Prep time: 15 minutes for the beef and vegetables and 15 minutes for the dumplings
Cook time: About 60 minutes (50 for the beef/veg and 10 once the dumplings go in)
Serves: 6
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound Laura’s Lean Beef Sirloin Steak cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion (1/2-inch dice)
2 stalks celery cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup peas
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef stock
1/4 cup chopped parsley
For the noodles:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium high heat. Add beef cubes and sear on all sides, turning as needed. When browned, add onion, celery, carrot and peas and cook another 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Stir in garlic and cook another minute.
2. Sprinkle flour over meat and vegetables and stir to coat. Cook, stirring another 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the remaining 5 1/2 cups stock and the parsley. Bring to boil, cover and reduce to low simmer and cook 50 minutes, until meat is tender.
3. About 15 minutes before meat is done, start the noodles. Mix flour with shortening, cutting it together with fork or fingers until you have a crumbly dough. (This doesn’t have to be evenly mixed.). Whisk egg, milk and parsley together and stir it into flour mixture, mixing until it just comes together as a dough.
4. Flour counter top or cutting board lightly, put dough down and flour dough lightly, too. Roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness (think pie dough). Cut into small squares (no measuring required!).
5. Uncover beef, bring stock to boil and add noodles to stock one at a time, making sure they don’t stick together. Stir gently, cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. (Season to taste.)
Note: When chopping the celery, don’t discard the leaves, just chop them, too. They have a ton of flavor.
Nutrition Information per 1 1/2 cup serving:
Calories 414; Calories from Fat 112 (27% from Fat); Fat 13g; Cholesterol 79mg; Sodium 604mg; Carbohydrate 46g; Fiber 3g; Protein 28g; Vitamin A 85%; Vitamin C 21%; Calcium 9%; Iron 30%