well.. lets see..
my wif'es is chix and dumplings.
I boil a chicken very well.. usually put a bullion cube in the boiling water.
pull the chic out and set on a plate to cool.. save the pot of water.
pull skin off and feed tothe cats and dogs.
bone out the chicken and shred it.. any grissle, veins or the odd un tasty dark meat cuts near bones goes to the cats / dogs. if there is excessive yellow oil onthe water I will scrape it off with a palstic spatula to a peper towel at the edge of the pan.
during hte boiling process I had floured the counter and mixed up a mix of all purpose and some self rising flour.. i tend to like thinner dumplings.. so usually go 90/10 on the alp/sr
i use a lil water and peper and the flour and make a doughball, then flour up the hands and pin and roll it out as thin as I can reasonably get it.. continuing to diust and as I go. i usually fold it quite a few times. makes a nice dry layered dumpling.
then i cut it into strips. some 1" and some 3"
i get the pot of stock to a rolling boil and add the dumplings in a couple at a time.. by doing this they don't stick. i let it roll/boil for about 5 minutes and then slowly add the pulled chicken in.. i let it come back to a rolling boil for another 5m and then turn down to simmer. the longer it simmers ( stir often, especially scraping the bottom ), the thicker it gets. I favor a plenty thick mix.. so i sometimes simmer 30m. if you want thicker but don't have the time, take a small measuring cup and put in a teaspon of self rising flour and cornstarch add sufficient water to make a milk like texture mix, then bring pot back to rolling boil and add that in and let boil another couple minutes then simmer. should tighten it right up.... or if you ar e the super healthy type, take a tablespoon of dry oatmea and toss intot he food processor or coffee blade type grinder and set it to puree.. do that a few times and you get oatmeal powder.
it will add a lil fiber and nutrition to your meal and tightens up about the same as corn starch.. yet adds no sugars.
I keep a bottle of powdered oatmeal in my pantry.. i use it in place of corn starch for stated reasons. ( had health issues.. had to change eating habbits )
if i make stuffed peppers.. instead of using plain white rice, i use a 70-30 mix of long grain brown rice and steel cut non instant oatmeal... the oatmeal makes a similar texture to rice int he mix.
if I make a meat loaf.. i also use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs or egg as a stiffener. I use 99% lean fround turkey or chicken and a lil worstishire and some chopped onions. plus bell peppers and red pepper
you can be enterprising and change out white bleached flours with wheat flours and do the same recipies.
other shortcuts i take int he kitchen..
if i'm making a fruit bread liek apple bread or banna bread or even pumpkin bread.. or cranberry bread or pineapple upside down cakes.. etc.. a way to get a nice enriched 'cake' is to substitute out water for another liquid type.. for instance.
if i'm making cranberry bread or pineapple upside down cake. I save the near 8oz of pineapple juice ( unsweetend is better! ) that come inthe rings or tidbits or the crush ( remember to strain crushed thru a strain cloth or paper filter! ).
i substitute that pineapple juice forthe water in the mix. makes great cran-apple, cran raisian or cran orange.. or plain cranberry bread. same onthe upside down cake.
on other preads like apple.. or any fruit bread really.. i will substitute out 75% of the water.. sometimes ALL the water.. for unsweetened apple sauce!
the applesauce adds moisture, and the fiber holds it.. makes awesome BREADS. expirement with the water to applesause mix. some recipies don't tolerate a 100% swap out. if not try it at a 50% .. and keep moving up each time .. you will know when you hit the tipping point of tast vs consistency.
i also make a great super low fat and low cal lasagna for people with dietary restrictions on fact, sugar and carbs like i have.. especially good for those of us with liver and heart problems.
start with spinache or whole wheat ( gulten free if you can find it ).. pasta.. mix the 2 if you like!
make your own sauce. it cuts out lots of sodium.. if you have heart or triglyceride issues.. salt is a big thing to watch. I start with a few( enough for your size sauce pan for your intended servings ) diced tomatoes.. ( warning.. this sauce takes a few hours to make.. ) I also add in some cut vegies to suit taste. i boil these vegies or steam thm in the micro first to speed up process. i always add in onions, celery, bell peper.. sometimes peas. dice the tomatoes.. add in t he steamed vegies, and some water.. not much.. simmer at first.. tomator will break down and make more water.. as it waters.. up t he heat.. stire occasionally and keep covered.
in a time pinch.. substitute 1 can unsalted tomatoo sauce and 1 can unsalted tomator paste for some of the diced tomatoes. can also add in stewed tomatoes to suit taste if you want. if it is too tart.. add in a pinch of baking soda.
boil noodles.. add a teaspoon of olive oil to boil water and they won't stick. oilive oil is still fat.. but you don't get all of it.. and it's better than lard
if you want to add meat.. i prefer 99% lean or similar turkey or chix. best is to buy it and have the deli grind it, as it is leaner than the commercially produced ground turkey by far. you can also improvise. they make vegi protien hot dogs, sausage ( gimme-lean in crumbles or tube ) and peperoni. I use the peperoni and crumbles vegi protien usually... cook that up a tad on a side burner.
buy some NON fat cottage cheese.. small or large curd.. your choice.. this repalces the ricotta.. unsalted / lo sodium is best. also pickup a pack of kraft yellow and white fat free shredded cheese.
now assemble your lasagna as normal.. sauce, meat runnigng globs of cottage chees and shredded. make a couple layers.. bake covered and uncover and add some shredded fat free at the end to toast up before removing. let stand a bit to cool and set to cut easier or enjoy hot n messy!
you can make a good quick meal with some low fat / fat free black beans, long grain brown rice with a lil steel cut non instant oatmeal in the rice, and some vegi hot dogs halved and split, or sectioned ... makes a 5 minute warm healthy meal.. beans ad rice is good and the vegi protien is good.. excelent fiber.. real low fat.. low sodium if you shopped the beans right .
ok.. yall probably tired of hearing from me and my restricted diet cooking..
let that simmer till it reaches desired consistency.. I prefer a tad chunky...
anyway..