All About Kimberly

Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

Tasty Thursday: Chicken and Dumplings

Here it is, Tasty Thursday again.  I’ve been posting the easier recipes in my collection, but this week I decided to post one that is a little more complicated  - a true Southern recipe – You gotta love Chicken and Dumplings.

Dumplings

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/3 cup Shortening
  • 1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

  1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
  2. Cut in shortening and add milk to make a stiff dough.
  3. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1 to 1/2 inch strips.

Other alternatives: frozen dumplings can be purchased at your local grocery store. My grandmother uses biscuits, and I have used tortillas on many occasions.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless chicken thighs (or breasts)
  • 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (26 ounce/family size)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste
  • Dumplings
  • Jalepenos (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a large pot over high heat, combine chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 30 to 45 minutes.
  2. Remove the chicken, cool and pull apart into bite size pieces.
  3. Drain some of the water from the pot, reserving 3 cups in the pot.
  4. Return chicken to pot; reduce heat to medium, and add the soup and butter.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Allow to boil again until chicken reaches desired tenderness (10-30 minutes).
  7. Add dumplings one layer at a time and stir into soup.
  8. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
  9. Simmer over medium heat approximately 20 minutes ofter last dumplings have been placed (until dough is cooked)

Note: If you wish to make yours spicy, add jalepenos during the last 20 minutes or serve as a side dish for individuals to add on their own.

Looking for some other recipes, check out MomDot’s Tasty Thursday cookie recipes.

Tasty Thursday: French Toast

Here’s our third post in the Tasty Thursday meme from MomDot. This week I’m sharing my recipe for French Toast.  There’s nothing special about it, but in case there are some of you out there like I was when I first moved out on my own (CLUELESS), soemtimes it’s nice to have those recipes that everyone assumes you know.

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Bread

Instructions:

  1. Beat together egg, milk, cinnaomn, vanilla, and salt.
  2. Apply a thin layer of oil (I just use Pam) to a skillet or griddle.
  3. Heat skillet or griddle over medium heat.
  4. Soak bread slickes in egg mixture for 20 seconds on each side Cook bread until both sides are lightly browned and crisp.

Tasty Thursday: Rotel Skillet Chicken

In the spirit of one of my favorite new mommy blog sites (MomDot) and my new found love of memes, I’m joining in Tasty Thursdays this week and sharing my recipe for Rotel Skillet Chicken. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 2 cans Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 Small Chopped Onion (I leave this out)
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

  1. Brown chicken in skillet
  2. Add 1/2 cup ater, rice, tomatoes (in their sauce), and onion. Bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and cook on low heat with cover on skillet for approximately 20 minutes.
  4. Add cheese.
  5. Cook 5 more minutes, until cheese melts and rice is tender.

Seafood Cookoff

About a month ago, I told you about the Great American Seafood Cookoff, and now I have more news.  The top 5 recipes have been selected, and now it’s time to vote for the winner.  Why should you vote? Well if just the chance to pick the winner doesn’t fascinate you, then you’re in luck because by voting you can also be entered into a chance to win a trip to New Orleans.

So what are we choosing between?

  • Colorado Striped Bass Panzanella
  • Pan Roasted Glazed Rockfish with Peas and Carrots
  • Mississippi Redfish Courtboullion with Seafood Dirty Rice
  • Texas Gulf Shrimp
  • Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet

To see the recipes and pictures of these dishes in the cook off, you can go to the website GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com and check them all out.

My favorite (and my vote) was for the Texas Gulf Shrimp by Chef Mark Holley from Texas. When I first saw that, I thought, no not going to vote for that since it’s from Texas…I’ll not look like I’m just a Texas follower, but when I saw how yummy the recipe looked, I printed it before I voted it and will be trying it out the next time I have shrimp on hand.

Because I try to stick to buying local seafood, we eat more catfish than anything, but I love to make a trip to my uncle’s who lives down closer to the coast and bring home fresh shrimp too.  We always enjoy how fresh they taste (it tastes so much better than any frozen variety I’ve tried so far).

It’s an election year, so let’s practice our voting and go vote for your favorite dish (if you don’t have a favorite, pick mine – lol) and get yourself entered for the contest to win the trip to New Orleans.

Sponsored by Lousiana Seafood

Easy and Tasty: Taco Soup

This is another of my favorite Tex-Mex recipes.  This one is super easy and doesn’t take that long at all to make. Also I enjoy the leftovers as much (if not more ) than the original meal.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef (or turkey)
1 Can Pinto Beans
1 Can Mexi-Corn (whole kernel)
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (I buy the Mexican blend)
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
1 Envelope Ranch Salad Dressing Mix

Instructions:

  • Brown and Rinse Hamburger Meat.
  • Heat beans,corn, and rotel tomatoes in a separate pan.
  • Add browned hamburger meat.
  • Mix taco seasoning and ranch dressing in a cup of water.
  • Add seasoning to meat mixture and let simmer about 20 minutes-30 minutes.

I have had this with corn chips (like Fritos) and regular chips like Tostados. We enjoy both.
I’ve also experimented with topping with shredded cheese in each bowl when served and that has been a hit.