 combine the cold chicken broth with the flour and mix until there are no lumps. Slowly stir this paste into the simmering broth. Continue stirring until the mixture shows signs of thickening, which will only be slight. Continue simmering until the carrots are tender. This is a good time to make your dumplings if you didn't before you started the stew.
7. Add your dumplings to the simmering broth mixture. Simmer the dumplings until they are raised, and cooked through.
8. Gently stir in the chicken meat, thawed peas, salt, and pepper. Simmer the stew until the chicken and peas are heated through. Serve immediately.
Chicken, vegetable, and pasta medley
This is my newest chicken recipe. It has been a regular item in my house for the past three months. The recipe blends mild tasting chicken breast meat with the more flavorful thigh meat and I enhance this mixture by marinating it in a light Oriental style marinade. I use a preparation and assembly method that resembles stir frying. I like it because it helps maintain integrity of the different textures and flavors present in the dish, particularly the flavor and texture of the light and dark chicken meat. One of the real benefits of industrialized chicken, though many will disagree, is its extremely mild tasting flesh that will readily take on the flavor of other ingredients without loosing its own. Chinese chefs are masters at infusing chicken meat with the natural flavor of various ingredients, then cooking the chicken quickly to prevent the introduced flavors from masking that of the chicken. Many contemporary Italian chefs have mastered this concept also. They have developed chicken and pasta recipes that are easy to prepare, low in fat, and taste as if they required a major effort in the kitchen. This recipe is my own contribution to this great concept.
The preparation for this dish resembles that of many Chinese stir recipes. All of the ingredients are prepared ahead of time and set aside in the order that they will be incorporated into the recipe. I suggest you have a suitable size pot of boiling salted water for the pasta on the stove before you start cooking. Timing the cooking of the pasta with the completion of the sauce is not difficult, but it is absolutely essential. Immediately after the cooked pasta is drained, it must be blended with the other ingredients. This is the only way to maintain the taste, texture, nutritional integrity, and visual presentation of the dish. The biggest mistake that folks make with this type of recipe is to cook the pasta then place it under cold running water to stop the cooking process. When you do this, you wash away the surface starch and this lowers the nutritional value of the pasta. You also reduce the ability of the cooked pasta to absorb the flavor of the sauce. It also creates an uncomplimentary texture in the finished dish that no amount of culinary wizardry will totally eradicate.
1 14-inch cast iron skillet, 15-inch wok, or other large heavy bottom skillet.
1 12- or 16-quart pot with a cover
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. dry sherry, rice wine, or other dry white wine
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. five spice powder
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp. granulated sugar
1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
1 medium red bell pepper cut into ½-inch wide by 2-inch long strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper cut into ½-inch wide by 2-inch long strips
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 cups fresh chicken broth
¼ cup fresh chicken broth
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
6 oz. frozen sugar snap peas, thawed
½ tsp. dried chilli pepper flakes (optional)
8 quarts cold water
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. any light oil (to saute the chicken)
1 Tbsp. any light oil (to saute the vegetables)
Kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 pound dried penne or other tubular pasta
Preparation:(About 20 minutes)
1. Cut the chicken into strips ½-inch wide by approximately 2 inches long. Uniform length