Month: December 2020

Nothing wraps you up like a cozy blanket and a bowl of complete comfort! This bowl is just that. Simple ingredients? Yes. But, there is nothing lack luster or plain about the flavor!

You will need:

• 2 whole chicken breast, bone in and skin on or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• a drizzle of oil of your choice
• 2 cartons of chicken broth (32 oz each)
• 4 whole carrots
• 3 ribs of celery
• 1 large onion
• poultry seasoning (sprinkled liberally on the chicken)
• fresh rosemary and thyme (1 tablespoon if fresh) and 1 teaspoon each if dried
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons of better than bouillon chicken base 
• any other seasoning you choose (garlic powder, etc., but keep it simple)
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 sticks of very cold butter
• 1/3 cup of very cold vegetable shortening (or use all butter instead of adding shortening)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 8 tablespoons of ice cold water

Season the chicken on both sides. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and drizzle with oil.  Sear the chicken on both sides. Add in the carrots, celery, onion and dried herbs (if using fresh save those until just before adding your dumplings).  Add in one carton of the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a steady simmer.  While the chicken and veggies are cooking, prep your dumplings.

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or food processor with a dough blade. Then add the butter and shortening (cut in cubes first).  Pulse until the mixture resembles peas.  If doing by hand, use two butter knives like scissors to cut the butter into the flour.  Or, you can use a pastry blender. Once the butter is incorporated, add the 8 tablespoons of water and blend until a ball is formed in the food processor or you’re able to mold the dough into a ball. If you need to, add more water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.  Roll dough out to the thickness of a nickel and cut in a checkerboard pattern.  

Add the remaining stock, chicken bouillon base and the fresh herbs, if using fresh, and check for seasoning. Adjust to your liking.  Remove the chicken and veggies from the stock and put aside. The veggies have done their job of flavoring the stock, but the carrots are GREAT to eat. Make sure the stock is simmering and carefully drop in your dumplings. Each time you drop in more, stir from the bottom. Once all of the dumplings have been added to the pot, chop and add the chicken back in. Remove the skin and bones, first, if you used bone in/skin on chicken. Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

#yumola

These egg rolls are SO FREAKING delicious! I am a self proclaimed food snob and have been SO disappointed with take out egg rolls. Of course there are some good ones out there, but making them at home is super easy with the added benefit of your being able to control the quality of ingredients. And, they are YUMOLA every time! Please try these.

You will need:

12 egg roll wrappers (I use vegan wrappers)

Oil for frying the egg rolls (peanut oil is preferred, but can use vegetable oil)

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of ginger, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of carrot, shredded

3 cups of cabbage shredded (I use packaged slaw mix)

5 scallions, chopped (tops and bottoms)

8 oz package of your favorite mushrooms (can also use ground pork, chicken or shrimp)

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

2 – 3 tablespoons of coconut aminos (can use soy sauce)

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add all of your other vegetables to the pan as well as the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are at your desired tenderness. Add the soy sauce and sugar and cook for an additional minute. Taste to see if you need to add more seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper diagonally on a flat surface. Put about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture in the center of the wrapper. Follow the instructions on the wrapper packaging to fold, but basically you are going to fold each side in first. Then, grab the bottom of the wrapper and fold it over the filling; tightly rolling until you’ve reached the top. Seal by wetting with a little water and place the egg roll on a plate with the seam facing down. Repeat until all of the filling has been used.

To cook, heat a heavy frying pan (I use cast iron) and add enough oil to come a little over half way up the pan. When the oil is hot, carefully place the egg rolls into the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until brown. Be careful not to crowd the pan. Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Enjoy!

#yumola

This is one of my husband and son’s favorite dishes. It is so simple to make, but would stand up against any orange chicken out there. Seriously! For you vegetarians and vegans, you can use mushrooms instead of chicken and omit the buttermilk. I hope you will give this recipe a try. You will NOT be disappointed.

You will need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can use thighs as well) cut into bite size pieces

buttermilk to cover the chicken

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 cup of cornstarch

salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each)

oil for frying (peanut, grape seed or your favorite oil)

1 cup of orange juice (freshly squeezed is my jam)

3/4 cups of sugar

3/4 cups of white vinegar or rice vinegar

3 – 5 tablespoons of coconut aminos (can use soy sauce)

1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger, chopped finely

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon for less heat)

the zest from one orange

1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water

For the Chicken:

Place your chicken in a bowl and cover with the buttermilk. Set aside while you prep your dredge. In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture and coat evenly. Heat a heavy frying pan (my favorite is cast iron) over medium high heat. Add enough oil to come half way up the pan. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all of the chicken is done.

For the sauce:

Put all of the ingredients, except for the cornstarch mixture and orange zest, into a sauce pan and heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch and continue to cook until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and add the orange zest. Toss the chicken into the sauce to coat and serve over rice.

#yumola