Chicken with Biscuits

Chicken with Biscuits aka "Chicken Potpie"ish

INGREDIENTS:

Biscuits:
-2 cups gluten free flour
-1/2 tsp xanthan gum
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening, chilled
-1 cup plain vegan yogurt

Filling:
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 stalk celery
-1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, defrosted
-2 tbsp superfine brown rice flour
-1/4 tsp dried thyme
-pinch of cayenne pepper
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup rice milk
-salt
-3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots
-2 cups diced cooked chicken
-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
-freshly ground pepper
-2 tbsp chopped parsley


DIRECTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.) To make the biscuits, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the chilled shortening using a pastry blender, two knives, your fingers, until you have pea-sized crumbs. Add the yogurt and stir until just combined, making sure you incorporate the crumbs at the bottom of the bowl.

3.) Flour a work surface lightly with a little gluten-free flour mix and turn out the dough. Gently pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk, pressing in any loose bits. Don't overhandle the dough.

4.) Use a 2 1/2 inch flour biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Cut them as close together as possible. Gather together the scraps and reshape into a disk and cut out the last couple of biscuits; you will have 8 total. Transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, until golden.

5.) Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the celery and pearl onions and cook, stirring a few times, for 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the brown rice flour to the celery and onions and sprinkle in the thyme and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until golden and aromatic. Combine the broth and rice milk in a glass measuring cup and heat for 1 minute in the microwave.

6.) Add the warmed broth-rice milk mixture to the celery and onion mixture a little at a time, stirring vigorously. Add a pinch of salt and cook at a simmer for about 2 minutes, until thickened. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, and lemon juice. Heat through at a simmer, 2 minutes more. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve over split biscuits with a sprinkling of parsley.


NOTES:

-You don't need a biscuit cutter! Just form loose mounds and let them bake...comes out fine.