CHICKEN STEW WITH DROP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• 1. Heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. add the onions, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour taste. Whisk in the chicken broth and 1/4 cup of skim milk. Add the thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
• 2. Right before you are ready to add the dumplings, Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Heat the skim milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Add both the butter and the milk to the flour and mix well until smooth.
• 3. Return the stew to a simmer. Add the peas and parsley. Drop golf-ball sized dumplings onto the hot stew. It will make about 18 dumplings. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the dumplings have doubled in size, about 15 minutes.