gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Chicken and Dumplings
We finally made it down to Nashua, a little over an hour from where we live. What’s so exciting about Nashua? Well… the town we live in has a population of 6,000 and Nashua has a population of 87,000. Which means of course, they also have some decent shopping. (Keep in mind, we moved from a city of 500,000.)
We were in search of a barbecue grill, which translated, means my husband was in search of a BBQ grill. I was in search of a Barnes & Noble where I could stock up on books (heaven forbid I run out!) and a Trader Joe’s where I could stock up on buffalo mozzarella, organic chicken, and organic olive oil, and a Red Robin where we could stuff ourselves with a gluten-free burger, a mountain of gluten-free fries, and tartar sauce.
I love Trader Joe’s whole organic, free range, chickens. Organic meats really do taste better. I think they have more flavor and knowing we’re not consuming an animal that’s been treated improperly, shot full of hormones and antibiotics, and fed genetically modified food and who knows what else…makes it even better. Do some research on what our country does to non-organic chickens and I dare you to ever eat one comfortably again. We could talk for days I’m sure, on the sad state of what the FDA thinks is appropriate, so we’ll save that topic for another time.
I like to keep single serving home-made chicken soup containers in the freezer. It’s great to have on chilly days, when we’re feeling under the weather, or when I don’t feel like cooking when Tony is traveling. I’ve also been thinking about chicken and dumplings. Must be because we’re stuck in winter. Every week is like a skipping record (snow, cold, sun, wind, and…repeat) and I guess my body isn’t ready to get out of comfort food mode until it sees some kind of true sign that spring is on its way.
So as I was making a big pot of home made chicken soup yesterday, I thought, why not use some of it to make chicken and dumplings? 90% of the work has already been done and then I can have the best of both worlds. Chicken and dumplings for dinner and enough home made soup leftover to store a few servings in the freezer.
I used the artisanal flour mix again for this recipe. I would highly, HIGHLY, recommend their cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking by Kelli and Peter Bronski. Tony bought it for me while on a guys ski trip in Utah last month. I already have 22 recipes earmarked that I can’t wait to try. Including puff pastry and home made pasta!
Chicken & Dumplings
1 Batch of Home Made Chicken Soup (I added carrots and broccoli during the final process)
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
About 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour (for thickening broth)
Kosher Salt
For the dumplings:
1 1/2 Cups Artisanal Flour Blend (I use arrowroot instead of cornstarch)
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons Dairy Free Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Large Egg
In a medium stock pot or dutch oven, add about 2 heaping cups of strained solids from the chicken soup (chicken, carrots, etc.). Add about 2 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, just enough to almost reach the top of the chicken and vegetables. Add the 1/4 cup almond milk and stir. Salt to taste. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the artisanal flour blend, baking powder, salt, and thyme. In a measuring cup, add the almond milk and egg and whisk with a fork until combined. Melt the butter. Add the egg mixture and butter to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t over mix, or the dumplings will be too dense when cooked.
Bring the chicken mixture to a boil. Add the two tablespoons of flour to a small cup, add enough broth to make it liquid, stir the lumps out with a fork and add to the chicken mixture. Boil for 2-3 minutes and reduce to a low simmer.
Spoon heaping Tablespoons of the dumpling dough over the simmering mixture.
Cover and allow to steam on simmer for 23 minutes. No peeking!! They will expand while cooking. You will want them to be done on the inside, but somewhat soft and moist on the outside.
6 Comments on “Chicken and Dumplings”
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gluten free zen 
This dish looks incredible. Lovely photos, too!
My mother-in-law used to make Chicken and Dumplings by stewing whole pieces of chicken with dumplings on top. No veggies. I used to make my own version at least once or twice a winter and, like you, dropped the dumplings over a slightly thickened chicken vegetable soup base. I haven’t made them since making the move towards gluten-free cooking/eating. I think it’s time to learn about gluten-free dumplings!
You’re so right about the Trader Joe’s organic chicken. The spongy discount priced chicken has just become awful. Yuck :).
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These dumplings are a CINCH! You will love them. So easy and tasty. 🙂
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Welcome to Spring! I’m so with you on only eating organic chicken. I saw a program a few months ago on the production of meat in the US and it was horrifying. If I went to the US I would only eat organic and that goes for the fruits and vegetables as well – the poisons and the GMOs etc is shocking. But, like you say, it’s a big topic. Love the bowl you served your chicken and dumplings in xx
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I don’t know what is going on with the US. We have a lot of issues right now, including the way we raise our food. It’s quite sad actually. Life here (in the states) just isn’t like it used to be when I was growing up. And the whole GMO thing…you’re right, it’s absolutely horrifying!
It was much easier to buy all organic vegetables and meats in Washington state. Here in NH, it can be kind of a challenge. I typically have to go to three grocery stores to find all the organic vegetables and fruit we eat, and they rarely have organic meats. I’ve had to resort on many occasions to buying “all natural” meats which they say has no hormones but who really knows? And I try very hard not to envision how they’re being raised and fed when I have to buy that meat. I’m happy that we can go to Trader Joe’s even if it is an hour away for organic meat. There are many farms around here, so I’m sure in spring and summer when things come back to life in New Hampshire, we’ll be able to find some local organic meats, vegetables, and fruits.
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Chicken and dumplings is one of those comfort meals meant for a snow day, April. So glad that you’ve found a successful GF dumpling recipe. As good as the rest of the bowl’s contents may be, if the dumpling aren’t right, neither is the meal. Yours here look very good!
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I have only just discovered that to make good dumplings you have to leave the lid on and not touch it until the time is up! Come ON spring! c
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