Everyone  is sheltering  in place.  People have colds, flu, bugs, or are bored out their minds.  Let’s make some soup!  How about a classic chicken and dumplings!  Hearty and satisfying and two days worth of food.  Wait just a cotton picking moment: don’t want dumplings?  Well, substitute wontons for the dumplings for an Asian feel! Hope you enjoy them.

1 3-pound chicken cut into pieces

8 stalks celery, sliced (1/2 for the broth, 1/2 for the soup)

10 carrots, sliced (5 for broth, 5 for soup)

2 onions, diced (1/2 for broth, 1/2 for soup)

1 package mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound wontons (about 12)

1 bunch green onion, cut small

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 quarts water

Dumplings:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

Remove bag from inside of chicken; set aside and freeze (I make stock out of it or have it for lunch)

Heat a soup kettle or Dutch to medium

Add oil

Add half the onions and  cook for 4 minutes — do not brown

Add garlic

Add chicken pieces skin side down

Cook for 4 minutes

Turn and cook for another 4 minutes

Add half the carrots and half the celery

Add water

Add herbs

Reduce heat to simmer

Simmer for one hour

Stir

Simmer for one more hour

Remove chicken from pan and remove bones

Strain the broth

Add remainder of carrots,  mushrooms and rest of the celery to the broth; simmer for 45 minutes

Make dumplings:

Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder

Add butter and mix flour with a fork until it is like wet sand

Add milk and mix

Put pulled chicken back in broth

Bring broth to a boil

Place spoonfuls of dough in broth

Cook for 7 minutes

Serve

Chinese dumplings:

Add 10-15 frozen won tons  (I got mine at Costco; you can get a giant bag for about8 bucks)

Let cook 10 minutes

Top with green onions

Serve