Only one more month of the craziness of 2020! Can you believe it’s December all ready? How many challenges did you join in on this month? 2020 is the definitley the year to stay active and engaged.
I am super excited to share a new recipe with you but first lets chat about how you are getting through the last few weeks of 2020. We are on the home stretch, or are we? I have no idea and according to the experts, they are not sure either. Will we be racing next year? Time will tell but in any case, I am thankful for new challenges to keep me engaged and to finish off the year strong.
This year I have accepted invites to 4 different group all of which are posting a daily challenge. I look forward to seeing what the challenge of the day is every-time I log into facebook.
My friend Sarah who leads our Run and Tone classes bi-weekly has a really fun challenge she’s calling ADVENT FITNESS CHALLENGE. So besides our virtual classes, she sends us a daily exercise to complete. We do 100 reps which we can either crank them out all at once, or split it up during the day. Most often I complete all 100 at once, or work them into my daily workout. For example, last Monday our exercise of the day was lunges. I always warm up with lunges before my runs so I did 25 before my run and the remainder after. Today I did 100 bicep curls…OUCH.
I am also part of a VIP group and our Coach posts weekly challenges which is fun too. I love that not all of them are exercise focused. Here is an example of week 1. Today we get to put our phones away by 8 pm. This may not seem like much, but how often do you attempt this and fail? I am certainly going to try harder to do this all week long!
Do you enjoy tea? My friends I met through Another Mother Runner have a fun challenge called 31 DAYS OF TEA. This one is easy for me since I absolutely love tea. My favorite, which I have at least 4 to 5 nights of the week, is Peppermint Ginger. A top second is Yogi’s Throat Coat. I have to admit, this challenge has probably been the most fun but also the most costly?. I keep finding new teas I want to try and mugs to buy?.
Last but not least, my friend Tina invited me to her newest Christmas tradition. I cant say I have been perfect at reading an entire chapter every day, but it is not about being perfect.
Back to this delicious dumpling soup recipe. Are you making stuffing for Christmas? Even if you are not having Turkey, can I make a suggestion…make more stuffing just so you can make these dumplings?. Remember there are no rules in 2020 and stuffing goes with anything! After all, isn’t it everyone’s favorite? It’s so versatile. You can make it vegan, gluten free, or with left over sourdough bread.
These dumplings are incredibly easy to make not to mention, melt in your mouth delicious. I served them with Turkey Veggie soup but I bet they’d be as good with bean soup, split pea, or any soup. I am all about trying new things ya know!
All you have to do is smash it up eggs and flour, and like magic, leftover stuffing transforms into a tender dumpling dough. A simple bone broth made from your turkey carcass creates a savory base, which you then load up with lot of veggies, some greens if you want, & sweet potatoes for a hearty, healthy meal. If you prefer to roll your dumplings into visually perfect balls, leave out the 1/3 cup turkey stock for a sturdier dough, but if you don’t mind a rustic look, that additional moisture ensures a lighter dumpling. I personally love a rustic look! I know I will be making stuffing for Christmas…how about you?
STUFFING DUMPLING SOUP
adapted from New York Times
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, coconut ghee, or avocado oil
- 4 to 6 cups of veggies of choice ~ sweet potatoes, celeriac root, rutabaga, carrots etc all cut into bite size pieces
- 1 medium yellow or white onion (about 10 ounces), chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound kale, spinach, chard stripped from stems and coarsely chopped (about 6 lightly packed cups – optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and chopped
- ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 cups shredded leftover turkey
- Homemade turkey stock or bone broth or veggie broth works too
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
- 2 ½ cups leftover stuffing, slightly warmed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
DIRECTIONS:
- Prepare the soup: In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat butter or oil. Add the your veggies of choice, onion, and a big pinch of kosher salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the kale, garlic and red-pepper flakes, and season with a big pinch of kosher salt. Cover the pot and cook until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Add 2 quarts of the prepared turkey stock and season with kosher salt to taste. Increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to an active simmer and cook, partly covered, until the greens and sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine the stuffing and 1/3 cup of the turkey stock, and mash with a potato masher until the stuffing is broken up. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder and a big pinch of kosher salt, and mix until well combined.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning to taste with more salt, red-pepper flakes and vinegar, if needed. Stir in the turkey.
- Using two big spoons, plop the stuffing mixture into the soup like big drop biscuits. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer until dumplings feel set and firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Divide soup across bowls. (If storing leftovers, scoop the dumplings out of the soup and store separately to prevent them from soaking up all the broth as they sit. Dumplings and soup will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
If you had a choice…Stuffing or Turkey?
STUFFING ALL THE WAY
Are you making stuffing for Christmas?
YES MOST DEFINITELY
Are you in a Christmas Challenge of any kind?
Leave a Reply