Beef Stew & Dumplings!

Sometimes you just need a hearty stew. Whether it's stressful at work, rainy and full of drab outside, or maybe you're just starving; a beef stew will do the trick.
I've never made chicken and dumplings before, but I have made beef stew a few times. It's full of protein and vegetables just like chicken and dumplings, so I thought to myself, why do you never hear of beef and dumplings? Well, after I tried this recipe out, I figured it was tasty enough to share with you all.
Enjoy!

What you need for the Stew:

•  About 15 ounces of beef chuck for stew, dredged in flour that has been seasoned with salt & pepper.
• 1 cup of onions, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 russet potatoes, diced in large chunks
• About 1.5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of low sodium beef broth
• 3 cups of water
• 2.5 cups of diced tomatoes in a can
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 bay leaves

How to do it:

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven.Add the meat and brown on all sides. 

 

Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic to the meat and let them sweat out for a few minutes. 

 

Add the worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt, sugar, paprika, pepper, cloves, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and broth. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Season to taste at this point. Cover again and let simmer for about another 2 hours.

About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat, start the dumplings. 

What you need for the dumplings:

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp dill weed (dried)
• 1/8 tsp parsley (dried)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fat free half and half (you could substitute skim or 1% milk)

Mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt, dried dill weed, dried parsley). Beat the egg & half and half together.  Add the wet to the dry mixture. Form into little dumplings (about 10).

Add the dumplings for the final 10 minutes of cooking.

And now you have, Beef Stew and Dumplings!

Approximate facts for the Dumplings:

Amount per Serving

Calories 101

Calories from Fat 13.1 

Total Fat 1.46g

Saturated Fat 0.38g

Cholesterol 53.75mg

Sodium 146.17mg

Total Carbohydrate 15.76g

Dietary Fiber 2.68g

Sugars 1.65g

Protein 4.67g

Approximate facts for the Stew:

Amount per Serving

Calories 307

Calories from Fat 101.6

Total Fat 11.29g

Saturated Fat 4.62g

Cholesterol 50mg

Sodium 750.33mg

Total Carbohydrate 25.25g

Dietary Fiber 4.09g

Sugars 8.29g

Protein 4.36g

 

Stay warm out there!