Quick Tofu Stir-Fry

I improvised this a bit from a Betty Crocker recipe for a chicken stir fry (Pacific Rim Stir-Fry I think they call it) because I had tofu that needed to be cooked, a needy child, and I didn't have time to hunt down the recipe. I had ABC rice (already been cooked) in the fridge that I threw in at the last minute to warm, but fresh rice would be even better. This made enough for 2 generous servings (or lunch the next day!).

sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish oil (or other oil, or broth)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil

About 1/3 block of tofu
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
splash of soy sauce
Heat the oil and soy sauce in a wok or skillet until hot and then throw in tofu. Stir to coat. Fry tofu, stirring every now and then to prevent sticking until tofu is golden-brown. Remove from pan.

1 can Water chestnuts
1 Carrot, peeled into thin strips (just continue w/ veg. peeler after the peel is removed)
1 large handful of snow peas
1 small bunch green onions
splash of sesame oil (if needed)
Stir-fry vegetables, adding a little more oil, if needed, until vegetables are just tender, several minutes. Add tofu and sauce back to pan and continue cooking a minute or two more, until tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. Serve over rice.

Chicken & Rosemary Dumplings

Of course, I chose the hottest day of the year (so far...) in Central Texas to make chicken & dumplings, but oh, well. The chicken was already thawed... I love my Mom's very traditional chicken and dumplings, but I found this recipe a few years ago in Cooking Light and fell in love. The original recipe calls for celery but this time I used leeks because 1) Clint doesn't like celery and 2) I had leeks that needed to be used. I also halved the onion (because leeks have a similar flavor), doubled the garlic, and used whole milk instead of light buttermilk. My variances in parentheses.

Soup:
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 lb chicken drumsticks
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced carrots (approx. 3 carrots)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery (or leeks)
1 cup diced onion (I used 1/2 cup w/ the leeks)
1 garlic cloves, minced (4 cloves)
1/2 tsp salt

Dumplings:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or whole milk)
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

1) Combine broth, water, chicken, and thyme in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken & cool slightly. Strain broth & discard solids. Remove chicken from bones and chop into bite-size pieces. Set chicken aside.

2) Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Saute 6 min. or until onion is tender. Add reserved broth mixture and salt; simmer 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Keep warm.

3) To prepare dumplings, combine flour, rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

4) Return chopped chicken to the broth mixture; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine 1/4 flour and water, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Add flour picture to pot; simmer 3 minutes. Drop the dumpling dough, 1 tbsp per dumpling into chicken mixture to form 12 dumplings (use 2 spoons to handle the sticky mixture). Cover and cook 7 minutes-do not let broth boil. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Yield: 6 servings.