'Homemade' Chicken & Dumplins

These days are all about comfort food, but keeping my weight under control. Here's a super-easy & healthy recipe for 'Homemade' Chicken & Dumplins.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up & giblets removed; skin still on
1 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs. dried rosemary
2 tbs. regular iodized salt
1 tbs. sea salt
1 tbs. dried minced onion
pepper to taste
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 can flaky buttermilk biscuits

1. Season chicken with sea salt & pepper, to taste. Place cut up chicken in large pot. Cover with water; add 2 tbs. iodized salt & heat to rapid boil. Let boil for 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium.

2. Add olive oil, rosemary, minced onion & garlic. Continue to boil chicken until meat falls off bone, about 25 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low.

3. Remove chicken with slotted spoon; transfer to plate & allow to cool.

4. Keep stock on low boil. When chicken is cooled, discard skin & pull meat off bone (may save skin & bones for additional stock, or freeze for later use). Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing any extra skin or cartilage.

5.  Open can of biscuits & separate into pre-cut size. Then, peel / flake each biscuit into 3 smaller, very thin biscuits. 

6. Quarter each thin biscuit into four pieces by cutting with a knife, or tear for more 'homemade' texture. Dredge each piece in flour, covering each side well.

7. Drop each small piece of biscuit slowly into low-boiling stock. May need to gently push biscuits further into stock with spoon as they cook, but do not stir. Continue until all biscuits are covered with stock. Cook 10 minutes on low boil, until they puff up & begin to thicken into dumplins.

8. Slowly add chopped chicken. Gently push chicken around in dumplins & stock to incorporate, but again, be careful not to stir. Carefully sample (chicken & dumplins will be very hot); adjust salt & pepper as needed. Allow to cook for additional 15 minutes, up to 3 hours. Dumplins will be thicker & less 'dumplin-like' the longer they are cooked, but the flavors meld well.  

9. When desired consistency is achieved, ladle into bowls, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!