I’ve had Rachel Ray’s Chicken and Dumpling Recipe saved on my computer for awhile, and had no idea what to make for dinner so I figured I’d give it a try.  Since it’s during lent, and tomorrow we won’t be eating meat, I decided to forget about the chicken (although I used chicken broth).  For those who don’t eat meat, you can easily use vegetable broth for this recipe.  The ingredients I used made this version lactose free (as there is no dairy in the dumpling mix I buy) as well.  I made some more changes, as I didn’t have poultry seasoning or potatoes, however it came out amazing!  Below is exactly how I made it:

Chicken and Dumplings (without the chicken)
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter (I used dairy free)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, (I used a sprinkle of French thyme, rosemary, a dash of nutmeg, parsley and onion powder)
2 tablespoons flour (I used wheat)
1 quart chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth)
1 small box biscuit mix (I used 8oz. dairy free pancake/waffle mix)
1/2 cup warm water
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (if following the original recipe)

I sauteed the vegetables on medium heat until softened.

I then added the flour to thicken…

…and prepared the dumplings after adding the broth to the vegetables.

I spooned the dumpling mixture into the pot, and covered the pot to steam the dumplings for approximately 9 minutes.

After the dumplings cooked, I added the frozen peas, and let them cook for about a minute or two before removing the pot from the heat.

Directions

I never really liked the combination of tuna and pasta.  Actually, I don’t like chicken and pasta AT ALL, and assumed I wouldn’t like the combo of tuna and pasta.  I was in a pinch and didn’t have much time to cook, and decided to give this recipe a try.  This amazing recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens.  I’ll definitely be making it again!  I love how it’s creamy, however there’s no dairy at all!

Lemony Tuna and Pasta
2 cups dried rigatoni or penne pasta
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 5 1/2 ounce can chunk tuna (packed in olive oil), drained
1/2 cup finely crushed herb-seasoned croutons (I used whole wheat breadcrumbs instead)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I omitted this)
1 lemon, thinly sliced (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
Dill sprigs (optional)

Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and add the tuna and cooked pasta.

Place in casserole dish, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and olive oil.
Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 1-1/2-quart baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a medium saucepan, cook celery, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in flour, mustard, dill, lemon peel, and pepper.  Add broth all at once.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, whisking to remove any lumps.  Stir in tuna and pasta. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

In small bowl stir together croutons and melted butter. (I omitted this step and sprinkled some whole wheat breadcrumbs on top, along with a few drizzles of olive oil.)  Sprinkle on tuna mixture. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover. Top with lemon slices, bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until heated through.   (I omitted that step as well)  Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with capers and dill sprigs if preferred. Serves 4 to 6.

Whole Wheat Linguine and Clams

I had never cooked with clams before, and I figured I’d surprise my husband with something different.  I followed this very simple Martha Stewart recipe, and it came out delicious!

Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed and peeled, and 2 thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 dozen littleneck clams or 4 dozen cockles
1 tablespoon cornmeal or flour
1 pound linguine pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

While the garlic and hot pepper sat in the oil, I cleaned my clams.

Once the water was boiling for the pasta…

I added water to the pan for the clams

I placed my clams in the pan…

and steamed until all of the clams opened, which took about 5 minutes.

I then added the clams to the oil, and sprinkled with parsley.

I added the linguine and tossed.
Yum!

Directions

Up to 8 hours in advance but as little as 1, place the olive oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes in a large pasta serving bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

To clean the clams, rinse them and place in a large bowl with cold water and the cornmeal or flour. The live clams open to ingest the corneal, thereby releasing any remaining sand. Let soak 10 minutes. Scrub each clam clean under cold running water to remove remaining, softened mud from shell and return to soak in fresh cold water. If necessary, repeat the scrubbing process a couple of times until the clams are completely clean and soaking water is free of sand. Drain and chill until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water, add the linguine, and cook until tender but still firm. Set the timer for 2 minutes less than the package instructions specify and taste for doneness.

Meanwhile, in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1/4 cup of water to a boil. Add the cleaned clams, cover immediately, and steam until the clams are open, 3 to 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

Place the cooked clams with the shells into the marinated olive oil. Strain the cooked clam liquid into the bowl. Add pasta and parsley and toss. Serve immediately with a drizzle of spicy olive oil on top.