Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

scant tsp. salt

1/4 cup shortening*

1 egg

milk, soy milk, or water

Fork together dry ingredients and the shortening like you would for a pie crust.  Make hollow in dry ingredients and shortening mixture. Drop in 1 egg in center and mix.  Add enough milk (water or plain soy milk also work) to reach desired consistency. Roll out on floured surface and cut into small squares with the back (blunt side) of a table knife.. Gently slip dumplings into boiling chicken broth and cook for about 15 minutes after all dumplings are immersed.

Broth: I place boneless skinless chicken thighs in a slow cooker with baby carrots and celery. Add water to partially immerse. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours or until you get home from wherever. I pour into large pot on stove and add 32 ounces chicken broth. Bring to a boil and drop in dumplings. I make 1 1/2 batches of dumplings for this amount of broth. Keep some extra broth on hand for reheating after refrigeration in case too much broth is absorbed.

*I’ve also used vegetable oil which results in a dumpling that is more like a noodle.

As always, I use the same basic pressure cooker chicken recipe that Aunt Marg always made.  I have always served the chicken recipe over rice while adding different things in different ratios.  In the past I have: browned the chicken before adding the rest of the ingredients, added red wine, added beer, changed the amount of garlic, onions, garlic, pepper, salt, celery, bay leaves, random spices…

This time I did everything in reasonable moderation but added a little heat and Old Bay seasoning.  And this time it turned out a little tastier than any I have made in the past (but not necessarily better than Aunt Marg ever did.)

The ingredients in order of addition to the pot (all very approximate):

*2C       Water and turn burner to high
*1          Bay Leaf
*4Lbs   Chicken Legs & Thighs (rinsed with skin)
*1          Onion, halved med
*2          Stocks celery, whole
*4          Garlic cloves, whole, crushed with flat of knife
*Generous amount of fresh ground pepper
*One heaping teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (I think I may try a little more next time)
*4          Little Asian peppers, whole (hot ones from a little Vietnamese lady from work…they do not make the chicken too hot though)

Then I closed it up.  At high pressure I cooked it for 20 minutes and performed the quick pressure release method once finished.  The last serving secret happened only because we were out of rice and found a box of Trader Joe’s whole wheat cous cous to serve it over.  The cous cous seems to hold more of the rich chicken flavor than the rice did.

Enjoy,
Tim

This jam is not spicy, but heat can be increased by adding a few habanero peppers. Alternatively, you can add red pepper flakes when serving to increase heat. It is a good appetizer on small corn bread squares or heated and poured over a block of cream cheese with crackers. It would also be a good glaze on chicken or pork.

4 cups crushed strawberries
1 cup minced jalapeno peppers (include seeds for more flavor)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
7 cups sugar
1 pouch Certo

Prepare crushed strawberries and add finely minced jalapenos (and seeds if desired), lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a full boil. Add Certo and allow to boil for another minute. Pour into steralized jars and top with clean, new, hot lids and rings. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Makes approximately eight 8 ounce jars.

This is good on biscuits, scones, or toast, but could also be used as a glaze on chicken, turkey, or pork.

4 large navel oranges, unpeeled and cut up
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries
1 pouch Certo
1 cup water
11 cups of sugar

Chop the oranges and cranberries in your food processor until they are mushy (or desired) consistancy. Add to large pot with rest of ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Add pouch of Certo and boil one additional minute. Remove from heat.

Place in steralized jars with new, clean, hot lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water to seal. Makes approximately twelve 8 ounce jars.