Evening meal- Super Stew and Dumplings
I chose this recipe because it seemed perfect for a lazy cold Sunday. With just 2o minute preparation time but a long cooking time it’s a great one to do if you want minimal effort and you’re not going anywhere. You can just leave it simmering away while you get one with whatever you’re doing.
Ingredients for the stew
When I was making the dumplings I thought I’d got the measurements wrong because the dumplings were so tiny but I forgot how much they grow when they are cooking. I haven’t cooked dumplings for a long time but a slow cooked stew and dumplings is so comforting. I will definitely start cooking this kind of dish more often.
When making the dough for the dumplings, it’s tempting to add more water but persist with the 2 tablespoons if you can because it comes together in the end and you don’t want it to end up sticky.
Cooking and preparation time for this recipe were exactly as stated and it was a really easy dish to cook with plenty of variations that would be simple to do depending on your taste.
Even though you leave it to simmer for a long time, I would check often because you may need to add a little more water or stock. Apart from that, this involves very little effort once it’s bubbling away.
Perfect for a Sunday
Recipe- serves 4
307 calories, 20 minutes prep time, 3 hours cooking time.
Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
280g lean braising steak, cut into chunks
450ml reduced-salt beef or vegetable stock
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 bay leaf (optional)
250g closed cup mushrooms, halved
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, or 2 tsp mixed dried herbs
50g reduced fat spread
freshly ground black pepper
What to do:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish or saucepan.
2. Add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes over a high heat until it’s browned.
3. Pour the stock into the pan, adding the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf and mushrooms. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook over a low heat for 1 hour. Add a little water if needed.
4. To make the dumplings, sift the flour into a bowl with the parsley and some black pepper. Add the reduced fat spread to the flour, then rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add just enough cold water (about 2 tbsp) to make a soft dough. Knead the dough lightly for a moment, then form into 12 small dumplings.
5. add the dumplings into the stew, letting them sit on the surface. Cover and cook for another 25-30 minutes, until the dumplings are light and fluffy.
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