Fix-It and Forget-It

We’ve got stuff cooking today in The Good Cooking Store. That would be literally and figuratively.

We’re publishing a new cookbook in September, called Lizzie’s Cookbook: A Treasury of Favorite Amish Recipes—and today we’re photographing its cover.

Lizzie is the main character in a series of Amish novels we’ve published (click here to learn more about the first novel, Running Around (and Such) ). She loves to eat almost more than anything else. So a cookbook of her favorite recipes seemed like a natural.

Here’s the thing. The author of the novels, Linda Byler, belongs to the Old Order Amish, and the recipes that will appear in the new cookbook are Linda’s mother’s recipes. Talk about authentic.

Here’s the problem. These recipes are so good, we’ve been having trouble keeping the staff from snitching samples as they cook.

We need these finished dishes for the photographer, who will be showing up any minute. You get a preview right here of the tasty dishes that will likely show up on the cover.

Meanwhile, here’s one of Lizzie’s absolutely favorite recipes—

Chicken and Dumplings
Makes 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 60-75 minutes

2 lbs. chicken legs and thighs, skin removed
6 cups water
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules, or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups potatoes, cubed (peeled or unpeeled)
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 cups peas
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup, plus 3 Tbsp., flour
1½ cups cold water

1. Put chicken and water into an 8-qt. stockpot.
2. Cover. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
3. Reduce heat. Simmer until meat is tender.
4. Remove chicken from broth with tongs. Allow chicken to cool.
5. When cool enough to handle, debone. Cut meat into chunks.
6. Return meat to broth. Add bouillon, potatoes, onions, carrots, salt, and pepper to stockpot.
7. Cover. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
8. Reduce heat. Simmer until veggies are tender.
9. Stir in peas and parsley. Simmer 10 more minutes.
10. Place flour in jar with lid. Pour in cold water. Put lid on and tighten. Shake until all lumps are gone.
11. When smooth, pour flour-water mixture into simmering broth, stirring continually.
12. Keep stirring until broth thickens.
13. Add Dumplings, if you wish, or serve the Chicken Stew now!

Dumplings (makes approximately 8-10 dumplings)
1½ cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg
½ cup milk, or less

1. Bring Stew to a gentle boil.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add egg. Stir until well blended. Dough will be crumbly.
4. Stir in the milk slowly. When you’ve added about half of it, stop and stir. Add only enough milk to moisten the dough and hold it together.
5. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls evenly over the top of the simmering Stew.
6. Cover the stockpot tightly and simmer 18 minutes, or until the Dumplings are no longer doughy in the middle. Don’t peek!
7. At the end of 18 minutes, insert a toothpick into the centers of several Dumplings. If the pick comes out clean, the Dumplings are done—and your Stew is ready to eat.