Beef Stew

Typically a stew will be prepared on the stove top, while a casserole may be done in the oven. Having said that, we tend to mix up the words nowadays, and in reality both of the methods are equally very nice. It doesn't matter if making a stew or simply a casserole, the two very important factors are to give it a good deal of time, and not to use too much heat, otherwise it will dry out.

This recipe comes from a small book that my mother had and dates from 1950. I often ate this dish when I was young and I still eat it today. It is a great comfort food and wonderful to eat when it's cold outside.

1 chuck roast about
2 pounds without bones, cubed
1 cup of carrots, cut into large dices
1 cup of turnips, cut into large dices
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cups potatoes cut into chunks
1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence

Coat the beef cubes with flour seasoned with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil. Add 1 cup of boiling water and deglaze, then add 3 cups of water. Cover and cook for about 2 1 / 2 hours.

Add vegetables and cook for 1 hour. Add dough by the tablespoon on top of beef. Cover and cook for 1 hour.

Dumplings 2 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk

Sift flour with baking powder and salt, add milk and mix well to form a ball.

You can prepare the stew in advance (without the dumplings). Simply let cool and place in airtight containers. It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then reheat on the stove top and proceed with the dumplings.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

To find more great beef stew recipes, you can visit my blog http://beefstewrecipes.org/beef-with-dumplings/

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