Chicken and Dumplings

SO, one night my roommate and I were starved out of our minds and then I got this genius idea that turned out pretty fabulously if I do say so myself. SO here it is.




Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
Half a bag of frozen peas and carrots
One recipe of gluten-free bisquick biscuits
Season Salt and Pepper to taste
Two Packages of Gluten-Free Chicken Gravy (My favorite brand is Mayacamas)
(If you are unable to find gluten-free gravy mix, I will provide a recipe for you.)

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PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400.
Defrost two chicken breasts; while your chicken is defrosting, mix up a batch of Bisquick biscuits and set aside. Once your chicken is defrosted, cut into large chunks and cook in a large pot. Season with season salt and pepper. Mix your gravy according to directions in the same pan as the chicken and bring to a boil until the gravy thickens. Once the gravy thickens, turn the heat down and add your peas and carrots. Heat through. Pour chicken-vegetable mixture into an 8x8 or 9x10 pan. Dollop your biscuits over the top of the mixture. Bake for at least forty minutes at 400 degrees or until biscuits are golden brown.

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Gravy Recipe:

(This recipe equals one packet of gravy)

Ingredients:
One cup of water
One gluten-free/wheat free chicken bullion cube
1/4 cup of water
2 TBS of cornstarch

Bring your water and bullion cube to a boil. Mix your cornstarch and water together in a separate bowl and then add to boiling mixture. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until thick.

My Story

Hey All! I thought that this would be a fun project to help those of you lovely people out there that have a wheat intolerance, wheat allergy or a gluten allergy or intolerance and to be used as an educational tool for those of you who are a stranger to this way of living.

Just after I finished high school I started getting sick. Really sick. I had crippling stomach aches, cramps, diarrhea, gas, I was tired all the time and sometimes my stomach aches would get SO bad that I was in bed for hours at a time, just waiting it out with my knees pulled up to my chest. I just didn't feel well. Over a space of about four or five months, and after numerous futile tests and blood work, I decided to look up my symptoms on, yes you guessed it, google. I clicked on a page that talked about wheat allergies and intolerances and I was horrified by what I found. My symptoms matched every single thing they talked about!

"Wheat intolerance is basically a catch-all term for any negative reaction to wheat which is not celiac (also spelled coeliac) disease or wheat allergy. Those two conditions are diagnosed through blood tests or biopsies which show positive results for antibodies to gluten or other wheat proteins. However, someone can test negative for antibodies and still have a miserable reaction after eating wheat– that’s wheat intolerance.
To make things even more interesting, wheat intolerance symptoms can show up as long as 48 hours after eating wheat… which makes connecting the cause and the effect a real nightmare for an uneducated sufferer. As with wheat allergy, symptoms can be limited to digestive discomfort such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and cramps, or can extend to skin rashes, itching, eczema, and hay fever-like symptoms including sneezing, cough, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes."

FINALLY, I had an answer and from Google, no less! SO, my next step was to try what they suggested. An elimination diet. This my friends, as many of you may know, is NOT as easy as it sounds. I had no idea that would lurked in so many random places! It was in my drink mixes, my trail mix and canned soup! And after further experimentation, I learned that even things that are processed on the same equipment or made in the same factory as wheat make me sick! Those first few months were an absolute nightmare.

But now, almost three years later I am armed with an arsenal of not only knowledge, but practical experience. Even before I found out about my intolerance I loved cooking from scratch and making up my own recipes whenever possible, but after I found out, I discovered that it became a necessity. So, my friends, if you are new to the world of wheat/gluten intolerance or wheat/gluten allergy or if you are a seasoned expert like myself, have no fear! Here you will find what you have been searching for! Delicious and nutritious practical recipes that are tailored to ingredients you have on hand in your cupboards or pantries! No fuss here!

Good luck and happy cooking!