Chicken and Dumplings

Growing up in West Virginia I am a huge fan of comfort food and there are days when I really crave something comforting.  Making comfort food on a diet can be difficult but I have found a few healthy recipes.  The first of these recipes is the Weight Watcher Chicken and Dumplings.  

For the recipe you will need:

1 ¼ pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1/8 tsp table salt

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ tsp table salt

¼ tsp of black pepper

2 tsp vegetable oil

4 medium uncooked leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced

4 medium uncooked shallots, thinly sliced

2 medium uncooked carrots, sliced into thin rounds

2 ribs uncooked celery, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

2 ½ cups fat-free chicken broth

2 Tbps all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp uncooked cornmeal

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp table salt

1 ½ tsp parsley, minced

¼ cup low fat milk

½ cup apple juice

¼ cup frozen peas (thawed)

Season chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Mix flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Sprinkle chicken with 1 tablespoon of seasoned flour. 

In a large skillet, heat oil and lightly brown chicken.  Remove from pan.

In the same skillet, sauté leeks and shallots until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon of seasoned flour and it cook until it begins to color, about 1 minute.

I then transferred the ingredients to a pot.  Pour in chicken broth and apple juice and add chicken.  Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile to make dumplings, sift 2 tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt together into a bowl. Stir in parsley (I did not use parsley). With a fork, stir in milk until dough just comes together.  I poured milk slowly and did not need the full amount.  Drop dumpling mixture with a teaspoon into chicken mixture.

Simmer, covered, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add peas, and cook until dumplings are done, another 2 to 4 minutes.  One cup equals 6 points.  My only complaint about this recipe is that the cornmeal mixture did not make very many dumplings.  When I make it again, I will double the dumplings recipe.  

I served the one cup over the Sour Cream and Garlic Mash Potatoes.