So I had the slightest moment of hesitation sharing this recipe the week before Valentine’s Day because chicken & dumplins’ are decidedly unsexy, but you know, it’s cold and I’m happy to point you in the right direction if it’s a sweet treat you’re looking for. And for those of you that are perhaps instead looking for a nice, warm, comforting meal, one that you can eat in your pajamas under a big flannel blanket, I’ve got that for you right here.

I also thought that this was the perfect opportunity to test out a new idea. I mentioned that this wasn’t becoming a gluten free blog just because I have celiacs, and I’m sticking by this. I have no intention of making “gluten free” a part of the brand. But the reality is that these days, a lot of what is coming out of my kitchen is gluten free, even the dumplin’s. As a result, I’ve been toying with the idea of a new feature, something that would allow me to share what I’m learning without alienating the people who don’t necessarily need to know what xanthum gum is. So without further ado, I present “make this gluten free” a post-script that will be available on some recipes throughout the blog. I’m going to start with current recipes and slowly go back through the recipe catalog and update as I can. The whole of gluten-free recipes (both those that are naturally gf and are able to be adapted) will be available here. So for those of you who can freely eat gluten, go forth and eat a chocolate croissant for me. For those of you who have an allergy or who are avoiding it for lifestyle reasons, we’re in this together.

Chicken & Dumplins’

recipe note: This recipe begins with cooking the chicken and making the stock, which takes about 6 hours.

chicken soup:

1 whole chicken

2 red beets

1 onion

2 leeks

4-5 small/medium potatoes

3 carrots

4 garlic cloves

Salt to season

dumplins:

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

Place your chicken, one potato, the onion , and two cloves of garlic in a pot of water, along with a shake of sea salt. Simmer for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken falls off the bone and a rich broth has been made.

Strain out your chicken bones, skin, and vegetables and dispose. Chop your beets, leeks, carrots, remaining potatoes, and garlic and add to the pot. Simmer for 2 hours and then season to taste.

Mix together your ingredients for the dumplings. Use a spoon to scoop balls out of the dough, and drop one by one into the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, long enough for the dumplings to set. Serve hot.

Make This Gluten Free

1 1/2-2 cups buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sifted all purpose gluten free flour (for this recipe I used Krusteaz, but I’m also fond of King Arthur’s GF blends)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix together egg, flour, baking soda, and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Mix until a wet dough forms. GF doughs are often too dry because of the ingredients in the flour mixture, so if you need to, add more buttermilk. After this, follow the recipe above.