7 Vegetable Chicken Stew with Dumplings

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut in 2 or 3 pieces
4 small potatoes, preferably red ones, cut into quarters
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 onions, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 1/2 cups cubed, peeled rutabaga
1 1/2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potato
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas

Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, preferably lowfat milk

In a large pot, combine chicken, all vegetable except peas, stock and spices; bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes; stir in peas.
Meanwhile, in a food processor or by hand, make dumplings: combine flour, parsley, butter, baking powder and salt until mixture is in coarse crumbs; stir in milk, then drop by tablespoonfuls onto the hot stew; you should have about 6 mounds.
Cover pot and simmer-- don't boil hard and DON'T lift the lid-- for 15 minutes or until dumplings have risen.

Note: to reduce sodium content in this recipe, replace stock with water.