Vegetarian Chicken and Dumplings

We decided to significantly reduce our meat consumption a few years ago. I was surprised at how easy it would be. Really, we hardly miss meat. Well, with the exception of a few specific dishes- one of those being chicken and dumplings. Yum. Such a yummy, warm, hearty meal. It is especially tempting on a chilly, damp fall day in upstate New York. So, I figured a way around my dilemma. Chick'n and Dumplings cooked in the crock pot. Perfection.

Ingredients:

Chick'n Stew

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cans (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup

16 ounces chick'n (chicken substitute- for this recipe, I used Quorn Chick'n Tenders)

4 red potatoes

1 carrot

2 cups frozen peas

2 TBSP minced garlic

1 TBSP freshly ground sea salt

1 tsp sage

1 tsp tarragon

1 TBSP parsley flakes

1 bay leaf

Dumplings

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp parsley flakes

1 beaten egg

3 TBSP milk

2 TBSP melted butter

Mix ingredients for stew in crock pot. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Mix dumpling ingredients in a large bowl until mosit. Use a teaspoon to spoon dumplings into stew (makes about 16 dumplings). Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy.