Catch 'Em to Eat' Em Chicken and Dumplings

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
• 4 split, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 large carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 2 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• ½ cup apple juice
• 1 bag frozen peas

Dumplings:
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

Preparation:
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Roll the meat in the seasoned flour. In a large kettle, brown the chicken in melted butter and oil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.

Sauté the carrots and onion with the bay leaf and thyme in the same kettle used to brown the chicken, about three minutes. Add the broth, juice and chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, prepare dumplings. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the milk with a fork until a dough is attained.

Scoop dumplings out of dough with a large soup spoon and arrange them over the top of the cooking chicken mixture. Simmer chicken and dumplings, covered, for about 6 minutes. Add the peas and cook until dumplings and peas are done, about 6 additional minutes. (Dumplings are done when a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.) Discard bay leaf.

This Chicken recipe was published in 'The Book Lover's Cookbook by 'Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet kay Jensen' - Ballantine Books'