Chicken and Dumplings by Chandra

My cousin Chandra was the first to send me a recipe complete with pictures . . . yay!  Makes me hungry just looking at the picture.

Take it away, Chandra!

I made this recipe today.

It came from Everyday Food:
http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/recipes/chicken_and_dumplings.html

My thoughts:

 I was disappointed that the recipe online differs quite a bit from
the recipe that was on the show I watched.  The biggest difference is
that you cook the chicken first (vs. cooking in the liquid as I've
seen in most Chicken and Dumpling recipes).  I went ahead and followed
the recipe and I think as a result the chicken was tough and
overcooked.  I remember distinctly that they cooked the chicken in the
liquid in the show.

Also, this is hysterically called a 'one pot recipe'.  I say
hysterical because I got so many damn dishes dirty making this recipe.
 And it even required me to cook my veggies separately - that makes
zero sense to me.  Again, this differed quite a bit from the show
where they literally cooked everything in one pot.

The really notable thing about this recipe is that the dumplings are
really tasty!  They have a bit of cornmeal in them and it makes them
have a really nice texture.  And overall the flavor was really good in
this recipe.  All the steps really do pay off for a nice layering of
flavors.  Some chicken and dumplings can be very bland and  boring.  I
also really liked the inclusion of the fresh veggies.

Tips:

-This is the kind of recipe with lots of steps so it pays to read
ahead and have everything in place, chopped, etc.

-I cut this recipe in half and it was the perfect amount for three people.

-I think this recipe would be much more successful if you cooked the
chicken and veggies in the pot.  Just make sure to check cooking times
and cut chicken into small bite sized pieces.