Grandma's Chicken and Dumplings

This is the soup my mother used to fix quite often for our meals. It is comfort food and a very healthy choice to make and eat for supper. Her vegetables all came from her garden, and the chickens came from near-by farms. It was so delicious. This recipe came from her mother, who had a huge family to feed and very little money.

Ingredients

1 chicken whole or cut up (about 3 lbs.) 1 onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 or 2 sweet peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Dumplings

1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. shortening or 4 Tbs. butter, melted
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

In a large heavy bottomed pot, combine chicken, onion, carrots, celery, sweet peppers and garlic. 

Pour in the chicken broth. Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pot with a lid and cook 45 to 60 minutes.  Cook until chicken is tender and cooked. This can take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool until the chicken is safe enough to handle, so you don't burn yourself.  Take the chicken out of the broth. Remove the chicken bones and skin. Cut the chicken meat into small pieces. 

Skim the excess grease or fat from the top of the cooled soup broth. Return the chicken to the broth. 

Turn the heat back on under the chicken. As the broth comes to a boil, it is time to make the dumplings. When the soup boils, turn the heat down and let the soup simmer. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper to taste.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening in the flour mixture if you are using shortening. If you are using the melted butter, make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk and butter. Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients together to make a dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk. If it is too wet, add a little more flour. 

Drop tablespoonfuls of the dumpling mixture on top of the simmering soup.  Do not pile the dumplings on top of each other.  Just place them all over the top of the soup. 

Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot.  Turn the heat down low to keep the soup at a low simmer. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, or until dumplings are done.  To test dumplings, stick a toothpick in the center of the dumplings. If it comes out clean, the dumplings are done.

Large Brownie Cookies

 

If you love brownies and coffee, then brownie cookies are the next best thing. They are fudgy in the middle, chewy on the edges and very chocolaty with a touch of coffee flavor mixed in.

Ingredients

2 cups or 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 tsp. espresso powder or dry instant coffee
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

In a heavy pot or saucepan, combine bittersweet chocolate chips and butter.  Over very low heat, stir until the chips and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and espresso or instant coffee. Beat for about 5 minutes on high speed. The mixture should be thick and creamy.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the cooled melted chocolate chips and butter mixture.  Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the baking powder, salt, flour and cocoa powder, mixing to combine.

Add the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and nuts if desired.

Cover and chill the cookie dough for about 30 minutes. 

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, placing cookies about 3-inches apart.

Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges are set. The cookies will have the appearance of being slightly wet looking in the center. That is all right and the perfect time to remove them from the oven. It is important to not over bake the cookies, or they will not be fudgy like brownies. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. The cookie tops will crinkle as they cool.

Chicken Fajitas 

Chicken Fajitas is a super easy meal to put together, and it is very it doesn't have to be made with only chicken. You can use beef, or shrimp. You can season the chicken with the spices, place it in a bowl or bag and pour in lemon juice. Place the mixture in the refrigerator and allow marinating for 1 to 4 hours. Discard the juice in the bag or bowl and then prepare as directed below. Do not add any more lemon juice at the end of the cooking time.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 onion, sliced thin
3 sweet peppers, sliced thin
2 jalapeños, finely chopped (optional)
2 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. lemon juice
shredded cheese
6 - 8 inch flour tortillas
cheese
sour cream
salsa

Directions

Cut the chicken breast meat into thin strips.

In a bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, pepper, chili powder, and cumin.

Add the chicken into the bowl of spices. Turn to coat the chicken evenly.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet peppers and jalapeños.  Cook until they are crisp-tender.  Remove the vegetables, or push them to one side of the skillet. Add half of the chicken to the skillet and cook until done, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet. Fry the remaining chicken until done. 

Return the rest of the chicken, and the vegetables, to the skillet. Stir in the lemon juice and heat through.  

Spoon the chicken and vegetables on to warmed tortillas. You can add some cheese with the chicken if desired. Fold the fajita in half and serve with desired toppings.

Beef And Cheese Quesadillas

These quesadillas are cheesy, and the ground beef is flavorful. This is one of our go-to meals when we really don't want to cook. They are fast and easy to prepare, and our family loves them.

1/4 c. hot water
1 bouillon cube
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 hot peppers, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. chili powder * see below
1 tsp. cumin * see below
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 can corn, drained (optional)
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
3 c. shredded cheese, divided  (Cheddar cheese, hot pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese)
6 to 8 flour tortillas, 8-inch size

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°. This will keep the quesadillas warm as you cook each one, so you can serve all of them at the same time. 

 Dissolve bouillon cube in hot water. Set aside.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, hot pepper, sweet pepper and garlic until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain off excess grease or fat.

Stir in chili powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and dissolved bouillon cube with water. 

Lay out the flour tortillas.  Using 2 cups of cheese, place an even amount of cheese on one half side of each of the flour tortillas. 

Place the meat mixture on top of the cheese, dividing equally among the flour tortillas.  

Add some corn over the top of the ground beef.  Add some black beans at this time as well, if you desire.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the ground beef and corn. Fold each tortilla shell in half. 

Lightly grease or spray a skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches, cook the quesadillas until the tortilla is golden browned, and the cheese is melted.  This only takes about 2 minutes, so don't leave the quesadillas unattended. When the one side is browned, carefully turn over the tortilla to brown the other side. 

Place on a cookie sheet and keep in a preheated oven to keep warm as you continue cooking the rest of the quesadillas. 

Serve with sour cream, or salsa.  Include some refried beans and Spanish rice, and you will have a complete meal.

 Notes:

We always add about a tablespoon of chili powder and cumin in ours, as we like the taste of these two spices. 

Spanish Delight

A quick and easy meal to prepare that does not take a lot of work. It is very economical and will feed a family on a budget.

Ingredients

6 oz. pkg. narrow noodles
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 to 2 onions, chopped
1 to 2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 can cream style corn
2 Tbs. chili sauce
1 large can mushrooms
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°.

Fill a large pot with water.  Add about a 1/2  to 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, cook the hamburger, onions and pepper until the hamburger is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender.  Drain off excess grease or fat.

Add tomato paste, cream style corn, chili sauce, and mushrooms. Stir in the cooked noodles. Taste the meal and add salt and pepper.  I usually leave the meal right in the skillet, and bake it in the oven. But you can transfer the meal to a casserole dish.

Top with cheese.

Bake for 1 hour. 

This meal can also be made ahead of time and frozen.  If you freeze this dish to serve at a later date, you'll want to bake this for 2 1/2 hours. 

 60 Minute Sweet Rolls  

 Who can resist sweet rolls warm from the oven? These 60 Minute Sweet Rolls are light and fluffy, and can be ready to eat in a short amount of time. Using a quick rise method, you don't have to wait all day to sink your teeth into one of these delicious bites of sweet goodness.

Ingredients

1/4 c.. very warm water 110° to 115°
1 Tbs. sugar
1 pkg. package yeast
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons soft  butter or oil
2 to 2 3/4 cups sifted flour

Filling

1/4 c. soft butter
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
nuts, chopped (optional)
raisins (optional)

Powdered Sugar Frosting

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 Tbs. milk

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar together. Set in a warm location for about 5 to 10 minutes, so the yeast starts to bloom. 

Heat the milk over low heat until it is warm to the touch, or until it reaches the temperature of 110° to 115°. Remove from heat and stir in salt.

Add the warm milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, butter or oil and 1 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon, or you can use your mixer with the dough hook attachment. Continue adding the rest of the flour, stirring until it is too stiff to mix by hand. 

Turn out the dough onto a floured board, adding more flour as you knead the dough.  Add enough flour until the dough is slightly sticky, but does not stick to your hands. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.   Cover with a sheet of plastic or a lint free towel and let rest for 5 minutes

Roll out the dough into a 16 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of soft butter over the surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add the chopped nuts or raisins at this time if desired.

Roll up the dough tightly, beginning with the wide side.  Seal the edges by pinching the edge of the dough into the roll, so they don't come undone. Cut the dough into 12 slices.  

Place the dough, cut side down, into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. 

Cover the dough with a lint free cloth and let rise in a warm location for 30 to 35 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake the rolls for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown on top. 

Prepare the frosting while the rolls are cooling.  

In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk.   Beat by hand or with a mixer until smooth and of spreading consistency. Spread over warm rolls.

 Pronto Pups

 

If you don't like much cornmeal taste in your corndog, then Pronto Pups are the perfect solution. They have less cornmeal in the coating then a corndog has. You can also cut down the amount of cornmeal that you use in the batter and just substitute it with more flour.  Another alternative to making Pronto Pups is to use pancake mix. 

Ingredients

1 c. flour
2/3 c. cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. shortening
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 package beef hot dogs * see notes below
Oil for deep-frying

Directions

In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, dry mustard and sugar.  Using two knives held together in your hand or a pastry knife, cut in the shortening until it is small particles about the size of crumbs.

Mix the egg and milk together until combined. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth.  The batter should be thick, like pancake batter. If it is too thin, the batter will not stay on the hot dogs. If the batter is too thick, it will crack on your hot dogs when deep-fried. 

In a deep, heavy cast iron skillet, pour in oil until it is 1-inch deep. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 365° to 170°.

Dry off the hot dogs. Insert a skewer through the center of the hot dog, going through lengthwise.

Dip each hot dog into the batter, making sure to evenly coat the entire surface of the hot dog. Place the hot dog into the hot oil.  You can fry several Pronto Pups at a time, just be careful to not overcrowd the skillet or allow the temperature to drop below 365°.

Deep-fry the hot dogs for 2 to 3 minutes, remembering to turn the hot dogs to brown all sides of the batter. 

Remove the hot dogs from the oil and place on paper towels or a rack to drain off the oil. 

Serve with ketchup and or mustard if desired.

Notes:

You can use any hot dogs that you like best, or the ones you can afford.