Chicken soup with dumplings

I worked 2 days merchandising at Well Seasoned this week. I was trying to get my head into the chocolate/Easter mode...but I kept smelling something...DELICIOUS! I had eaten breakfast, and had brought a coffee and a homemade buttermilk bran muffin...but every time I walked near the front of the store I smelled this smell. Like meat cooking, simmering, boiling...Mmmmm

At 11:30 I couldn't stand it anymore. I told Shelley I was going for lunch. I had already had my number 2 Ukrainian combo plate earlier in the week, so on the drive to work...I had decided to have Borscht for lunch. Judy came over to take my order, and when I said I was thinking about having borscht and a sandwich for lunch...she told me that today's special was:

HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP AND A CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH!

Well...she had me at the soup...so I ordered the special, and wondered if that smell,I had been smelling all morning could possibly compare to the actual soup. It did! The dumplings were light and fluffy, and the broth was rich with celery,onion and carrot. The first bite of sandwich was crisp and tangy with green onion and creamy mayonnaise...I ate 1/2 the soup before I remembered my camera was in my purse!
Thanks Judy...my Langley Baba...

Prairie Cottage Perogies...You really have to go!!

Lemon Rice-Thanks Jamie Oliver!

I have been craving something NEW lately! When that happens, I always go through my old cookbooks to see if something tickles my fancy! The P-Man is a big believer in BROWN RICE. I was raised on nice clumpy sticky white rice, with BUTTER and SOY SAUCE in large quantities, drizzled over the top! We just DON'T even talk about our huge culinary divide. The Jamie Oliver cookbook yielded some interesting recipes that caused me to step WAY out of my comfort zone and make a CURRY! It turned out all right...but the recipe for LEMON RICE that you were supposed to serve with the curry, was downright AMAZING!! As usual, I had to make a few substitutions, but if you want to wake up plain white rice...this is the dish for you! I even poured on a little soy sauce, for old times sake!

Lemon Rice: Jamie Oliver: Happy Days With the Naked Chef.
basmati rice ( I used a cup of raw rice)
5 tablespoon vegetable oil ( 1 tsp was fine!)
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dhal( I didn't have this!)
handful of curry leaves ( I didn't have these either)
rind and juice of 2 lemons
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the curry leaves, urad dhal, and strips of lemon peel. Cook until lightly brown. Add the rice, lemon juice and chopped coriander. Turn off the heat and serve, tasting for salt and pepper.
Yum...Yum!!