Slow Cooker Vegan Beef Stew And Dumplings Food

SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Toss the beef cubes with the seasoned flour to lightly coat.
• Preheat the slow cooker on "HIGH". Add the hot beef stock, red wine, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar (or Worcestershire sauce), garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
• Add the onions, leeks, parsnips and carrots. Stir to combine.
• Stir in the beef, add the bay leaves and rosemary and cook on HIGH for 5 hours (or on LOW for 8 hours).
• Meanwhile prepare the dumplings: combine flour, herbs, Parmesan, salt and garlic granules in a bowl.
• Stir in the yoghurt and then use your hands to briefly knead in the bowl until the dough comes together. Add a little water if it's too dry and crumbly.
• Divide the dough into 6-8 portions and roll into balls.
• Mix the flour, suet, salt, garlic granules, herbs and parmesan together in a bowl.
• Slowly drizzle in cold water, a little at a time, mixing with your hands until the dough comes together and leaves the side of the bowl easily. Don't overmix the dough, handle with a light touch for light and fluffy dumplings.
• Divide the dough into 6-8 portions and roll into balls.
• Give the stew a good stir. Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary.
• Add the dumplings to the slow cooker, spaced slightly apart. Cover and cook for an additional hour with the lid on.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

VEGAN SLOW COOKER DUMPLING STEW

Steps:

• For the stew, heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add onion with a large pinch of salt and cook for 10min, stirring regularly, until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée, and cook for 1min, until fragrant. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion mixture. Gradually add the red wine, stirring constantly to prevent the flour forming lumps. Cook for 1min then transfer mixture to a slow cooker.
• Add the carrots, mushrooms, lentils, stock, thyme and some seasoning. Cover and cook on high for 4hr.
• After 4hr, fish out the thyme sprigs and discard. Stir through marmite, if using, and check seasoning.
• Make the dumplings. In a bowl, rub the flour, vegan spread and plenty of seasoning together with your fingertips, or pulse in a small food processor, until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the dried thyme then sprinkle over 2-3tbsp cold water and stir/pulse until it comes together. Divide and roll into 8 balls. Uncover the stew and arrange dumplings on top, spaced apart. Re-cover and cook on high for 1hr, until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

SLOW COOKER VEGAN BEEF STEW AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker.Mix. Push the TVP down below the stock as much as possible.(Half way through cooking if possible give the stew a little stir and push the TVP down if necessary. But don't worry if you can't do this step!)
• Set the slow cooker to medium for 5 hours.
• (Alternatively cook on low for 6-7 hours.Or high for 3-4 hours.Although exact times may vary depending on your slow cooker or crockpot.)
• After 5 hours prepare the dough balls. Turn the slow cooker to high while making the dough balls.Mix the flour with the plant milk, vegan mayonnaise, thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, to a thick sticky wet dough.
• Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop make 8 doughballs, plonking each one gently in the stew. Try not to let each doughball stick to another. But don't worry if they do.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and leave for 20 minutes.Gently flip each doughball be careful to not break them up.Cook for another 20-25 minutes with the lid on.
• Check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired.
• Serve right away or use the keep warm setting.

LIGHTER BEEF STEW & DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep sauté pan. Tip in the onions, bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and fry over a medium heat for about 8 mins, stirring often, until the onions are turning golden. Raise the heat, add the steak and stir-fry briefly until it starts to lose its raw, red colour. Pour in the wine, stir to deglaze the brown sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it bubble briefly. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the flour and mustard powder, and stir for 1 min. The meat should now be coated in a thick, rich sauce.
• Mix in the tomatoes, stirring to break them down. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Tip in the carrots, squash and mushrooms, lower the heat, cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for 1 hr 40 mins, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a further 20 mins, still on a gentle simmer, until the meat is very tender. Season with pepper.
• When the stew is nearly cooked, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put a 2.25-litre casserole dish in to heat it up. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Put the flour, mustard powder, some pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then stir in the spring onions and parsley. Mix the oil and buttermilk together and gently stir into the flour. Add a drop or two of cold water, if needed, to pick up any dry bits on the bottom of the bowl, and stir to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Be as light-handed as you can, as overmixing or overhandling will toughen the dumplings. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and very lightly shape each into a small, rough ball.
• Carefully transfer the stew to the hot casserole dish and remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Sit the dumplings on top and press them down into the gravy to very slightly submerge. Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 mins until the dumplings have risen and are golden on top. Serve with a light scattering of thyme leaves.

SLOW COOKER VEGETABLE STEW WITH CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Set the slow cooker to low. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and fry the carrots for 5 mins until just golden, then tip into the slow cooker.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic and stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock, stirring, until the flour has dissolved and there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, then tip into the slow cooker. Add the courgettes, beans and herbs, topping up with water to cover the veg, if needed. Cover and cook for 4 hrs.
• To make the dumplings, tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the suet or butter until evenly distributed. Add the cheese, parsley, ½ tsp cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix in 3-4 tbsp cold water with your hands to make a soft, slightly sticky dough (add a little more water if needed). Divide into six and roll into balls.
• Add the crème fraîche, mustard, broad beans or peas and spinach to the slow cooker and turn it to high. Arrange the dumplings over the stew, cover and cook for 1-2 hrs more until firm and doubled in size. Scatter with parsley and serve. Will keep for up to three days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to three months.