Heart healthy chicken and dumplings
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EmailQuick and easy chicken and dumplings, a healthy alternative to an old favorite.
Today, we look for quick and easy meals. However, we often sacrifice our good health with these quick-fixes by ingesting too much sodium, cholesterol and fat. Michigan State University Extension says that heart disease and Type 1 and 2 diabetes continue to be major health issues for adults and children in our society. We can alleviate some of the high risk symptoms and causes of health disease by substituting high fat ingredients with lower fat and sodium.
For those who love the down-home favorite, chicken and dumplings, there is a way to still enjoy this staple dish without the high sodium and fat content, which many of us grew up through southern cuisine influences. Try the recipe below and give your heart and health a break while still enjoying a meal that tastes the same as what you grew up eating.
Easy low-fat and sodium chicken and dumplings
Prepares 10 servings
Recipe by Carolyn Foster
2 large cans of chicken breast
2, 48 ounce carton low sodium chicken broth
2 cups of pre-chopped celery, onion, carrots, and bell peppers (found in department stores and can be as inexpensive as $1.20 per container)
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt (use a 1/2 teaspoon for broth mixture and 1/2 teaspoon for dumplings)
Pepper to taste
Directions:
Sauté chopped vegetables and herbs in olive oil until translucent. Bring chicken broth to a boil add canned chicken breast to broth. Add cooked vegetables and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to broth and reduce to simmer.
Dumplings: Form dumplings by mixing 1 cup cold water to 1 cup of self-rising flour and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix together until flour mixture consistency is sticky. Use a tablespoon to form the dumplings.
Drop dumplings one at a time into simmering broth mixture. Dumplings will form and will not stick together. Turn heat up to medium. Broth and dumplings will turn to a gravy-like consistency. Reduce to simmer again. Serve hot. Can be reheated for leftovers the following day. Leftovers may be kept up to three to four days in the refrigerator.
