Getting Back on Track

No more procrastinating. I have to get back on track and get out of this funky mood I've been in for four months. I've been really busy and yet I feel like I haven't done anything constructive. You ever get in one of those moods where you are just mad or dislike everything? Food doesn't taste good, clothes don't feel good, bad hair days, bad face days, ya just want to crawl under and rock and sleep all day days. My two forms of entertainment lately have either been eating or sleeping. I'm one of those "emotional eaters". I get my feelings hurt....I eat. I get upset.....I eat. Depressed......eat. A celebration or a happy occassion......We EAT!!! Ugh!!! I spent the first five months of this year sweating and working my butt off and watching what I eat to loose 15 pounds. It only took two and a half to gain it all back!!! It's September 1st and I am making a vow that starting tomorrow I am going to get back on track and stay on track through the end of the year. Back to exercising, back to working out, back to eating healthy!!!! No more procrastinating! No more excuses! (although I did have some pretty good ones) Cracked my elbow, chipped my thumb, had my heart broken, and broke my toe. All of which were excuses to pig out or not work out.

Fortunately, most of those have healed and life will go on. I just need to stay focused and make healthy choices for myself, physically and emotionally. Now, check out this new cake recipe!!! Ha Ha!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Chicken and Herb Dumpling Soup

6 tbsps. unsalted butter

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

6 tbsps. plus 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup peeled and diced carrot

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 pound cooked chicken meat, diced (can use roasted chicken)

1 cup frozen peas

6 tbsps. chopped fresh chives, divided

4 tbsps. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

3 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 cup course ground yellow cornmeal

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

chicken and herb dumpling soup

To prepare the soup, melt butter over medium heat in a medium Dutch oven.  Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove Dutch oven from heat and add 6 tablespoons flour, whisking vigorously to blend with vegetables and butter.  Return to medium heat and cook, whisking for 2 to 3 minutes without letting the flour brown.  Remove pan from heat.   Add 1 cup of chicken broth and whisk until mixture is smooth and paste like.  Once paste is smooth, whisk in the remaining stock.  Add the carrot.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Add mushrooms to soup along with chicken, peas, 2 tablespoons chives, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 tablespoon thyme.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer soup until thickened and vegetables are tender for about 30 to 40 minutes

While soup simmers, prepare dumpling dough.  Place remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cornmeal, remaining chopped chives, 2 tablespoons parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking to combine.  Slowly pour cream into dry ingredients and stir just until combined with a wooden spoon.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Taste soup and season again with salt an pepper as needed.  Drop heaping tablespoons full of dumpling dough onto surface of soup.  Cover Dutch oven and simmer until dumplings are firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. (I only added about 5 dumplings per person, didn’t want to over do it)

To serve, divide soup and dumplings between 8 shallow serving bowls.  Sprinkle each with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and serve immediately. 

I got this recipe from Sur La Table when I took a cooking class last week with my sister.  We made four different soups and stews and this was one of my favorites.  I was hoping it would be more like traditional chicken and dumplings so that I could make it for my dad but it’s more of a soup and has lots of veggies in it so I’m pretty sure it got the thumbs down sign when he tasted.  At least he did try it though and I’m glad that he at least gave it a chance.  This soup taste like my grandmother’s homemade chicken noodle soup she use to make.  It’s loaded with flavor and the cornmeal added into the dumpling dough gives them a completely new texture than what you might be use to.  My mother doesn’t like “doughy” foods at all.  She does, however, like these cornmeal dumplings.  I love them anyway they come.  I don’t mind the dough.  I had to wait until I was grown and married before I could have a burrito from Taco Bell.  Mom said the tortilla was too “doughy” when I was younger and never let me have one.  She’d have a fit if she knew how many Taco Casa burritos I’ve had since they moved into town! 

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