Chicken Stew

Start off by browning five or six chicken pieces in oil. Oil olive is best, but any vegetable oil will do.Then pour oil, chicken and scrapings from the frying pan into a large pot or Dutch oven.

Add enough water or packaged, low, salt chicken broth to fill at least half the pot. (Homemade chicken broth saved from a previous meal is even better.)

Season broth with any spices indigenous to your culture. Most Canadian families use thyme, sage, savoury, one or two bays leaves and a splash of Soya sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut vegetables such are carrots, turnips celery, onions, potatoes or any other locally grown favorites, into chunks and add to pot. Suggested amounts for vegetables are:

2 large carrots or 4 small
1 rutabaga or 1/2 of a large turnip cut into one inch pieces
2 medium cooking onions thickly sliced
2 stalks of celery, include leaves, but chop them up finely
4 or 5 medium potatoes cut into chunks
3 carrots
peas (add at the end)

Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until chicken pieces are partially cooked. Remove chicken from pot, cut meat into bite size pieces and de-bone.

Taste broth and adjust seasoning accordingly. Return chicken to pot and continue simmering until vegetables are soft.

Crock pot chicken stew can be started on low or medium in the morning and in the evening simply turn up the heat and add the dumplings to finish off the meal.