Special Request

This past week, Adam and I have been battling quite the cold.  When he came off the plane from Europe, he was really under the weather, so had this favorite of ours ready to go for when he came home.  This is one of the best Rachel Ray recipes we've made, and it's SO quick and easy - essentially fool proof.  Plus you can easily substitute ingredients, or half the portion size, if you desire. 

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when I made it last week, however in talking to a friend of ours about how yummy this dish is for a good pick-me-up, I decided to post the recipe from RR's website anyway.

It may seem like a LOT of vegetables, and it is, but they sauté down nicely to give you a good base.  Also, don't be afraid of ground chicken.  It has much more flavor than turkey, and if you make the meatballs about walnut-size, they will have no problem cooking at all.

Double Dumpling Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, shredded
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
One 1-pound package fresh gnocchi or other "dumpling" (found in the fresh pasta section - ex: Buitoni)
1 cup frozen peas
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Crusty bread, for dunking

Directions:
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and nutmeg. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (you'll have about 40) and add to the soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the gnocchi to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, discard the bay leaf and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with the bread.