A Recipe for a Cold Winter Day

(originally written on 2/11/10)
With all the cold and the snow, we've had plenty of time to cook (and eat) lots of yummy comfort foods. We've had beef vegetable barley soup, homemade bread, chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and chicken stew. Not just any chicken stew. I've been on a quest for sometime trying to replicate the recipe that my Gram always made for us. This is one of my very favorite meals that she made. I remember her saying that making it was an all-day affair. Well, I don't make anything that takes all day. I have been dubbed "the Queen of Quick" in the kitchen. So here goes, my easy version of the secret family recipe.

Chicken Stew with Austrian Dumplings

chicken parts (I use thighs) - about 10-12                carrots
1 - 26 oz. can cream of chicken soup                     celery
chicken broth from cooking the chicken                   onion
flour                                                                      potatoes
salt
pepper

Boil chicken parts in water until chicken is well cooked. Set aside chicken to cool. Save broth. In another large pot, mix can of cream of chicken soup with approx 3 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add in chopped celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer until tender.

Pull cooled chicken off the bone, cut into small pieces. Set aside.

Add approx 1/4 cup flour to about 1 cup of chicken broth. Mix well. Add to stew mixture, bring to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Fold in chicken and dumplings.

Austrian Dumplings

1/2 c Butter
1 Egg; separated
1 Egg yolk
3/4 c Flour
1/4 ts Salt
1 ds Pepper
1 ds Nutmeg

Cream butter until soft and beat in egg yolks; gradually stir in flour, seasoning and stiffly beaten egg whites. Shape in small balls 1 inch in diameter, drop into boiling salted water and simmer, covered, about 5 minutes; do not let dumplings boil. Gently scoop out of water w/ slotted spoon. Makes 1 1/2 doz.

Enjoy! This recipe will feed our family of 7 with very little in the way of leftovers!