Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds, cut into pieces*)
• 1 yellow onion (cut into quarters)
• 3 large carrots (cut into thirds)
• 3 ribs celery (cut into thirds)
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 bay leaf ( or a ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, optional)
• 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch (plus 4 tablespoons water)
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• ⅓ cup shortening
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
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Instructions:

1. In a large soup pot, combine the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf.
2. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. While the broth is simmering, prepare dumplings below.
3. Strain broth through cheesecloth. Shred or chop the chicken and discard the skin and bones. Chop the vegetables if desired (or discard). Set aside.
4. Add the strained broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil and gently add dumplings to broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
5. Stir chicken (and vegetables if desired) into the broth and cook about 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
6. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening with a fork or pastry cutter until shortening is the size of small crumbs.
7. Add milk a little at a time and mix until combined (you may not need all of it, you want a soft but not sticky dough).
8. Knead 5-6 times on a floured surface until dough is smooth.
9. Generously flour your surface and roll the dough out to ⅛-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch x 2-inch strips. Flour generously to avoid sticking.
10. Cook in broth as directed above.
11. In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water.
12. Add to boiling broth a little bit at a time stirring to reach desired consistency.