Chicken and Dumplings a la Slow Cooker

Although I generally consider chicken & dumplings to be a cold weather dish, I made it this week as we have had some extremely rainy & stormy days!  It smells heavenly as it cooks and is easy as pie and oh so yummy in your tummy.  It's a one pot meal so your work is done ahead of time.  All you have to do is serve it with a side salad and perhaps a peach cobbler for dessert.

Ingredients:

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

   (or I have used 1 Rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded to save time)*

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cans chicken broth

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Salt & pepper to taste

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (I used Grands Flaky Layers)

Instructions:

1. Turn the slow cooker on low and add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, chopped onion, celery, carrots, and chicken breasts. Make sure the chicken is covered with liquid.
2. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. *If using rotisserie chicken, cooking for 4 hours on low will do the trick.
3. About an hour before serving, crank the slow cooker up to high and shred your chicken. (I like mine shredded so that the pieces are small).  Tear the raw biscuits into small pieces and place on the chicken mixture in the slow cooker.  Cook on high about 2 hours until dough is cooked through. 
4. Ladle into bowls and voila… dinner is served!

Note that the onion, celery, and carrots are purely optional.  You can omit them and have a more traditional chicken stew.  Sometimes I add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to get more of a “pot pie” dish.  It’s all very yummy!  I’ve also used Anne’s frozen flat dumplings rather than refrigerated biscuits and that works well too, giving  you a "chicken and pastry" dish.   The jury is still out on which version I enjoy the most!

Refrigerator Blueberry Peach Jam

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I've been happily inundated with fresh berries!  I am especially happy now that Carolina peaches are in season!!!  Off to the farm market I went and came home with lots of fresh peaches and blueberries so that I could make a batch of this delicious jam.  It's good served over toast, waffles, pancakes, pound cake or ice cream!  You see, it's extremely versatile!

5 cups blueberries, washed, stemmed, drained & crushed

3 cups peaches, peeled & finely diced

2 ½ cups Splenda (or 5 cups sugar)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box Sure Jell (1.75 oz)

Mix together all ingredients, except Sure Jell, and put in large pot or Dutch oven.   Bring to a boil; reduce and let simmer for about 30 minutes (it won't hurt to simmer longer).  If necessary, mash a bit with potato masher, but you want to have some larger fruit pieces in your jam.  Add Sure Jell and stir until combined.  Cook about 5 to 10 minutes more.  Let mixture cool and ladle into clean jars or containers.  The jam will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer... if it lasts that long!  

Fresh Berry Pie

I just love berry season!  Having lots of raspberries and strawberries fresh from the farm market, I made this pie.  It is chock full of beautiful red berries and has a wonderful sweet & tart zing to it.  Serve it warm topped with freshly whipped cream or ice cream for a yummy dessert treat.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pie crusts, one for bottom and one for top (I used Pillsbury refrigerated crusts)

6 to 7 cups of fresh berries (I used a combination of strawberries & raspberries)

¾ cup Splenda (or 1 ½ cups sugar)

3 Tablespoons tapioca

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon milk & sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  Place one pie crust in glass 9-inch pie pan.
2. In large bowl, stir together ¾ cup Splenda, flour, tapioca, lemon juice, and vanilla; gently toss with berries. Let stand 15 minutes. Spoon into crust-lined pan. To make lattice top, cut second crust into 1/2-inch wide strips. Arrange strips in lattice design over filling. Trim and seal edges. Brush crust with milk; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar.

Place pie on large cookie sheet (in case of spill over) on middle oven rack.  Bake about 1 hour or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let stand 2 hours before serving

Summer Squash & Corn Gratin

 (adapted from Southern  Living)

 Oh how I love summer squash and corn!  The two combined are a dream come true, especially when a little cheese is added!  This recipe is easily adaptable to your taste:  you could use a mixture of yellow squash & zucchini, add garlic and other spices, and play around with the cheeses!  I think you will be smiling when you taste this one!

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds yellow squash, cut into ¼ inch slices

2 large sweet onions, diced

1 package frozen corn kernels, about 3 cups (or fresh would be even better!)

1 ½ to 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used Mexican blend)

3/4 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup egg beaters (or 2 large eggs beaten)

1 small can diced green chilis (optional)

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

French fried onions for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put squash and onion in large pot or Dutch oven and add water to cover.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil 5 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain well.

Stir together squash & onion mixture, corn, cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, egg beaters, green chilis, salt & pepper, and bread crumbs.  Mix well.

Spoon mixture into greased 13x9 inch baking dish (I used 2 9x9 dishes so that I could freeze one).  Sprinkle with French fried onions.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until bubbling and set. 

Slow Cooked Savory Pork Roast

Being a rainy Sunday, I decided to put my trusty slow cooker to use.  I had a 1 1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast so here we go!  The result was a fork tender roast with a sweet & tangy zing.  It was perfect served with a side salad, garden tomatoes, and squash & corn gratin.  Hubby declared it a keeper!

1 1/12 to 2 pound boneless pork loin roast

1 large onion

½ cup water

1/8 cup Splenda (or 1/4 cup sugar)

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon ketchup,

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Peel and slice onion.  Place in bottom of slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Pierce roast with fork on fatty side & sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Place the roast on top of the onions, fat side up.

Whisk together water, Splenda, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper.  Pour over the roast.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.