Category: Cooking (Page 2 of 27)

Did you know that there are at least three ways of making the dumplings for Chicken and Dumplings?  My Mother used to use biscuit dough and the dumplings she made were soft and fluffy. My husband’s grandmother made dumplings that were big and almost noodle-like. Then my own Grandmother’s take on dumplings was to make them very, very thin and even closer to being noodley.

I’ve made all three types and my favorite, also my family’s favorite, are the large, flat dumplings that aren’t thin enough to  be called a noodle. That is the kind of dumplings this recipe is.

And did you know that Chicken and Dumplings don’t make good photos?  They look kind of yuck in pictures but I’ll do my best.

To begin your chicken and dumplings you need to cook some chicken and keep the cooking water/broth to cook your dumplings in. Use the best chicken you can find and be sure to use the whole chicken not just white meat so that your broth will be as flavorful as possible. Don’t take the skin off the meat either.  Chicken and Dumplings are a high fat, high carb meal, so use good fats in it; healthy chicken.

Also, use a healthy flour. Plain Einkorn is good for this recipe so is plain wheat flour.  Using all whole wheat will make your dumplings very dense but you could use half whole wheat or whole Einkorn and half plain white wheat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the chicken or chicken pieces, lower the heat. Add a carrot, one stalk of celery, one small peeled onion, about 6 black peppercorns and about a teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and allow it to cook til the chicken is falling off the bone.

Once the chicken is done and very tender, you can take the pot off the heat and the chicken out of the broth to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, take all the meat off the bones. Keep the bones to make some more good bone broth.  Take all the skin and cartilage pieces off the meat as well.

Pull the meat into shreds or bite sized pieces and then add all the meat back to the broth. Remove what you can of the carrot, celery and onion. They make a good snack.

Now determine if you need more broth. It depends on how many people you want to serve. If you have enough from where you’ve cooked the chicken, that’s fine. If not, add some more good chicken stock to the pot.

Taste the broth and add salt or pepper to taste.

Make The Dumplings

2 cups plain flour (or half and half whole wheat and plain flour)

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

You can easily double or triple this dumpling recipe. I usually make three recipes of it for about 4 or 5 quarts of broth.

Mix everything together into a soft dough. Once you have a ball of dough, let it rest for 10 minutes. Then cut the dough into pieces about the size of a tennis ball and roll each piece out to about 1/4 inch thick on a well-floured surface. The flour keeps the dough from sticking to your work surface but it also helps your dumpling broth to get thick.

Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the rolled dough into big square or rectangle shaped dumplings.

Bring your broth to a rolling boil.  Gently add dumplings one at a time to the boiling broth. Gently push the dumplings down under the broth. They’ll pop back up and that’s ok, but they need that initial dunking.

Once all the dumplings are in the broth, lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow the dumplings to cook, stirring gently every now and then.

After about 10 minutes you can take out a dumpling and test for doneness. Be careful not to burn your mouth.

HINT:  Leave lots of flour on the dumplings after you cut them out, the flour helps to thicken the broth. If your broth isn’t thick enough for you, you can thicken it up easily.  Mix together 4 tablespoons of flour and some water to make a paste about the consistency of buttermilk. Next, put some of the boiling broth in the bowl of flour and water and stir it up, then pour it into the boiling broth. Stir well.  Let it cook a little bit and it will thicken.

I think I was about 20 years old before I ever ate collard greens. We just didn’t have them when I was growing up, though my Mother said her mother cooked them. I think my Dad didn’t like them and that explains that!

Like all greens you have to wash collards really well before cooking them or you’ll end up with grit in your teeth. I wash each leaf and break off the biggest tough parts of the stems. I do leave in some of the smaller stems.

I’ve cooked collards for many years now and it’s amazing all the different ways people have of seasoning them. I’ve settled on using a piece of smoked pork, red pepper flakes, a pinch of sugar, minced garlic, salt, pepper and sliced onions. Now, we have a vegetarian in the family so I always cook a small pot of collards with no meat, they’re good, too.

The thing about collards is that you need to let them cook a LONG time to really bring out the taste. So, I put everything in a big crockpot and let it cook on low overnight. When I know I will be here all day I cook them in a pot on the stove, adding water as needed.

To cook collards:

Pick over each leaf, tearing out any imperfect places and breaking off large, woody stems.
Wash each leaf well.
Chop the leaves into bite sized pieces and place them in a big pot.
Add enough water to fill the pot about 2/3 full, don’t worry about covering all the leaves, they will cook and shrink, or “cook down” eventually.
You can add water if needed later.
Add all the seasonings to the pot of collards.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow collards to cook for several hours until they are very tender and flavored with the seasonings. Don’t be surprised if this takes 4-6 hours.
Serve with cornbread!

The Elderberries are ripe and we’ve been picking them. Here’s my Elderberry syrup recipe. I’ve included the spices that I’ve been using in my Elderberry Syrup for a few years now.  We like it a lot!  In fact, I could just drink it, it’s that good.

A few years ago I learned about the usefulness of elderberry syrup to fight off viruses. I learned about it while my husband was doing research for his 19th century doctor impression that he does when we reenact. I have a feeling that I got sick this winter because I had not been taking it. It is a preventative mainly, but you can take it if you get sick too, to help you get better more quickly.

Some of the scientifically documented benefits of elderberries that I have read about:
*Boosts the immune system
*Contains 3 types of flavonoids. Flavonoids help the body to fight at least 8 kinds of flu viruses.
*Stops the production of hormone-like cytokines that cause inflammation.
*Reduces excessive sinus mucus secretion.
*Some studies indicate that they reduce swelling of mucous membranes and improve sinus drainage by decreasing nasal congestion.

I’ve been making elderberry syrup ever since I first read about it. Here is how I make it and how we use it. I am not recommending that you use it. You will need to do your own research about elderberries and determine if it is something you want to use for your family. And if you are pregnant or nursing, please consult your doctor or health care provider before you use elderberries.

You need to cook those berries!

Its also very important to use completely ripe elderberries, don’t use pieces of stems or leaves and to cook the berries and juice before using it in syrup or in tinctures. Although enzymes and probiotics are retained if you do not cook the berries and liquid, its not very safe to use raw elderberry juice in your syrups and tinctures.  Unripe or uncooked berries can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, weakness dizziness and  numbness.  You can see why it is especially important to cook the berries and juice before using it with children.  

Elderberries grow all over the place around Tennessee back roads and the edges of fields. We find lots of it at my mother-in-law’s farm and quite a bit more along country roadsides. Elderberry blooms in May and sets fruit in June. You want to pick ripe berries to make the syrup.

Don’t bother picking individual berries. Just cut off the whole stem of berries and place each bunch into a plastic bag. If you pick first thing in the morning, you won’t need to wash them, I don’t recommend washing them anyway. You can keep them stored for months and months before using them.

When you get them home, tie up the bag and pop the whole thing into the freezer until you are ready to make your syrup. I usually have to pick at least three times to get enough berries to make syrup.

Some people dry the berries and use them for syrup. I don’t go to that trouble, I make the syrup from fresh berries. Here are the proportions of berries, water and sweetener you need and the basic instructions.

1 3/4  cup fresh berries
3 cups fresh, preferably filtered, water
2/3 cup sucanat OR 1 cup honey. I use honey.

If you want to include the spices in your syrup, here they are, but they are optional:
1 teaspoon of peeled, grated ginger
1 4-5 inch long cinnamon stick
4-6 whole cloves (to your taste)

Combine berries, sweetener, spices if using, and water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer about 20 minutes or until the concoction is reduced by about half.
Check to see if it is thick enough for you by taking a tiny amount of the liquid on a cold metal spoon. Blow on the liquid and then tilt the spoon to see if the liquid is thick and runs off the spoon slowly.
Strain out the berries and solid matter, and press the berries as you strain, to extract all the juice. Let the syrup cool and then bottle it. I use mason jars and corked bottles. It will keep in the frig almost indefinitely, but I make it fresh every summer. You can even store it in the freezer!

If you’ve missed the berries this year, mark the plants with a ribbon or piece of cloth so you can find them next year. Let your tag stay there all year so you can use the blossoms if you want to. They are hard to see once they make berries so leave your tag on as long as possible.

It’s not an exact science, and you will probably get a different concentration each time you make it. Practice will tell you how long to cook it and how much to take each day. I don’t think you can over-do it dosage wise, it is very mild, but of course you will want to do your own research and find out all you can before making elderberry syrup.

All the adults in our house take 1 tablespoon per day. The children anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons. When ill with a flu-like virus, an adult can take a tablespoon three or four times a day. This is just what we do, you will need to do research to find dosages that are right for your family.

To can this syrup:

Add 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice per half pint of syrup.
Cover with hot lids and rings, water bath can for 15 minutes.

Right after Christmas, when we have lots of citrus on hand, I start making candied orange peel. Its an old fashioned candy that folks used to make to keep from wasting the peel.  I like just plain orange peel, I know its not a taste everyone likes though. The sugar makes it palatable for everyone.

The best kind of oranges to use for this are thin skinned ones. You CAN use naval oranges but you’ll have lots of pith to remove before you can candy the peel. Its just easier and I think the thin skin is better tasting anyway.

It doesn’t matter how much peel you have, you’ll be cooking it in the same amount of syrup. But you can save the syrup from batch to batch and just add sugar and water to it as you need.

Its best to use organic oranges for this too, but back in the day before we had organic stuff, I just used regular oranges and washed them before I set them out in a bowl for everyone to eat.
Also, it doesn’t matter how shaggy the peels are but if you want nice even pieces of candied peel you’ll want to cut and quarter the oranges as you peel them. Store the peels in a bowl in the kitchen til you have all you want to make the candy.

First, put 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a medium sized, heavy bottomed pan. Bring it to a boil and then drop all the orange peel in it. Boil for 10 minutes.

At this point if your peel has lots of white pith on it, you’ll want to take the peel out of the syrup and use a spoon to scrape off a lot of the pith. The more you scrape off, the stiffer and harder the finished candy will be. I like it kind of chewy so I leave the pith on when using thin skinned oranges and I don’t scrape it all off of the peel of naval or Florida oranges either.

Return the oranges to the syrup and bring back to a boil for 10 minutes. If you didn’t scrape pith, just leave the orange peels in the syrup and let it boil another 10 minutes.

Now take the peel out of the syrup draining it as best you can while reserving the syrup if you want to use it again, and let the peels drain. I use a small colander.

Next put about 2 cups of sugar in a large plate ( I use pure cane sugar) and piece by piece press the boiled peel into the sugar. Some people even use a rolling pin to press the sugar into the peel. I just use the back of a spoon.

Next you can cut your sugared peel into strips and lay it on parchment paper or a wire cooling rack to dry. I have even dried it in a dehydrator on about 110*F for a couple of hours, works great. When the strips or pieces are no longer wet and are sort of firm, they’re ready.

Store dried candied peel in glass jars, tightly covered. It will last a long time on the shelf if it is really dry, but I like to freeze it to have on hand for months.

If you like candied fruit and spicy baked goods, you’ll like these old-fashioned cookies.
Welsh Cakes are like scones but spicier and thinner. These are some of my favorite cookies and I only make them at Christmas. They go really well with a bold tea like Welsh Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast or English Breakfast.

2 cups flour
1/2 level tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) butter
1/3 cup caster sugar (superfine granulated)
1/2 level tsp Mixed Spice (All Spice / Pumpkin pie spice) (optional)
1/2 cup or about 2 oz candied peel. I used what I had left over from fruit cake making.
1 egg, beaten
Cream to blend…. you really do need to use cream in this.

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture. Add the peel.
3. Stir in the egg, then add enough cream to make a firm dough.
4. Roll out the dough to 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick, cut it in to 3 inch rounds

Traditionally, you would cook them on a hot buttered griddle iron or in a heavy frying pan for about 10 minutes, turning when the underside is brown. However, I baked them in a 350* F oven on a stone until they were lightly browned.
Serve warm with butter and honey. Makes about 10

I was given the turkey carcass from last night’s fellowship dinner at Church. So tonight I am making turkey soup. With homemade noodles.

I have cooked the carcass in a big pot of water with some carrots, celery and onion for flavor and a splash of apple cider vinegar to help the bones release minerals.  No, the soup won’t taste vinegary, I don’t use that much just a ‘glug’ from the bottle.

After it has simmered all day, it’s ready to make soup. I strain the broth out. What I don’t use tonight will be pressured canned or put in the freezer for later. It will develop a wonderful jelly like layer over the top of the liquid. That jelly is filled with protein and nutrition. Its great for simple lunches and recipes both.

Then I pick the meat off the cooked bones and set it aside. I save the cooked veggies for lunch tomorrow.

In a smaller pot I put enough broth for tonight’s soup.  Just about 8 cups or so. Then I add some meat, about 1/4 cup per cup of soup so about 2 cups of meat in this pot. Next I add chopped carrots, chopped celery and a diced potato. I just eye-ball the amounts. You don’t need to add the potato, but it makes the soup heartier.

Now add some salt and black pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are about done, and it won’t take long because they’re diced, I add the homemade noodles. I have some in the freezer from where I made them last week.

The noodles only take 10 minutes or less to cook. Taste the soup and add more salt and black pepper if needed.  This soup is so simple and satisfying, it doesn’t need a bunch of herbs or seasonings, it stands on it’s own.

The Noodles

I’ve been watching a lot of episodes of Pasta Grannies and learned that the flour I can buy here is not like their 00 flour.  So I ran some plain flour through my VitaMix and made a flour that is like powder, much like the Italian 00 flour. And oh my does it ever make great noodles!

I use 1 egg and a glug of olive oil for every cup of flour and a pinch of salt. I’m kind of big on glugs, aren’t I?  Mix it all up and knead til its smooth and soft, elastic.  Let it rest about 20 minutes before rolling out the noodles.

You can run it through a pasta roller or hand roll it with a rolling pin. I suggest you roll it out about 1/4 inch. I use my Kitchen Aid pasta roller.  Then you can roll it up and cut the noodles or use an old fashioned thingie like this pasta/noodle roller. That’s what I usually use.

Keep the noodles floured well and separate them to dry a little while before you cook them, maybe another 15 minutes.