Chicken and Dumplings (C&D) – It is so good and so comforting when it’s so cold outside. There are many ways to make the dish and likewise, there are strong opinions regarding the proper dumpling, type of sauce and the addition of vegetables.

• First there is the dumpling dispute. Some like a thin strip of a dumpling, a little thicker than a noodle. Some prefer thicker biscuit dough rolled and cut into small rectangles. And still others prefer the doughy blossoms of dropped biscuits.
• The gravy seems to invite less of a conflict among partakers. Yet there are those who prefer a thin runny soup while others want to suspend their spoon in thick gravy. However, almost all agree it should be sprinkled with a generous amount of black pepper.
• It’s difficult to gain accord when it comes to the addition of vegetables. C&D purists demand only thickened chicken broth, dark-meat chicken and dumplings. Then there are the Moms who take the opportunity to sneak in vegetables like onions, celery, carrots and peas.

Sunday evening I made two versions of C&D – a simple purist version with rolled-biscuit dumplings and a chicken-vegetable stew with drop-biscuit dumplings.

Quick C&D
8 cups chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken
1 can Grands biscuit dough
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bring chicken broth to boil in a large pot. Heavily flour a work surface and roll out biscuits to 1/8″ thickness. Then cut each into strips and across the strips into rectangles.

Drop the dumplings and excess flour into the boiling broth while stirring. Reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Debone the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. When the dumplings are done, add the chicken to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

Vegetable C&D
1 stewing chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Water to cover the chicken
Fresh herbs – parsley and sage sprigs, two bay leaves and peppercorns
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp. oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the chicken in water with herbs. Meanwhile, sauté the vegetables with oil in a large deep pot. When the chicken is done (about 45 minutes), remove to cool and strain the liquid. Pour the liquid (broth – adding water if necessary to equal 8 cups) into the pan with the vegetables. Let simmer while deboning and cutting up the chicken.

Buttermilk dumplings
1-3/4 cups flour
1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley and/or chives
1⁄2 stick of butter
3⁄4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Prepare dumplings by combining the dry ingredients and cutting in butter. Then add the buttermilk and egg. Mix together to make a sticky dough. Bring the broth to a boil and drop the dough, one teaspoon at a time, into the liquid. Reduce heat and cook dumplings for 15-20 minutes. Add chicken to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

My family liked both recipes. I added frozen peas to the vegetable version right before I brought it to a boil and dropped in the dumplings.

I found the Quick C&D to be surprisingly good considering how easily it came together. I recommend adding chopped parsley but overall, it is a solid recipe.

Events last week turned my small world upside down. My little two-year-old Beagle pup was badly mauled by another dog. She survived and is home requiring supervision until her wounds heal. Now a week later, I’m confident she will recover. However, life goes on and dinner must be made. I whipped up a simple enchilada casserole because it’s very quick and is a great leftover for those evenings when I don’t feel like cooking.

Simple Enchilada Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. pan grease or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 4.5-oz. can green chilies, chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
1 28-oz. can enchiladas sauce
2 15-oz. cans ranch-style beans
20 corn tortillas
12 oz. shredded cheese

Cook the ground meat until done and remove from pan to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 3 Tbsp. of the grease from the pan. Sauté onions in the grease until tender. Add garlic and chilies continuing to cook for a few more minutes.

Add flour to the pan and stir to make a roux. Cook until it is light brown – about the color of peanut butter. Add the enchilada sauce, ranch-style beans and ground beef to the pan and stir. The mixture should thicken and look like rich chili.

Grease a 9×13″ baking dish. Tear the tortillas into quarters and layer half on the bottom of the dish. Spread half the chili mixture and sprinkle half the cheese. Repeat.
Cook the casserole in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Garnish with avocados, green onions, black olives or cilantro. Adding fresh elements enhances the meal.

Every Monday, the Leader employees share a sit-down noon meal. Everyone usually contributes something – components of the main dish, vegetable sides, salad or dessert – and we always pull together a wonderful lunch. The Leader has a very functional kitchen where the staff prepares the meal and it contributes to the family-type environment we are fortunate to have.

This week I contributed chicken spaghetti to the meal. I do not recall my mother ever making that dish. It wasn’t until after I married in the ’80s that I first had it at my in-laws. I suppose that’s a long time ago for some.
I made the casserole Sunday night, refrigerated it and baked it at the office the next day.

Chicken Spaghetti
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 Tbsp. oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can green chilies
1 tsp. oregano
3 Tbsp. flour
1 can mild Rotel tomatoes
2 cups milk
1⁄2 lb. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1 lb. wheat spaghetti pasta
3⁄4 cup black olives, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, cook chicken seasoned lightly with salt and pepper in 1 Tbsp. of oil. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp. of oil to the pan and sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Then add green chilies, oregano and flour. Stir to incorporate the flour and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the Rotel tomatoes and milk. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens and then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Stir in about 3⁄4 of the shredded cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

In another pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 lb. wheat spaghetti, breaking it into halves or thirds as it is added to the pot. Cook until almost done, about 8 minutes. Then drain.
Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with oil. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the black olives and pasta. Remove from heat and stir all together. Then pour into the baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and the sides bubbly. We served it with steamed broccoli, rice and tomatoes, salad, bell pepper slices, cucumber slices and garlic bread.

A ragout (pronounced ragoo) is a French hearty stew – not to be confused with ragu, the Italian sauce usually served over pasta. A ragout is usually made with beans or lentils, fresh vegetables and herbs. It can contain meat, but is still a hearty meal even if it is meatless.

Lately the media has expressed concerns with farm-raised fish processed in Asia. Overcrowding and polluted waters are some of the biggest concerns. For that reason, fish caught in local lakes are more appealing to me and at least I know what my family is eating.

I usually make this dish with cannelli beans and catfish. My recipe is below, but feel free to use lentils or your favorite beans and substitute chicken or sausage for the fish. Obviously, served meatless with a side salad and crusty bread, it is a wonderfully nutritious meal.

Ragout of cannelli beans and tomatoes with white fish
3 15-oz. cans cannelli beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp. canola oil
6 white fish fillets (catfish, tilapia, halibut)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 15-oz can tomato bits
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp. butter
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish.

Heat oil in skillet. Salt and pepper fish fillets and lightly brown in batches. Remove fish. Sauté onions, carrot, celery, garlic and bacon in remaining oil until tender. Then deglaze pan with wine. Add stock, herbs, beans and tomato bits. Cook until heated through.

Return fish fillets to pan and continue to cook covered on low heat for about 10 minutes more. Remove fish again and cover to keep warm. Add lemon juice and butter to pan and cook the sauce for 20 minutes, allowing it to reduce.

Serve ragout with a slotted spoon and place a fish fillet on top. Drizzle ragout juices over the fish. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley. A side salad of organic greens is always a nice addition.

I’m so happy we are past the latest arctic blast. I’m tired of being cold and feeling under-the-weather. Grocery shopping was not high on my to-do list, but I was craving a hearty soup. So I decided to whip one up with ingredients on hand. A hearty golden potato soup is the result of throwing together items I consider to be kitchen staples.
Golden Potato Soup
3 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 lbs. potatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1⁄2 lb. mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
In a large heavy pot, caramelize the onions on low heat in olive oil and butter – season with a little salt and pepper. When the onions are a beautiful golden color – about 15-20 minutes – add carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.

Cook for another 5 minutes and then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (I dropped in 4 Parmesan cheese rinds I had saved in the freezer since I didn’t have any Parmesan cheese. Those will melt into the soup, thicken it and give it nice flavor.) Turn off the heat.

While the potatoes cooked, I chopped baby portabella mushrooms and browned them in butter. I cooked them separate from the other vegetables because I knew I would pureé those and didn’t want to include the mushrooms.

Remove bay leaves (and Parmesan cheese rinds). I wanted the soup to be chunky, so I pureéd it with my immersion blender for about 5 seconds – just enough to thicken. Add the mushrooms, cream ( I didn’t have cream, but added 1⁄2 cup Half & Half and a little sour cream) and Parmesan cheese if you have it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley.

Kitchen staple items have a long shelf-life in either the pantry or refrigerator/freezer. For me, they include onions, carrots, celery, garlic, canned tomatoes, dried and canned beans, pasta, rice, potatoes, dried herbs, stock, butter or olive oil, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. With those items on hand, I can always whip up a meal.

Every Southerner knows that eating black-eyed peas brings good luck in the New Year. If you haven’t had yours yet, it is not too late. Try these black-eyed pea recipes. And they are good any time of the year.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
I thawed a bag of peas that came from my summer garden and boiled them 30 minutes with just enough water to cover, a bay leaf, salt and pepper – then drained. You could also use 3 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained.
Then add:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1⁄2 red onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for a few hours – or overnight. It makes a great side dish and is also good served with chopped avocado. Add a chopped jalapeño pepper if you like it hot.

Southerners also love their casseroles, so why not one with black-eyed peas?
Sausage, Black-eyed Peas with Rice and Greens
1 lb. sausage, crumbled or bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups broth
2 cans black-eyed peas
3 cups cooked rice
10 oz. cooked greens (spinach, kale, etc.)
8 oz. shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausage in a large oven-safe skillet. Add olive oil and onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they just begin to brown. Add garlic, oregano and flour, stirring until all is incorporated. Slowly stir in broth – your choice of beef, chicken or vegetable – making a gravy. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, adjust seasonings and remove from heat.

Add peas, rice and greens to the skillet and combine. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes until the cheese melts and the sides of the dish are bubbly.

I used Kielbasa sausage, wild rice, beef broth and kale topped with Colby-jack when making the dish. For a Tex-Mex flair, try chorizo sausage and follow the same recipe, but substitute corn for the rice and a can of Rotel tomatoes and a chopped green pepper instead of greens. Then top the casserole with cornbread batter – from a mix is fine – mixing cheddar cheese into the batter. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes until the cornbread is lightly brown.

A carrot casserole recipe has been requested by a reader. I’ve never had carrot casserole, but it sounded intriguing. I researched several recipe options and settled on two. The first is made with apples, carrots and a brown sugar-crumble topping.

Apple Carrot Casserole
from TLC Cooking
6 carrots sliced
4 apples peeled cored and sliced
1⁄4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter
1⁄2 cup orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. salt

I didn’t have orange juice, but I found a very small bag of frozen peaches – about a third of a cup. I heated them with 1⁄2 cup wine in a small sauce pan. I added a pinch each of dried tarragon leaves, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. I let this simmer and reduce down until the liquid cooked off.

Then I prepared the carrots and brought them to a boil with just enough water to cover. Once fork-tender, I removed from heat. Layer half the sliced apples on the bottom of a baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, layer half the carrots. Finish by layering the remaining apples and carrots. I reserved about 8 apple slices and arranged them in a spiral pattern on the top.
I added the leftover cooking water from the carrots to the peach mixture and pureed it. Then pour over the carrots and apples – again this was substituted for the orange juice.

Make a crumble by combining the flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter – I also added a quarter cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle it on top and add salt lightly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

I served it piping hot from the oven. The crumble was light and buttery, and there was a hint of sweetness from the natural sugars in the apples and carrots. Actually, this is not a dessert. However served with a scoop of ice cream, it is heavenly.

The other carrot casserole is creamy and cheesy. The ingredients are listed below. As usual ,since I consider all recipes to be guidelines, I’ve documented my alterations.

Creamy Cheesy Carrot Casserole
from Taste of Home
3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1⁄4 cup butter
1⁄4 cup flour
2 cups Half & Half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1-1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1⁄4 tsp. celery salt
6-7 slices bread
8 oz. sharp cheddar
3 tbsp. butter

Start by peeling and slicing the carrots. I decided to also julienne one onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Sauté the onions in butter. When nicely browned, add the garlic and flour. Stir until incorporated. Then add Half & Half, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper and celery salt. I certainly didn’t measure the dry ingredients – I added what I liked, but that’s up to you. Continue to stir until the consistency is that of gravy. You have just made a béchamel sauce. (You don’t need canned creamed soup!)

Toast 6-7 slices of bread and cut into cubes. Sauté in butter until golden brown. Place sliced carrots in a 9×13″ baking dish. Cover with béchamel sauce, cheddar cheese and toasted bread crumbs.

Bake covered in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes and uncovered for 15 more minutes. Yum!

The weekend after Thanksgiving Day, we continued feasting with more family in Arlington. Since I wasn’t hosting, I brought two side dishes to go with the traditional turkey dinner. I made scalloped red and sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts.

For the scalloped potatoes, begin by cleaning about 3 lbs. of red potatoes. Leaving the skin on, cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Peel about 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes and cut them into 1⁄4-inch slices. Bring 6 cups of whole milk, 2 cups of Half&Half, 3 minced garlic cloves, a dash of nutmeg and pepper, 1 tsp. each of dried thyme and salt to a simmer in a large shallow pan.

When the milk is almost boiling, layer in potato slices until just covered by the liquid. Gently simmer the potatoes for 8 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon to cool slightly. I cooked three batches and added more milk as necessary. While the potatoes were cooking, I shredded a lb. of Swiss cheese.

Prepare a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray and spoon a quarter of the pan liquid into the dish. Then partially overlapping, cover the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the potatoes using a mix of sweet and red. Scatter 1/3 of the Swiss cheese over the top. Make two more layers. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese and dried parsley on top of the final layer.

With the dish on a cookie sheet – to catch any spills –place in a 375-degree oven. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the sides bubbly. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

I love Brussels sprouts and find that if roasted with bacon and garlic, just about everyone else does too. Begin by browning bacon pieces in an iron skillet. Chop and add a large onion to the skillet. Add 2 lbs. cleaned and trimmed Brussels sprouts. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of 1⁄2 lemon. Stir all to coat then pour onto a sheet pan and place on the top rack of a 350-degree oven. Cook for about 20 minutes. Stir the sprouts and cook for 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast 1⁄2 cup pine nuts in a skillet. Watch closely or they’ll burn. I also wash about a dozen button mushroom. Yes, I wash mushrooms quickly in cold water and set them stem side down to dry so water doesn’t collect in the caps.

Then quarter and brown the mushrooms in the skillet. Avoid the urge to stir them. After a couple of minutes, gently turn to cook each side. Stirring mushrooms makes them sweat and turn an unappetizing grey.

When the sprouts are done, scoop them into a serving dish and toss with the mushrooms, 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese and the toasted pine nuts.

While not exactly quick and simple, I can guarantee sides like these will compliment a main dish and enhance a special dinner.

Traveling and attending events during the holidays can make it hard to sit down to a normal family meal. Not only that, but when visiting and having meals with extended family, it’s easy to eat too much rich wonderful food. Often when I know we’ll be having a big dinner, we eat a late breakfast/early lunch – brunch. Last Saturday I made potato pancakes with sausage, gravy and kale Caesar salad for brunch.

If you search for kale on the Internet, you’ll find it provides numerous health benefits. I like the taste and that it holds up well when cooked, but most importantly it grows in my garden year round. I gathered, cleaned and chopped the kale into bite-sized pieces. I made a Caesar-type dressing with ½ cup olive oil, 1 smashed clove garlic, 2 anchovy fillets, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Using my immersion blender in a cup, I puréed the ingredients to make a smooth dressing.

Drizzle half the dressing over cubed crusty bread and bake in a 450-degree oven for a couple of minutes until browned. Toss the rest of the dressing with the kale and spread it over another baking sheet. Bake the kale for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally. Don’t let it burn. Combine the kale and croutons in a bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan and lemon juice. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the meal.

I seared the un-cooked sausage links on all sides and then turned the heat down and added a cup of chicken stock. Put a lid on the skillet and let the sausages cook through – depending on the size, about 20 minutes.

The potato pancakes were quick and easy. I grated 6 small red potatoes (skins on) with a box grater and dried them on paper towels. Then combine with 1 egg, ½ of a finely chopped onion, about 1 tablespoon each of flour and bread crumbs, and season with parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. By now the sausage should be done, so remove it from the skillet and reserve any liquid.

Heat a small amount of oil in the skillet and then drop 3-4 balls of the potato mixture in the skillet – be careful not to crowd. I ended up cooking three batches. Use a spatula to flatten the potato balls forming a pancake. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until crispy and nicely browned.

For simple gravy in the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook the flour until it turns a light brown and then add the reserved sausage liquid while stirring. Continue to stir and add milk or half-and-half. When a gravy forms, add salt and pepper to taste. Or for a lighter option, serve applesauce instead of gravy.