Dumplings and gravy with kale or collards

Sometimes you just need something solid and filling with no fuss.  Look no further.

I used to make a big pot of chicken and dumplings and keep it in the fridge, scooping out a bowlful when needed. When I stopped eating meat, I held on to the dumplings, and I finally combined them with greens for a balanced meal. It's a good one-pot option, and it's fast if you manage to form the dumplings ahead of time.

How thick you make the gravy is up to you.  I insist that if it's thin that it be at least thick enough to coat the greens, but sometimes the dough sheds so much, or I'm so enthusiastic with the flour, that I end up with something more like pudding.  Be ready to add more slurry, or more broth, depending on how it goes.  I originally made this with four cups of broth, so if you like a slurpier dish that can hold more greens, feel free.

Dumplings and Gravy
serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice (mochi) flour
2 Tbsp tapioca starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salted butter
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)
About 1/2 cup milk (rice, oat, or other)

2 cups chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup rice flour, with enough water to make a slurry

Poultry seasoning to taste

Salt and pepper

1/2 to 1 pound kale or collard greens (3-5 large leaves), ribs removed, chopped

In a small bowl, mix together the rice flour, mochiko, tapioca starch, and baking powder.  Cut in the butter until the texture resembles fine cornmeal.  Add the parsley, then stir in enough milk to make a dough (if crumbly, add a little more milk and mix well).  It should be firm enough to shape, but a bit sticky is okay.  Pull off 1" pieces with fingers or a spoon and set aside.

Boil the chicken broth and garlic in a medium-sized pot. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, making sure they stay separate.  After the last one goes in, cook them for 6 minutes, then pull them out with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl.  Set aside.

Reduce heat to low.  Add the seasoning and the chopped greens, stir well, and cover.  Simmer 3-5 minutes, until the greens are cooked through and soft.  Stir in the flour slurry and cook a minute more, checking for consistency and adding more slurry or broth as needed.  When the gravy is as thick as you like, add the dumplings back in and stir gently to heat them through.  Serve hot.