Cajun Chicken and Dumplings

 I guess every body grew up eating Chicken and Dumplings but it was not untill I married a guy from TN that I realized there are different kinds. This this the way my Mom always made it..like a chicken stew but she added some spoonfulls of Bisquick on top of the boiling stew. I could eat just a plate full of the dumplings with the gravy.
When I went to TN for the first time, I was in a restaurant and somebody ordered chicken and dumplings and I could not belive what they brought to the table. It looked like off white gravy with hunks of chicken and these weird pasta looking things in it. I asked Danny and he said that is they way they did it up there ?!
Phillip, my Son, saw on TV one day about how they make the dumplings at Cracker Barrel. They cut the dumpling the size of a sugar pack. So they next time we ate there, he ordered it and fell in love !! Now when we go eat there, he orders chicken and dumplings with two sides of dumplings... a plate full of off white..LOL.
It's been awhile since I had cooked this and it came out really good. Danny loves the chicken stew but not the dumplings so it works our really good. I get ALL the dumplings : )

 I served it with Lima beans..YUM

 I used a hen but you can use a regular chicken. The hen takes longer to cook but I find it's a really good taste.Season the cut up chicken with garlic powder, black,red & white pepper.In a heavy pot, add oil to cover bottom and brown the chicken real good. I put the lid when I first start to brown it cause it makes the juice come out of the chicken and helps make the good stuff  ( fond ) to stick to the bottom of the pot.

 As each piece of chicken browns, take it out and add another piece till its all browned real good.



Add some water to the pot to cover the chicken and scrape up the good stuff stuck to the bottom ot the por. Bring to boil and cook till its kinda tender. You dont want it to cook all the way cause it will finish cooking in the stew. Take the chicken out and let cool. Take the meat off the breast cause you don't want all those lil bones in the stew.





Heat up 3/4 of an 8 oz jar roux. Yes..I used a jar roux..LOL. I use Kary's dark roux and its just as good as home made..really, it is. After it gets hot, add 2 large chopped onions, about 4 cups and let cook over med heat till kinda clear.



Add a chopped large bell pepper, about 2 cups and let cook a few mins till soft.



Add about 4 cloves of chopped garlic and cook just for a min or so, till you smell it.

Add the broth from the boiled chicken to the pot and stir till its comes to a boil and gets thick.

Add a couple of bay leaves, the chicken that is still on the bones..not the breast,Cover and let cook for about a hour or till the chicken is tender.

You may have to add more water if it gets too thick. If the gravy is too thin, take the lid off and cook more OR add a little more jar roux. just make sure the roux is disovled in the gravy, you don't want to bite into a hunk of roux. I would heat a little of the gravy in a seprate pot and add the roux and eat till all disolved and thick and add this to the pot. Add the cut up chicken breast and taste. I added granulated chicken boullion instead of salt,poultyr seasoning (be careful cause if you add to much, it can taste bad ) black,red and white pepper. It really needs a lot cause the roux sucks up the seasoning. Cover and let cook till the chicken breast is heated thru.

Add some chopped parsley and green onion.Let cook while you make the dumplings.

Use the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box. I used 1/2 cause I didn't need that much. I add poultry seasoning,salt, black pepper and chopped parsley. Just a little, so the dumplings are'nt bland.

Add the dumplings by the small spoonfulls to the stew and cover. Let cook about 15 mins..really depends on how big they are. Bigger takes longer to cook. Don't boil too hard cause the stew will stick to the bottom of the pot and you don't want to keep taking off the lid and stir cause the dumplings will never cook.

They puff up..YUM !!

Danny said after eating 2 plate, why don't you cook this more often..LOL He really like it..except for the dumplings..LOL Funny cause he was not that happy when he saw the lima beans sitting on the counter waitng to be cooked. He said he really didn't want them. Well, after I cooked them, he could not believe how good the beans were. I didn't add meat this time and they were kinda sweet..YUM

I will post the recipe for the beans when I get back from running around town.

This recipe is just a guide..a basic recipe to play with and cook they way you want. Add more or less of everything to your taste.

Cajun Chicken Dumplings

1 chicken,cut up

3/4 jar of 8 oz dark roux

2 large chopped onions

1 large chopped bell pepper

4 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

chopped parsly and green onions to taste

Bisquick..recipe from back of box for biscuits

Chicken boullion granuals ( or cubes ) instead of salt..it gives flavor, not just a salty taste.

Black, red & white pepper

RedFish Courtbouillion

 I was digging in the freezer looking for something to cook and found a redfish and decided to make a Courtbouillion like my Granny & Paw Paw use to make. I have not made one in way too many years to count. After looking threw a ton of cookbooks, I found one that reminded me of the way they used to make it. I had to change it a lil bit but in the end, it tasted just like the one they made. They would have been very proud !! It was not one of Dannys favorite cause he is not into tomato gravy too much but he at a whole plate of it...LOL

 Start of by cooking a roux to a dark red stage.

 Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3 mins till they turn a lil clear.

Add the chopped bell pepper and cook for about 3 mins.

 Add the chopped garilc and cook till you start to smell it, about one min. You don't want it to burn.

 Add the rotel and paste and stir in real good. Cook about 5 mins.Add chopped mushrooms and stir them in real easy so they don't break up too much. Cook about 4 mins

 Add the water & bay leaves. Cook till boiling. Lower fire and simmer till thick. Remember that the fish will put off a lot of water so you want it kinda thick. Stir it often cause the sauce tends to stick to the bottom of the pot. It took mine about 30 mins.

 Add the the lemons..make sure you take the seeds out..LOL Cook for about 3 mins

 Add the olives and cook about 3 mins

 Season with salt, black,red & white pepper. You can add parsley and green onions too. I forgot..LOL

 Once you get it tasting the way you like, add the cup up fish and just kinda push them down into the gravy and cover them with the gravy. Put the lid on and make sure the fire is very low so it does not burn. You don't want to stir it too much till the fish is cooked. If you do, the fish will fall apart.

 Photo is kinda fuzzy..LOL Just taste it again to make sure it does not need any more salt or pepper. If the fish put off too much water and made the gravy too thin..just let cook a few mins. The fish will not fall apart too much. If too thick, just add a little water till you get it the way you want.

 Put it over some rice with some garlic bread..YUM
PS..don't eat the lemon slices...LOL

1 cup AP flour
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell pepper
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 10 oz can of rotel
1 small can of tomato paste
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 bay leaves
1 quart of warm water
1/2 thin sliced lemon
3 lbs of redfish (more or less ) or other firm fish
1 cup green olives
salt,black,red & white pepper
parsley & green onions if you want,

Make a dark roux and add onions and let cook a few mins. Add bell pepper and cook a few mins. Add garlic and cook about one min. Add rotel and tomato paste and cook for about 5 mins. Add mushrooms and cook a few mins. Add water & bay leaves and stir in real good. Let cook till thick, about 30 mins. Add lemon and cook a few mins. Add olives and cook a few mins. If adding parsley & green onions, add now,Season to taste and then add fish. Cook till fish is done, about 5-10 mins.
Serve over rice with garlic bread..YUM !!

Chicken Pot Pie : )

Came home and wanted to cook something. I found 3 chicken thighs,pie crust & puff pastry in the freezer so I decided to make chicken pot pies. I have way too much stuff in the freezer so I'm trying to cook out of it..LOL.
I did not have time for the chicken to thaw out so I just put it in a pot of water and added 4 cubes of chicken bouillon,whole black pepper corns and a few bay leaves and let cook for about 45 mins then took the chicken out to cool.

It came out soooo good. I LOVE chicken pot pies. I remember my making them with my Grannie : )

Then I added 3 red,peeled and cut up taters and let cook till tender and took them out to cool.

Then I added  5 peeled, cut up carrots and let cook till tender and took out to cool.

 I took some pie crust out the freezer to thaw. I kinda rolled them out and put in a crock for the bottom crust. We are all about way too much crust with chicken pie..LOL

 I melted 4 TBS butter in pan and added 2 chopped up onions and let brown.

 When the onions were browned, I added 4 TBS AP flour.

 Let it cook for a min or two.

 I added the 2 cups of chicken stock that I had leftover from boiling the chicken and stuff. if you don't have enough, just add some water. It's REALLY seasoned but you want it that way cause of all the milk & vegs.

 Let cook a few mins till thick and then add 2 cups of heavy cream.If you don't have cream..use pet milk or regular milk.

 I seasoned with black,red and white pepper. It had enough salt from the boullion cubes.

 I added about a cup of frozen peas and let cook a min.

Then I added the cooked chicken,carrots & taters.

 Just make sure it's heated thru. It's all cooked already.

 I baked the pie crust at 400 till browned. NOT pretty but sure gonna taste good.

 Fill each crock with pie filling

 Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half and put on top of chicken pie filling. You could do pie crust too.
I brush with an egg beaten with a TBS of water. Cracked black pepper & pink sea salt flake's.

 A LOT OF CRUST...LOL

 Bake at 400 till browned

 LOOK how PRETTY !!!

 IT was soooooo GOOD !!!!

Chicken Pot Pie

3 chicken thighs
4 chicken boullion cubes
3 bay leaves
1 TBS whole pepper corns

4 TBS butter
2 onions chopped
4 TBS AP flour
3 red taters peeled and chopped
5 carrots peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups left over chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream or pet milk or whole milk
season to taste
1 pie crust
1sheet puff pastry
1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water
Crack Black Pepper & Salt for top of pie.

Boil the chicken with 6 cups water,whole pepper corns, bay leaves & boullion cubes for about 30-45 mins.
Take chicken out and cool.
Add the taters to the stock and let cook till tender and take out.
Add carrots and cook till tender and take out.
Strain stock
While the chicken is boiling. Make bottom crust. Put crust in crock or pie shell and bake at 400 till brown. Poke holes in crust before baking.

Melt butter and cook onions till tender.
Add flour and cook a min or two. Add chicken stock and cook a min or two. Add cream (milk) and let cook till thick. Add peas and cook a min. Add chicken and veg's and heat thru.
Put pot pie mix in crock and top with puff pastry or pie shell. Brush with egg and salt & pepper.
Bake at 400 till browned.
Come on MOM....YOU CAN DO THIS !!!!

Smoked Chicken, Andouille & Sausage Gumbo

We smoked a chicken at the camp and I made a gumbo with the leftover chicken. The smoke gave it such a good flavor. You can do this with a roasted chicken you buy at the grocery store too.
We like a "thinner" gumbo..not too much roux. You can add more roux if you like a thicker one. I used jar roux..it's so much easier and just a good a home made.
I use Kary's Roux..it's made in Ville Platte. It's really good and dark.

YUM !!!!

I had almost a whole chicken left over from the camp.

I de boned the chicken. Put all the bones and skin in a pot. Add granulated garlic.black,red & white pepper over the bones and a about 1/4 cup of oil and brown really good over med-high heat. You want to get the bones browned and all the good stuff stuck to the bottom of the pot..it makes a really good stock.
After that, add a cut up onion, a cut up carrot,a few green onions, parsley stems, whole black peppercorns, a little puoltry seasoning & 3 chicken boullion cubes and enough water to cove the bones. You want a lot of flavor in the stock. It really makes a good gumbo. Let cook at least 45 mins and strain.

Strain it.

Whit the stock is cooking..cut up some smoked sausage and andouille. I love Richards turkey sausage. It has pork in it too..I put granulated garlic,black,red & white pepper on the sausage and cook on pot with about 1\4 cup oil over med high heat. You want it to brown real good. Put the lid on and off a few times and it will make the juice come out of the sausage and mix with everything and get stuck to the bottom of the pot and that gives the gumbo the best flavor.

Just make sure it does not burn !!
A about 2 cups of chopped onions. I usually add a little water to get the stuff stuck off the bottom of the pot and then let the onions cook down real good. Add about 1 cup on chopped bell peppers and let cook down.

You can add garlic if you want to after the bell peppers are cooked. Just let it cook for a few more mins..don't let the garlic burn..it will taste bitter.



Pour the stock in the pot with the sausage and stuff.Add about a quart of water and 1/2 cup of jar roux. You can add more if you want too if you like a thicker gumbo.Add 2 bay leaves,black, red & white pepper and let cook at least 45 mins on med low fire. You can add more water or roux to get it like you want.

When it looks and taste like you want..add the chicken and parsley and let cook about 10 more mins.
You can add some green onions at the end..but don't let it cook too long after you do that.

I love tater salad with the gumbo. Boil some red or yellow taters. Boil some eggs, I use 1 egg for every tater.Let cool and peel.
Use equal ammounts of blue plate mayo and sandwich spread. Add chopped green onions,black pepper, chopped dill pickles and the grated eggs. You can add a little mustard too.

Mix with the cooled tater. Put in fridge to get good and cold. You may have to add some salt. It just depends on how salty the pickles are.

It came out really good. I had enough to put in the freezer to bring to the camp and eat..YUM

This the the ammounts needed to make the gumbo..you can use more or less. It is just a guide.

If you don't have a left over chicken or store bought chicken...Cut up a whole chicken or egual ammounts of parts, season reall good with black,red & white pepper and granulated garlic. Brown it really good in about 1/4 cup of oil and the follow the recipe from there.

Stock

1 chicken

Granulated garlic

black,red & white pepper

1 TBS whole peppercorns

3 chickn boullion cubes

1 onion..chopped

1 carrot..chopped

parsley stems

a few green onions

poultry seasoning

Gumbo

1 LB turkey/pork sausage

1/2 LB andouille

2 cups onions chopped

1 cup bell pepper chopped

1/2 cup jar roux

2 bay leaves

black, red & white peppr

parsley

Tater Salad

5 red or yellow taters..boiled

5 eggs boiled..grated

1/2 cup blue plate mayp

1/2 cup blue plate sandwich spread

1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

1/4 cup chopped green onions

black pepper.

I don't usually use salt..I take 4 chicken boullion cubes and put them in a coffee cup with a little water and put in the micro for about 30 secs until melted. I add a tsp at a time to the gumbo to make it salty enough. It add more flavor instead of just salt. Just be carefull not to add too much at one time.