Chicken and Rosemary Dumplings

A few years ago I found this recipe from Sacred Heart Medical Center's magazine "Heart Insight". Warm, comforting, aromatic,and healthy - What could be better? This is a family favorite. My grown children now make it (and) request it. In fact, I am adding this because I'm in the process of making it for my son's chosen birthday dinner.

• Ready In: 1 hr 26 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Soup

• 4  cups  reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 3  cups water
• 1  lb chicken drumstick, skinned
• 1  lb boneless skinless chicken breast half
• 2  fresh thyme sprigs
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups  diced carrots
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped celery
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• Dumplings

• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1  large egg
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup water

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from heat. Remove chicken pieces from broth; cool slightly. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Remove chicken from bones. Discard bones; chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set chicken aside.
2. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add reserved broth mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Keep warm.
3. To prepare dumplings, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, rosemary, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
4. Return chopped chicken to the broth mixture; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Add flour mixture to pan; simmer 3 minutes. Drop the dumpling dough, 1 tablespoon per dumpling, onto chicken mixture to form 12 dumplings. Cover and cook 7 minutes (do not let broth boil). Sprinkle with black pepper.