Chicken Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes (yams)

So here is the soup I am making today.  It hasn't finished yet, so I don't know how it is, but I do know it makes a lot!  I am also making bread soup bowls to eat it from.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Cook’s Country, taken from "Mel's Kitchen Cafe" website
serves 6-8

3 cups whole milk (I didn’t have whole milk so I used 2 cups 1% and 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2)
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (Jiffy brand was recommended in the original recipeand that is what I used)
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 ” cubes
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve.  Makes a lot!

Bread bowls.  I got this recipe from a cast iron cooking blog-"Dutch Oven Madness", but I am going to cook them in the oven.  Again, haven't eaten yet, so don't know how they will turn out.  I will post the results later!

Bread Bowls
14" dutch oven

1 1/2 Tbs. yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
7 cups flour
1 Tbs. corn meal
1 egg white
1 Tbs. water

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  Add the salt, oil and 4 cups of flour and mix well.  Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until a soft but not sticky dough is formed.  (I didn't use all the flour.)  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to oil the top.  Cover and rise until doubled. 

Punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal portions.  Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased dutch oven that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled.

In a small bowl, combine water and egg whites.  Carefully spread the egg combination over the top of the bread bowls.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Brush each bread bowl with egg again and bake another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serves 8.

Chicken and Dupmling Stew

So it has been quite a few weeks since my last soup post.  What with Christmas and vacation to Guatemala and recovery from said vacation...Had some wonderful soups in Guatemala, apparently they have soup with every meal, at least we did for every lunch and dinner and they are great!  Already miss not having horchata and jamaica as choices for drinks.  I my be learning to make horchata!  Had some yesterday at the Salvadorian restaurant in Reno.

Have tried several chicken and dumpling recipes, but have not been happy with them.  Stole this one from the RGJ paper, a Jennifer Bushman one.  I like it!

2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced or chopped 
4 medium carrots, in 1/2" slices, about 1/2 cup
3 ribs celcery, in 1/2" slices, about 1/2 cup
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fressh thyme,  (or equivilent dried)
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked chicken
4 cups chicken broth

Heat butter over medium heavy covered casserole.  Add onions, carrots and celery; cook, stirring just until soft but not browned, about `10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken;  drop in seasoning.  Pour in broth, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.  While broth cooks, make dumplings.

DUMPLINGS
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk

In medium bowel, use fork to stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter using pastry cutter until dough lumps look like coarse crumbs.  Stire in milk, then gather dough together into a ball.  On floured board, knead dough twice, just to mix well.  Roll out to thickness of 1/8 inch  Cut into 1 inch by 2 inch strips .. Let dry on board 20 minutes.

Reduduce heat to very low.  Add dumpling strips.  Simmer, covered, until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

If desired to thicken (I didn't), mike 1 T butter and 1 T flour, at paste a little at a time to thicken to desired consistency.  Serves about 6.