Cooking Wild Rice

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Add to 3 cups boiling water, salted to taste, in a heavy saucepan. Return water to boil and stir. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 50-60 minutes or just until kernals puff open. Uncover and fluff with table fork. Simmer five additional minutes. Drain any excess liquid. For chewier texture cook less time. Yield: 3-4 cups of cooked wild rice. (For additional flavor, try cooking in beef or chicken broth)

Chicken Soup with Parsley Dumplings

1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups sliced carrots
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon softened butter

Saute carrots and onion in a dutch oven over medium high heat for a couple of minutes. Add chicken and cook until it begins to turn white on all sides. Add the mushrooms, peas, and salt; stir. Add chicken broth, turn heat to high and allow soup to boil; simmer about 10 minutes. In the meantime, combine all your dry ingredients for the dumplings, then add the wet. You can mix with a fork but I use my hands. Drop tablespoon size dumplings in to the soup once boiling. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. The steam is what cooks them through so leave the lid on.

Tip#1 Don't overcook your chicken. It will have time to cook in the boiling broth and if you overcook, it will turn out tough and nobody likes tough chicken.

Tip #2 If you have leftovers, throw out the dumplings and make more when you re-heat the
soup.