Chicken Pepperoni

1/2 lb pasta
~6 oz pepperoni
1/3 cup flour
1 lb chicken breast, boneless
1 large can tomatoes diced
1/3 cup water
Oregano, Basil, Tarragon, Garlic powder, Onion powder to taste

Dice pepperoni into 1/4" cubes

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces

Cook in skillet over medium heat until mostly degreased, Remove from skillet and set aside.

Season flour with spices and toss chicken in mixture.

Brown chicken in pepperoni fat, remove chicken, stir in tomatoes and remaining flour.

Stir in chicken and pepperoni.

Add water to cover meat. Allow to simmer 30-45 minutes until chicken is tender.

Serve over pasta.

Garlic Balsamic Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
12 oz. Mushrooms (sliced)
4-6 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Tsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Butter

Rinse and pat chicken dry. Mix 2 Tbsp. flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Heat oil in large skillet, brown chicken on one side for about 3 minutes. Turn chicken, then add mushrooms and garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes or until chicken is browned on other side. Stir in vinegar, stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Stir in 1 Tbsp. each flour and butter into skillet and cook, stirring constantly about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and pour sauce over chicken. This dish is nice served over rice.

Chicken & Dumplings

Serves 6

From Jay Foster, Farmer Brown, San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt + more to taste

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter, softened

2/3 cup milk

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 6 pieces

Pepper to taste

1 large onion, grated

3 cups chicken stock + more if necessary

1/2 stalk celery, roughly chopped

2 whole peppercorns

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Sift flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and blend with fingers until evenly distributed. Add milk. Mix well with a spoon or your hands. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll until 1/8-inch thick. Cut into diamond shapes, about 1/2 by 1 inch, with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. One at a time, tuck one corner of diamond toward the center, and using your palm, roll dough into a torpedo shape. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a wide, deep pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add the chicken and onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until chicken is browned. Add 3 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover chicken. Add celery and peppercorns. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pot, strain and reserve liquid, and return to stove and bring to a simmer. Add dumplings, season broth to taste, and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until dumplings are tender and cooked through. They will firm up the longer they cook, so don't simmer them for too long.

To serve, pour the sauce and the dumplings over the warm chicken.

Per serving: 320 calories, 25 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (4 g saturated), 63 mg cholesterol, 588 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.