I’m ready for summer to be over. I’m looking forward to cool days, bare trees and brisk breezes. Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to the food of fall. The meals that I’m drawn to these days are going to have to wait for the temperature to drop at least 25 degrees. As tasty as it sounds, I couldn’t realistically eat pot roast when it’s so hot outside.
I’m finding it more and more difficult to come up with menus these days. That may be because it’s 95-plus degrees every day, and that makes it hard to think about anything that requires more heat. We used to do a lot of dinners on the grill during the summer, but we’re currently without a grill. Thus, no grilled dinners. Oh well.
In anticipation of fall, here are a few recipes that have caught my eye recently. I’d expect at least one or two of them to hit our dinner plates in another month or so.
As requested, here’s the non-slow-cooker recipe for chicken and dumplings. I think it’s from “The Joy of Cooking.”
Chicken and Dumplings
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups hot water
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
5 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
For the dumplings
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup milkRinse and pat chicken dry. Cut into smallish pieces and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden.
Place as many chicken pieces as will fit comfortably and cook, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Set chicken aside.
Add onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add broth and hot water. Whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add carrots, celery, thyme, salt and pepper.
Return chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat so the liquid barely bubbles.
Cover tightly and cook 20 to 25 minutes.
Prepare dumplings:
Bring butter and milk to a simmer.
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with a fork until blended. Divide and roll the dough into dumplings.
Whisk half-and-half into chicken mixture and place dumplings gently on top. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.