground up.  The joy about chicken and dumplings is that if tarragon is not to you liking, swap it out for any herb of your choice.  Sage is marvelous.  As is oregano.  Blends add a lovely bouquet of flavor.  Play around!

The recipe is my own (with dumplings inspired by the BHG CookBook)

serves 4


The Ingredients:
for the stock and gravy:
2 chicken thighs, with bone and skin
4 cups water
2-3 celery tops
1 fresh bouquet garni or 1 TBSP spice blend wrapped in cheesecloth
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon or 2 tsp dried
4 Tbsp butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 medium carrot, diced
3 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

for the dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp salt

The Process:
In a 2-qt saucepan, add the chicken thighs, water, bouquet garni, tarragon and celery stalks.  Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.  remove the chicken thighs to a bowl until cool enough to handle.  Strain the broth into another bowl.  Discard herbs and celery.

Once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and bones.  Coarsely chopped the meat and set aside.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the shallots, celery, garlic and carrots.  Saute until the shallots become tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the flour until well combined with butter.  Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Measure out three cups of the reserved stock and slowly add to the skillet, stirring constantly to dissolve all of the flour.  Add the reserved chicken.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover.

Meanwhile prepare the dumplings by whisking together the milk, egg and oil in a medium bowl.  Sift the flour salt and baking powder together.  Add the dry mixture to the wet, combine until just moistened.  Do not over mix.  Using two large spoons drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the gravy (making 6-8 dumplings).  Return the gravy to a gentle simmer, cover and let the dumplings poach undisturbed for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest dumpling comes out clean.  

The Review:
This dish is comfort food, pure and simple.  Nothing about chicken and dumpling is out of this world.  This version is be no means gourmet, though it is prepared with care and attention.  The flavor combinations are not revolutionary. What it is... is nourishing.  And comforting.  Sometimes that is enough.  These are the dishes we keep coming back to...

Garbanzos with Chorizo and Spinach

Beans and pork is a tried and true combination much loved across most of the country.  The possibilities are virtually  endless once you've moved beyond the backyard barbeque pinto beans and bacon.   This dish is much more stew like, with chunks of tender potato, ample bean and a healthy dose of smokey chorizo.  Wilted spinach added towards the end helps endow a sense of health and good eating.  And the best part?  The entire entree can be dished up in about thirty minutes.

I highly recommended the smoked Spanish-style of chorizo for this dish, though the raw nutmeg chili infused Mexican style will work as well.  I opted for Palacios mild versions...hot sausages are also available.

adapted from A recipe in Men's Health, December 2011

servers 4

The Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 links Spanish-style chorizo, chopped
1 large onion
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika (preferably pimenton)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb yukon or russet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2- 14 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
8 cups baby spinach

The Process:
Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chorizo and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the pant and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and paprika to the pot and cook until the onion begins to caramelize.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the paste evenly coats the onions.  Add the stock, potatoes, and bay leaves.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the Garbanzo beans and cook for another 5 minutes or until beans are heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove the bay leaves and add the cooked chorizo and the baby spinach. Continue to cook until the spinach is wilted.

The Review:
Upon beginning to saute the chorizo, I would have thought the end result would be a greasy mess due to the red slick of fat that coated the saucepan. instead of the rich, smokey dish ultimately served up.  The meat was not a substantial part of the meal, quantity wise (though you could easily double or triple the amount if you are a huge fan of this Iberian treat) but it infuses smokey and slightly spicy nuances in every bite.  The potatoes and chickpea both lend a wonderful soft and velvety texture, but with enough difference to keep you from getting bored.  The contrast of something firm or with a little more bite was missing, but not by much.  The flavors more than make up for what the texture front may lack.  And the spinach...eight cups seems like a lot until the bunch cooks down.  The beautiful flecks of green amidst the deep red sauce made for an incredibly picturesque dish.  However, this one is so tasty you may polish it off before the camera had a chance.  Leftovers were just as wonderful the next day.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

Rounding out our evening of pumpkin and beer...and adding a bit more substance to an otherwise carb-ridden table, was this black bean and pumpkin soup.  I first happened upon the recipe at Saucy and Bossy and had been waiting all fall for an oppertuner time to try it out.  When Ross annouced his next beer would be a pumpkin ale, I knew the soup's moment had come.

I added about twice as much pumpkin as either of the linked recipes used.  My pumpkin of choice was roasted and pureed from a fresh pumpkin...not canned.  But in a pinch either will work.  I also omitted the ham steak and used vegetable broth to make this a vegan/vegetarian friendly dish.

The recipe was also adapted for use in the slow cooker, as to be readily on hand throughout several hours of entertaining.

Adapted from the recipe posted at Saucy and Bossy, but originally from Smitten Kitchen

yields 9 cups

The Ingredients:
3 cans (15.5 oz)  black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cans stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sherry, cider or dry white wine
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
additional slat and pepper to taste

The Process:
Combine drained tomatoes and black beans in a food processor.  Blend beans and tomatoes into a course puree

In large skillet, sautee onions, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in olive oil until onion is beginning to brown and the cumin is fragrant.  Transfer onion mixture to a 6-qt slow cooker.  Stir in bean puree, stock, pumpkin puree and sherry.

Simmer the soup on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours

Just before serving, stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with sour cream and toasted pepitas.

The Review:
I really wanted to like this soup.  I really truly did.  I make several varaiations of black bean soup throughout the colder months and hoped this incarantion would add a welcome diversion from my cumin studded, chili-like line up.

It wasn't as new and exciting as I had hoped.  The dominate flavor was most assuredly the cumin.  I adore cumin, but I can't seem to avoid a black bean soup that relies on this spice.  The pumpkin was present, but in more of supporting role than leading actor.  The textures were good, though a bit smooth for my taste.  The sherry did add a lovely bright finish to the dish, but only when ladled freshly after adding.  Allowed to simmer longer in the crock pot, it's clean bite quickly faded.

More pumpkin, less bean.  Less cumin.  And sorry vegetarians...I think the soup needs the beef stock for that added depth.  And the ham steak for more interest.  Better yet...stock made from a ham shank...now I know what to do with those holiday leftovers.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Oh for the chance to cook a decent dinner once and again!  Life has become ridiculously busy over the past weeks (as my more faithful follows may have noticed due to the lapse in postings...trust me, it's not for lack of cooking or interest so much as lack of time in front of the computer).  Short of the odd gathering or forced night with company I haven't focused on many entrees of late.  But when I came across this recipe I knew I'd have to make the time.  Though with a crock pot in the mix, I was free most of the afternoon to carry on with my overbooked list of projects, with the satisfaction of knowing a hot dinner would await me in a few hours.

Adapted from Eating Well, March/April 2006

Serves 6

The Ingredients:
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
1/2 lb white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp white-wine vinegar

The Process:
Layer the chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from the chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar.

The Review:
I was amazed at the simplicity and elegance of the dish.  I was wary to layer so much with so little liquid, but as everything cooked down over the 5-6 hours, a wonderful broth emerged.  The sweet potatoes needn't be stirred or submerge to cook fully.  The chicken stayed picturesquely intact but fell from the bone in tender forkfuls.  The broth was cloudy but clean.  A picture perfect dinner with very little effort.

The flavors were light and earthy.  Meaty chicken, savory rosemary, tart and slightly sour broth from the wine and vinegar underscored with an earthiness from the mushrooms.  Despite these being run of the mill white button mushrooms, they lent quite a bit of flavor.  While our mushroom-phobe was able to pick around the slices of fungi, he did complain about the flavor lingering  the dish.

Potage of Lentils

A potage, according to Wikipedia, is "a category of thick soups, stews, or porridges in some of which meat and vegetables are boiled together with water until they form into a thick mush." This particular potage is also known as Esau's soup which led me to wonder whether or not it was a dish worth selling your birthright for.

Adapted from Main Courses 365 edited by Jenni Fleetwood

Serves 4

The Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 generous cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1-2 lemons, halved
1/2 tsp cumin
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
sliced lemon and chopped parsley to garnish

The Process:
Heat oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the celery, carrots, half of the garlic, and all of the potato. Cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften.

Add the lentils and stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and lentils are tender.

Add the bay leaves, remaining garlic, and half of the lemons to the pan and cook the soup for a further 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon then stir into the soup to taste.

Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches.) Tip the soup back in the pan, stir in the cumin, cayenne and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with lemon slices and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

The Review:
With winter not quite giving up it's chilly grasp, another hot thick soup seemed ideal...especially with sore throats and stuffy noses in our household. I was leery of the amounts of garlic and lemon in the soup, but everything balanced out well. The garlic flavor was subtle, as was the cumin. The lemon added a nice tang without being sour. It was a very tasty soup...though perhaps not as remarkable as the original soup Esau had...

Kidney Bean and Yam Stew with Oranges

Winter's not giving up its frigid grasp and the colds are making their rounds again. So this thick Indian stew sounded perfect to fight off the chills and sniffles. Yams, kidney beans, oranges, garlic, ginger...talk about a bowl full of health. How much beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber, protein can one really cram into a single meal? I refuse to get sick now, with spring so close!

adapted from Everyday Indian by Ball Arneson

Serves 4

The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garam masala
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp rosemary, dried or fresh
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
one 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups cooked, cubed yams (approximately 2 medium)
1 cup water
one 14 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups peeled, cubed oranges (approximately 2 medium)

The Process:
Place the oil, ginger, garlic and fenugreek seeds in a big pot over medium-high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, garam masala, bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, turmeric, and salt, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, yams and water: increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 7 to 9 minutes. Add the kidney beans and oranges and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. remove bay leaves and serve.

My Modifications:
I lacked fenugreek seeds in whole form, but had the ground seeds on hand. I substituted that at half the amount. And while on the subject of spices, I've begun making my own garam masala blend. My recipe consists of whole cloves cumin seeds, green and black cardamom pods, coriander seeds, peppercorns, a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick, and a pinch of nutmeg. Countless variations of this Indian stable abound. Feel free to experiment...or pick up a pre-made variety at the store.The original recipe did not specify that the yams be cooked, though given the short cook times listed it seemed unlikely the tubers would be tender without a little pre-stew prep. I prefer to bake mine in the oven for about an hour, but in a pinch the microwave will do the trick. The original recipe also did not specify to peel the oranges. The thought to chewing on orange peel did NOT appeal...so their exteriors were disposed of prior to cubing and adding to the pot. Mine oranges were a seedless variety.

The Review:
The warm oranges were a bit odd, and the cumin a tad overpowering, but overall the stew was a big hit. It struck me as sort of like the Tex-Mex chili's long lost cousin. The kidney beans gave the stew the hardy parallel. And the cumin lent a familiar flavor. But the meat was hardly missed. It's nice to have another vegan friendly main course in the arsenal.