Nora: Michigan seems poised to finally get some crappy winter weather so here’s a lovely rich stew to warm you up. I have always loved drop dumplings so I was delighted to get to enjoy some tonight. My mom didn’t like to make them for us when she did chicken and dumplings because drop dumplings disappear too quickly when you’re feeding five. Rolled-flat dumplings are still good… but… I digress. If you find these dumplings go too quickly for your family (or your own appetite for dumplings) it would be quite easy to throw another batch of dumplings in the pot while you reheat the leftovers. You might be able to get away with pulling out all the dumplings and cooking a second batch immediately. Either way, you MUST pull the floaters out and store them separately from the rest of the stew unless you want your leftovers to transform into winter vegetable mush.

Don’t be alarmed by the apple juice in this recipe. You’ll add salt to taste and I promise it won’t turn out too sweet. Someday we might try swapping the juice for more broth and cutting up an apple to cook with the veggies. Also, my brain wants to add a little curry powder to this to make it into mulligatawny, but that’s another post.

Josh: This is a fantastic stew recipe that is easy to make and satisfying to eat. There is some initial prep involved, chopping up veggies mostly, but after that you basically let it cook and do your own thing for a while. The flavors of the stew turned out fantastic, and the complementary but somewhat contrasting flavors of the dumplings provided really wonderful spikes of flavor that added so much value to the meal.

This recipe is cat approved by Easley, our hellspawn.

When we make this, it frees us up from the obligation to cook, the panic about not eating, and the obligation to eat for just long enough in the evening to decompress while it cooks. I don’t know about you, but we work full time jobs that aren’t blog related. When we get home from work, there is a lot that needs to get done including some mental relaxation. In my case, I also work freelance, so my evenings often involve the Batman job as well as what home things need doing. This recipe is amazing because I can get other things done while knowing dinner is on the way. And dinner is super yum.

Winter Stew with Dumplings

Makes: Two bowls for dinner and two bowls for lunch

Adapted from Rabbit and Wolves

Time: 15 mins prep, 45 mins cooking

Omnivore Index: nobody will miss the meat

Ingredients: For the stew: – 1 Tbsp oil – 6 cloves garlic, minced – 1 onion, chopped – 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar – 2 large russet potatoes, diced – 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced – 8oz baby carrots, chopped – 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped – 4c (32oz) vegetable (“beef”) broth – 1c good apple cider or juice (we used Simply Apple from the refrigerated section) – 2 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce – 2 bay leaves – 1/2 tsp oregano, dried – 1/4 tsp thyme, dried – pinch red pepper flakes – lots of salt and pepper to taste For the dumplings: – 1 1/3c all purpose flour – 2 tsp baking powder – 1 tsp baking soda – 1 tsp salt – 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast – 1 tsp spice blend (we used 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s) – 2/3c nut milk – 1 Tbsp oil

Directions: 1. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high. Add the garlic and onion. Saute the for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and starts to brown. 2. Add the apple cider vinegar, and stir to deglaze. 3. Add the cut potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and parsnips. Liberally season with salt and pepper. Saute the veggies for a couple minutes.  4. Add the broth, apple cider/juice, liquid aminos and spices. 5. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through.  6. When the stew is nearly done, mix together dry dumpling ingredients. Test the stew, and when the spuds are soft and the carrots just slightly firm (or however you like your veggies), add the milk and oil. Stir batter briefly to combine. 7. Taste the stew for seasoning and remove the bay leaves. Stir well. Keeping the stew at a simmer, drop golf ball sized dough blobs into the pot. Plop dumplings in different areas of the pot to keep them from sticking together. You should get about a dozen dumplings. 8. Cover, simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. A toothpick inserted into a dumpling should come out clean. Remove dumplings before storing leftovers.

Closing Arguments

Nora: other than the chopping, this recipe is super simple and hands off. Great for reading on the couch while dinner cooks. The dumplings are sublime, so light and fluffy! Josh: The dumplings are worth killing for. Be prepared to make extra because they are so fucking good with this stew.