Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
· 2-1/2 to 3 lb. Chicken (whole)
· 4 C Water
· 2 C Chicken broth
· 1 Carrot, roughly chopped
· 1 Medium onion, cut into quarters
· 1 Stalk of celery, roughly chopped
· 1/2 t Salt
· 1 C Milk
· 1/4 t Freshly ground pepper
· .
· Dumplings:
· 2 C All-purpose flour
· 1/2 t Baking soda
· 1/2 t Salt
· 3 T Shortening
· 3/4 C Buttermilk

Preparation:
Place the chicken in a Dutch oven, and add the water, broth, carrot, onion, celery and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer for 60 to 70 minutes, or until tender and chicken is done. Remove chicken and allow it to cool enough to handle. Remove the carrot, onion and celery pieces from the broth and discard. Reserve the broth.
Bone the chicken, discarding all skin and bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
The Dumplings: Combine the flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is consistency of coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times -- no more.
For drop dumplings, pat the dough down to a 1/4-inch thickness, and pinch off 1-1/2-inch pieces.
For rolled dumplings, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into 3" x 1" strips.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil, and stir in the milk and pepper. Correct seasonings, if desired.
Drop dumplings, one or two at a time, into the boiling broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir from time to time to make sure dumplings do not stick together. Cook dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Add the boned chicken to the mixture and simmer until heated through. Remove from heat. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Notes: Dumpling dough is very similar to biscuit dough and, like biscuit dough, the less it is handled, the lighter and more tender the result.

Recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickendumpling/r/blbb702.htm

Clootie Dumplings

Ingredients:125g suet

250g plain flour

125g oatmeal

250g mixed sultanas and currants

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

75g sugar

2 lightly beaten eggs

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

4 tablespoons of milk

1 tablespoon of flour for the cloth

Preparation:
1. Rub the suet into the flour and add oatmeal, baking powder, sugar, sultanas and currants and the ginger and cinnamon. Blend together and add the eggs and syrup. Stir well and add just enough milk to firm.
2. If you are using a cloth (cloot), put it into boiling water first then spread onto your table and sprinkle a liberal amount of flour over the inside. Put the mixture into the middle and tie up, leaving a wee bit of space for the mixture to expand.
3. Place an upside-down saucer at the bottom of a deep pan and put the tied cloot in and cover with boiling water and simmer for about 3 hours. 4. If you'd rather use a bowl it will need to be greased before adding the mixture. Leave an inch space at the top for the pudding to expand. Cover with greaseproof paper and tie.

Recipe: http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/clootiedumpling.htm

Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:
2 lbs whole baking potatoes

2 beaten egg yolks

1 1/2 cups flour

Pinch of salt

Your favorite pasta sauce.

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spear the potatoes with fork tines in several places around each potato to vent moisture as the potatoes cook. Bake the potatoes in their skins until tender, about an hour. Let cool on a rack, cutting them open to help cool and let more moisture escape.
2 Scoop out the potatos from their skins. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a large bowl. It is best to work with the potatoes when they are still warm.

3 Add the flour, egg and a pinch of salt. Mix by hand until you have a nice pliable ball of dough. Do not overmix.4 Prepare a work area and dust it with flour. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter. It is very important to keep a light touch while you are rolling the dough. Gently roll the dough with your fingertips while while exerting the lightest pressure outwards, not down, to draw the dough out.
5 Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip, press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation (good for catching the sauce). As the gnocchi are made, place them on flat baking pan, lightly dusted with flour or lined with wax paper. At this point you can freeze the gnocchi ahead of time. Freeze them first on a floured or lined tray, then once frozen you can put them into a freezer bag for more easy storage. To cook, just put the frozen gnocchi into the simmering water for the next step.
6 Bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a shallow saucepan. Gently drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water. As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, draining well. Arrange on a warm serving dish. Continue cooking the gnocchi in the same manner.
7 As soon as all the gnocchi are ready, pour heated pasta sauce over them and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Recipe: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000935potato_gnocchi.php

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

INGREDIENTS
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
water as needed

5 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 pound processed cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
onion salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
2. Combine flour, eggs and salt. Mix in a little water at a time until dough is somewhat stiff. Roll dough in small sections about 1/4 inch thick. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass, make circle cuts.
3. To make filling: Mix together potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and onion salt. Fill each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, fold over and seal edges. To cook, bring a large pot of water to boil, carefully dropping in one at a time; stir once. They are done when they float to the top.

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-and-Cheese-Pierogi/Detail.aspx?rss=3

Gujia

Serves 6

Preperation Time 45 Minutes

Contents

Gram Flour

Ingredients

1. Maida - 60g

2. Ghee - 10g

3. Cold water - 15ml approx.

Mixture for filling:1. Khoa - 30g

2. Roasted suji - 10g

3. Desiccated coconut - 10g

4. Chopped nuts ( almonds,cashew,pista ) - 6 each

5. Castor sugar - 20g

Syrup for Lavang Latika :

1. Sugar - 100gms

2. Water - 25ml

3. Ghee - for frying

Preparation:
1. Take maida in a thali and make a well in the centre. Add melted ghee and lightly mix with fingertips.2. Add water and make stiff dough as for samosas.3. Prepare filling by cooking khoa for some time. Remove and cool. Add roasted suji, desiccated coconut and nuts. Mix well and add sugar.4. Make six balls out of the dough and roll into small puris. Divide filling into six equal portions.5. Put one portion of khoa mixture into the center of each puri. Moisten the edges with a little water and fold into a semicircle, pressing the edges together. A gujia mould can also be used.6. Deep fry to a golden color on a slow heat.For lavang latika:1. Proceed as for gujia till step four. Put 1/6th filling in the center of each round. Moisten the edges of puri and bring opposite ends to overlap in the center. Press the folds, turn over and bring the two flaps of the "envelope" to the center and fix a clove to secure the folds.2 Heat the ghee in a kadai, remove from the fire and add lavang latika at a very low temperature. When the bubbles subside put the kadai back on fire and continue frying on moderate heat till golden brown.3. Make a syrup of sugar and water, clean with diluted milk and cook it to two threads’ consistency. Dip the lavang latika in syrup and drain them.

Recipe: http://www.indiaexpress.com/cooking/gujia_for_holi.html

Samosa

Ingredients:

4 large white potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

1/2 cup boiled and drained green peas

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp amchoor(mango powder)

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp saunf(fennel)powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tablespoon chopped cashew nuts

Salt to taste

3 cups maida(all purpose flour)

1/2 cup maida, for rolling out

1 tablespoon heated ghee or oil

Oil for deep frying the samosas

1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter) for the stuffing

1 small bowl of cold water

Preparation:
Heat the ghee for the stuffing and add the cumin seeds andcashewnuts.When the seeds splutter add the dry powders and fry for 10seconds.Add the mashed potatoes and green peas and mix well.Mix in salt to taste.Fry on a low flame for about 10 minutes.Set aside.Prepare the cover for the samosa by combining the maida, hot ghee or oil and salt to taste.Add enough water and knead the dough.Set aside for about 10 minutes.Divide the dough into round portions.Take each portion and coat it with some maida so thatit does not stick to your hands.Roll it into a not too thin perfect round.With a pizza cutter, make 2 semi circles with the round.Take one half circle. Dip your index finger into the cold waterand apply it to the straight edge of the semi circle.Now hold the semicircle in your hand.Fold the straight edge , bringing together the watered edges.Seal the watered edges.You should now have a small triangular maida pocket.Stuff it with the potato mixture and now water-seal the upper edges.Repeat for the rest of the dough.Deep fry in oil till golden brown and serve with mint chutney.Do not overheat the oil, since this will cook only the outer maida covering and the inner layer will remain uncooked even if the samosa has turned dark brown on the outside.

Recipe: http://www.indianchild.com/samosa_recipe.htm

Manti

Manti is an ancient Turkish dish that is said to have been carried dried by Mongol horsemen and boiled when needed. The Turkish variety of manti is topped with yogurt and garlic and spiced with red pepper and melted butter.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (approx 400 gr) wonton wraps, 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares

Filling:150 gr medium or regular ground beef

1 small onion, ground

Salt

Pepper

Garnish:Yogurt with minced garlic and salt

2 tbsp butter

Powdered red pepper, spicy or non-spicy to taste

Preparation
Cut the wraps diagonally, ie. two triangles per wrap. Take approximately half a teaspoon of filling in the shape of a ball and put in the center of each triangle. Have a cup of water nearby, and use your little finger to dampen the sides of each triangle (so the dough will stick) and close them up. Boil some water with a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil (so the manti doesn't stick together) in a large pot. Put all the manti in and stir occasionally. Cook for exactly 10 minutes and then drain. Put in plates. Fry the butter in a small pan with the red pepper. First put some garlic yogurt on top of the manti, then add the fried butter.
Makes 3 servings.

You can also try keeping the manti in the freezer for a couple hours before you cook it.

http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2005/04/manti.php

Jiaozi

Jiaozi is very popular during the Chinese New Year season.
· Jiaozi dough:
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· up to 1 1/4 cups cold water
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· Filling:
· 1 cup ground pork or beef
· 1 TB soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 TB Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
· 3 TB sesame oil
· 1/2 green onion, finely minced
· 1 1/2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
· 4 tablespoons shredded bamboo shoots
· 2 slices fresh ginger, finely minced
· 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

Preparation:
Stir the salt into the flour. Slowly stir in the cold water, adding as much as is necessary to form a smooth dough. Don't add more water than is necessary. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.While the dough is resting, prepare the filling ingredients. Add the soy sauce, salt, rice wine and white pepper to the meat, stirring in only one direction. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring in the same direction, and mix well.To make the dumpling dough: knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 60 pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle about 3-inches in diameter.Place a small portion (about 1 level tablespoon) of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumplings.To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, giving them a gentle stir so they don't stick together. Bring the water to a boil, and add 1/2 cup of cold water. Cover and repeat. When the dumplings come to a boil for a third time, they are ready. Drain and remove. If desired, they can be pan-fried at this point.

Recipe: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumdumplings/r/jiaozi.htm

Buckinghamshire Dumplings

Buckinghamshire Dumplings (Buck Dumplings)

Dough
2 ½ c flour
½ tsp salt
4 ¼ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp butter or margarine
Water to moisten
Mix together dry ingredients, add butter/margarine and blend thoroughly. Add and blend in water to make a soft dough.
Filling
With food processor or grinder, grind 2 large potatoes, 6 slices bacon, ½ can Prem, and 1 medium onion.
Divide dough into 3. Roll each into rectangle. Place filling in center of each rectangle, moisten edges with water and pull up to center and pinch together. Pinch ends. Place each roll diagonally on a piece of cotton or muslin cloth approximately 12” by 12” and wrap securely. With string, start at one end and wind the string around the roll until you reach the other end, then wind back to starting end and tie two ends together. Place rolls in large pot, cover with water and gently boil for 2 hours.
Remove the string, cloth and slice the roll and enjoy.
Story: My mother came from England as a child when her parents came to homestead at Eastleigh (close to Mortlach) around 1910. Times were tough, but there was always bacon, potatoes and onions on the farm so these dumplings became a regular meal. Traditionally the dumplings were made with bacon as the only, but when my mother made them for her family she added the Prem and reduced the amount of bacon. (I think she liked the novelty of buying meat in a can.) It also gave the dumplings a different flavor. These dumplings are heavy and tend to “stay with you” as she would say, so it was a popular meal when times were tough. I’m sure during the war when meat was rationed, the dumplings had more potatoes and onions than they did bacon. I have three siblings and all of us loved these dumplings; and because we didn’t have them often, they were a real treat when mom did make them. Both my brother’s wives had to learn how to make them and my sister’s husband and my husband both learned to love them. However, my Scottish father never did develop a taste for them so mom had to make him something else for supper when we had dumplings. We didn’t care, there was that much more for us.
Submitted by Linda Robinson

Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki is Japanese rolled omelet. It's often served in Japanese-style breakfast and bento (lunch boxes).
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 tbsps dashi soup stock
2 tbsps sugar

Preparation:
Beat eggs in a bowl. Add dashi soup and sugar in the egg and mix well. Heat a frying pan on medium heat. *Preferably, use a square tamagoyaki pan. Oil the pan. Pour a scoop of egg mixture in the pan and spread over the surface. Cook it until half done and roll the egg toward the bottom side. Move the rolled egg to the top side. Oil the empty part of the pan and pour another scoop of egg mixture in the space and under the rolled egg. Cook it until half done and roll the egg again so that the omelet becomes thicker. Cook the omelet until done. If you are using a regular frying pan, shape tamagoyaki on bamboo mat. Cut tamagoyaki into 1-inch thick pieces.
Makes 4 servings (2 tamagoyaki)

Recipe: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/egg/r/tamagoyaki.htm

Yuanxiao Dumplings

Chinese dumplings are a popular treat during the Chinese New Year season. Sticky rice (glutinous rice) flour and black sesame powder are available at Asian markets. If you can't find the black sesame powder, just grind black sesame seeds in a food processor.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 4 1/2 cups (500 g) sticky rice flour
· 7oz. (200 g) butter
· 7 oz (200 g) black sesame powder
· 8 oz (250 g) sugar
· 1 tsp wine
Water, as needed

Preparation:
Mix the butter with sesame powder, sugar, and wine. (You need to heat the mixture a little bit). Make small balls about 0.3 - 0.4 oz (10 g) each.Take 1/2 cup of sticky rice flour. Add water into the flour and make a flattened dough. Cook it in boiled water and take out when done. Let it cool down. Then put it in the rest of the sticky rice flour. Add water and knead until the dough is smooth.Make the dough into small pieces about 0.3 - 0.4 oz (10 g) each. Make it like a ball using hands first and then make a hole in the ball like a snail. Put the sesame ball into it and close it up. Cook them in boiled water. Make sure to keep stirring in one direction while cooking. When they float on the water, continue to boil for about one minute using less heat.

Recipe: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesenewyear/yuanxiao.htm

Dumpling Bazaar - Introduction

On September 9, at 2pm, at the Swift Current Library, there will be a Dumpling Bazaar. There will be stories about dumplings around the world, and there will be dumplings available for you to try. Tickets will be $2, please purchase in advance. This blog is in place to provide information about the dumpling bazaar, and provide recipes and pictures.