Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Creamy Low Carb Chicken and Dumplings

Low carb and luscious, bone broth simmers for hours.
Join Susie T. for the Fluffy Chix Cook secret to Low Carb Chicken and Dumpling Bliss. And while you're here, she'll clue you into alternate uses for Low Carb Dumplings - Susie's Tweak. You won't believe you are living a low carb, keto lifestyle with this delicious recipe for the ultimate comfort food.



As AliceB, opined at some point, “What good are low carb dumplings, if you don’t have the recipe for the broth?”

And she makes a great point! What use are low carb dumplings without the full chicken and dumpling recipe? When most of us think of dumplings, we think of the marriage between moist chicken, rich and creamy gravy, thick and delicious dumplings. You love what you know; either being raised a drop dumpling baby or a rolled dumpling baby. If you're from Texas or the South, then dollars for doughnuts your mammy made rolled dumplings. And with this recipe, you can easily achieve either rolled (meaning "flatter") or "drop" (meaning round).


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This is an important point to make, because for the "drop" variety, you do have to gently mold them between your palms. If you just "drop" mounds into the stock, then most likely, they will desentagrate while cooking. You don't "overwork" the dough, just lightly and briefly roll a dollop into a ball and set it on a plate while rolling the entire batch of dumplings. Then tump them all into the simmering liquid at once and plop the lid on top. Then walk away. Walk away and don't your dare touch that lid for at least 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your dumpling.

Fluffy Low Carb Dumplings are so versatile and make
a satisfying addition to many dishes. The yellow-tinge
seen in these dumplings come from simmering in a
rich and healing anti-oxidant, turmeric broth.
But, the main reason to separate the recipes is because it makes it easier for you to search for dumplings or chicken and dumplings; because they are two separate recipes. The other reason to separate them is because, call us crazy, but we love dumplings in dishes unrelated to chicken or creamy chicken broths.

I hear you crying now, “Tell us, Susie! Tell us! Reveal the secrets you hold! What are the other uses for dumplings! We need! We need! We want! We Want!”

So I’m going to tell you, because I’m like that. :D

Low Carb Dumplings work great in so many dishes beyond the obvious “chickular” ones. We love dumplings in beef stew, beef stroganoff, beef soup, pork gravy, sauerbraten, Creamy Dreamy SOS, Italian Red Gravy (think gnocchi or gnudi—ricotta dumplings). We make them small like Peggy’s gnocchi and add them to cream or Alfredo sauces, pesto sauces, fresh spring sauces with butter, diced tomatoes, garlic and basil. Cook them in broth and have matzo ball soup. You could cook, then brown in butter and serve as a deconstructed potsticker meal like Peggy (aka Buttoni) did on her blog. Or you can just cook them and brown them in butter, then serve with nutmeg, a topping of freshly grated Grana Padano cheese and a simply prepared meat and green salad. You can even make spaetzle (little German pillows of love) with this recipe. I think you get the picture, that we could Bubba Gump the hayull (Texan for h-e-double hockey sticks) outta the dumplings. So the basic Low Carb Dumpling-Susie’s Tweaks, deserves its own post.

We make bone broth in a slow cooker and simmer it
18-24 hours, then strain it, but you can sub out for
low sodium, organic chicken broth for a shortcut.
Basic "cream component" of the cream soup.
The other thing to know, is you can easily substitute a broth of your own choosing for the chicken broth listed in the Chicken and Dumplings recipe. We’ve successfully done beef broth and beef base, Seafood "Chowdah" with a lobster base, and mushroom broth with mushroom base to concentrate the flavor. If you cook your own broth, the “base” or bouillon is really unnecessary and can be omitted. The cream broth is actually a basic recipe for a “cream soup,” which in turn, can be Bubba Gumped to infinity and beyond.




The last thing to know is that you can completely omit the chicken step and used prepared chicken if you roll that way. I separated out the components of the recipe so they would be easily readable. It isn’t a complicated “multi-step” recipe. The whole thing comes together in 20 minutes of prep. Swearsies.

Hope you will try it then leave me a little love note in the comments sharing your experience with us!

What’s your favorite dumpling dish?



http://www.fluffychixcook.com

 

Creamy Low Carb Chicken and Dumplings

Low Carb Chicken and Dumplings. Satisfying and
filled with comfort, not carbs!
Serving Size: 1/4 Recipe (3-4 Dumplings)      Yield: 4 Servings (About 12-14 Dumplings)
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Start to Finish: 45 Minutes


Do you dream of creamy, dreamy chicken broth with huge chunks of moist chicken and light-as-air, pillowy dumplings? Are those dreams followed by carb nightmares? No need to dream any longer. This Chicken


For The Chicken

For The Veggies
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced, diced or quartered
  • 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
  • 4 ounces broccoli slaw (about 1/3 of a bag)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

For The Dumplings and Sauce

Variation
  • 10 ounces roasted chicken—or boneless, skinless, rotisserie chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Season breast with Dijon mustard, granulated garlic, Cavender's Greek Seasoning, kosher or sea salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium high heat. Brown chicken pieces, about 3 minutes per side. They will be golden on the outside but raw in the center. Remove and add the second tablespoon of olive oil, veggies and garlic. Season with kosher or sea salt and pepper. Sauté over medium high heat until tender. Add chicken back to pan and place in oven. Bake 6-8 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and cool until chicken can be handled. Tear into chunks using your hands or use two forks. Chicken may still have a bit of pink, but will finish cooking in the gravy.
  2. Make the cream sauce: Add softened cream cheese to the same pan used to cook the veggies and chicken. Slowly whisk in coconut milk until smooth and creamy. Add cream. Stir to mix it well. If using bouillon or chicken base, stir into sauce and add dried parsley.
  3. (For Microwave Version: Microwave cubed cream cheese for 10-15 seconds to soften. Mash cheese with a fork to remove a lot of the lumps. Slowly whisk in coconut milk, and cream. Add dried parsley. The mix should be smooth, lump-free.)
  4. Bring strained bone broth or stock to a gentle simmer. Add prepared, raw dumplings to simmering pot. Cover and cook on low (at a gentle simmer) for 10-12 minutes for "drop" dumplings and 8-10 minutes for rolled dumplings. Do not lift lid! When dumplings are done, add cream sauce base, chicken and veggies. Cook 5 more minutes. Serve piping hot!


NOTES: If you don't feel like making chicken from scratch, an easy shortcut uses rotisserie chicken to replace the breasts or roasted chicken. Simply bone and skin rotisserie chicken, then tear into large chunks or shreds. Sauté the veggies per the instructions and combine them with about 1/2 of the chicken (2 cups of meat chunks or about 10 ounces of meat). Then proceed with remaining recipe as written.

This recipe also rocks with beef instead of chicken! Replace the chicken bone broth with beef bone broth or stock and use either ground beef, or leftover pot roast or brisket. Delish!


Serving Ideas: Serve with a simple salad or sliced tomatoes.

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving with Chicken Breasts: 446 Calories; 27g Fat (50.6% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 170mg Cholesterol; 12g Net Carbohydrate

Per Serving with Roasted White Meat Chicken (boneless, skinless): 381 Calories; 22g Fat (47.5% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 165mg Cholesterol; 11g Net Carbohydrate

Copyright © 2013 Fluffy Chix Cook. All rights reserved.


http://www.fluffychixcook.com

8 comments:

  1. Oh SusieT.!!! I grinned through the reading of this entire post, simply tickled that chicken and dumplings will be part of my life very soon, and just flat enjoying how you tell a story! Being a Texan too, I can relate to bunches of what you shared!!! Not sure I've eaten dumplings of other varieties except C&D, but thrilled to have so many options!

    Somehow I missed Peggy's recipe you linked in yesterday's post (missed it when she posted it because I follow her too) so had no idea I could have had Dumplings for a while. May be an excellent example of 'if ya snooze, ya lose'!!

    I WILL be making C&D just as soon as is possible, likely tomorrow evening. (The schedule is too dang tight this week and I bet dinner will be from food that is already cooked for tonight's meal. I love cooking 'ahead' too.)

    Thank you, at least a thousand times over, you are a doll and appreciated so very much!

    Are you sick of dumplings yet since you've been testing versions lately?

    Hugs,
    AliceB.

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    1. Ha! Alice, you're the best and always make me feel so special and loved. Thank you so much for the gift of your friendship and support!!! I still have 7 dumplings left and the ice box and Denny looked fearfully at me when he asked about dinner. We were driving back from the docs. I have to have an MRI to rule out a metastasis. And so I was talking about what lucky leftover we were gonna have tonight. I swear, I think he was about to cry! I know he woulda if I'd told him Chicken and Dumplings again! I will probably have matzo ball soup with chicken, but I threw him and bone and will make him Brinner using the leftover Psylli Turmeric Pancakes, leftover Jalapeno Bacon and Fried Eggs. :D (I might slice a few grape tomatoes and avocado if he's nice!) LOL. So far, I'm not sick of dumplings. I think I could eat some variation of them, daily. :D I'll let ya know! I hope you get to make them soon and let me know. Start by only making one batch. The keys for me are if you don't have a Jumbo egg, do not add 2 large eggs, stick only to 1 large egg. If you let it sit a minute and it's too sticky to roll, combine a bit of gluc/oat fiber in a 1:1 ratio and store it in a spice bottle with a perforated lid. Sprinkle it onto you hands while rolling the dumplings in balls and that will help them firm. But honestly, the best results have been using the Jumbo egg as in Peggy's original recipe from LCF. Good luck and be sure to let us all know how they came out and what spices you used in the dumplings!

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  2. Thank you for the additional info, Susie.

    Sending many prayers that the MRI results are good and you are just fine. I'm holding onto that visualization strongly.

    Your dinner (brinner) sounds wonderful! I ate some of the psilli-torts that I made last weekend and seasoned with turmeric at lunch today!! Still good! Smeared them with coconut oil so I'm sure they benefited my health in some way!

    Playing around with a ricotta crepe recipe over last weekend, one version's texture was reminiscent of a white corn tortilla. I'm planning a couple of experiments to explore that!! (Somehow this is possibly mildly related to the topic at hand, at least in some corner of my mind...) Will share after playing some more!

    Stay strong, sweet lady.

    Alice B.

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    1. Thanks hon! The MRI shows a bulging disc and a spot on my rib. Have a bone scan ordered and an appointment with the oncologist, soon. But I'm not so worried now. Spoke with the onc NA and she reassured me by telling me that it would be pretty unusual to only have one hot spot on the spine in an area of cancer mets. We both think it's a cracked rib from the coughing/sneezing. But will know more next week! Hugs!

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  3. i echo Alice's wishes for your continued good health. I just lost a friend to the evil BC and I pray no-one has to experience what she went through. Pink ribbons my ass.

    Now, as to this delightful recipe, I think my husband will be a very happy camper with this. Thanks SO MUCH!

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    1. Rita how you guys love the chicken and dumplings! Let me know, ok?!

      Thanks for your good wishes and SO sorry for your loss. I kinda say breast cancer is "pink ribbons" and fairies jumping outta my ass. It's an impossible disease and a total bitch, not something pink and mystical! LOL.

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  4. Thank you again SusieT for this brilliant looking recipe! Can't wait to try them with Beef Stroganoff! :)
    Sending out good thoughts and prayers for your MRI results.
    Love and big hugs from BFCG!

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    1. BFCG, if possible, I loved them even more with the beefy-ness of the stroganoff and beef gravy! I made the gravy the same way as above using beef bone broth, then at the end, I added sour cream to give it the stroganoff feel (and chopped a few cornichons per Jamie Oliver). Delish!

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