Chicken Stew the Easy Way

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth
3/4 cup grated carrots
8 ounces (about 4 cups) old-fashioned style (wide) egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken chunks, (preferably breast meat)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Bring chicken and vegetable broth to a boil over high heat in a covered, 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, noodles, chicken and black pepper to taste. Cover and bring back to a rolling boil.

Uncover pot and stir, breaking up any chicken chunks slightly. Continue to boil over high heat until noodles are tender, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour and water together in a small cup or jar, stirring (or shaking) to remove any lumps.

When noodles are just tender, add flour mixture and stir constantly until stew is slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve in large soup plates or bowls.

Chicken Stew the Easy Way

From Alicia:

My favorite childhood meal was my grandmother's chicken and dumplings. Maw-Maw, as we call her still, started with the finest stock. She made this herself by cooking a whole chicken with plenty of celery, carrots and onions. Then came the dumplings.

Flour, shortening and icy cold water were never measured. She seemed to know just how much to use. Maw-Maw would mix the dough with her hands and then dump it out on her blue counter top. The soft white lump was then rolled out, carefully cut into long thin strips and placed in the bubbling broth.

At just the right moment, she'd add the torn chicken and simmer again for what seemed like hours.

When I was a child, it felt like chicken and dumplings contained Maw-Maw's love in every spoonful. Now, as an adult, even when I've tried to re-create those wonderfully thin dough strips I come up with a sticky mess. I guess I'm too distracted to concentrate. My solution: "Chicken and Dumplings" using old-fashioned dried egg noodles.

Using packaged, wide egg noodles, cans of vegetable and chicken broth and canned chicken, my family can experience my version of love in a bowl in less than 20 minutes.

Chicken Stew the Easy Way

Feel Good About: Very low-fat and low in calories too!

Approximate Values Per Serving: 359 calories (16% from fat), 6 g fat (1.25 g saturated), 93.9 mg cholesterol, 27.1 g protein, 46.7 g carbohydrates, 591.6 mg sodium

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