Parsley Dumplings
Yes, it’s May, and yes, it’s finally 75 lovely, sunny degrees out, but I defy you to find a child who will reject a dumpling on the sole basis of the weather outside. I know my own kids would happily consume dumplings in weather nearly as steamy as the stew those fluffy dough pillows are swimming in.
So, if you have lingering containers of stew, chili, or hearty soup in your freezer, now’s the time to use them up, before the really hot weather sets in. Whip up a batch of these super-quick dumplings and enjoy. Younger kids can help measure and stir; older kids can make the whole thing themselves, with some supervision as they drop the dough into the stewpot.
Be forewarned — you may find yourself making chicken and dumplings or beef stew all summer long just to have something to eat dumplings with!
Parsley Dumplings for Stew
(adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I double this amount; you can omit if your kids think the green stuff is icky)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons oil
Combine flour, parsley, baking powder, thyme, and salt. Stir together milk and oil and add to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until dough comes together. Drop tablespoons of dough into bubbling stew (or chili or hearty soup). Cover pot and lower heat; simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick insert into the center of a dumpling comes out clean. Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking.
Makes 4 to 6 dumplings
