Red Wine Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings

This is a delicious dish. The red wine adds such depth of flavor. I make it using my homemade beef bone broth. This is super easy to make and is such a great food to consume during the "sick" months due to its ability to boost the immune system. Bone broth is chuck full of vitamins and minerals. I have a post on making chicken bone broth and you can make beef the exact Same way. I make at least one or two batches a week. Chicken, beef or both. I would love to try a pork one too. I made one with leftover ham over Christmas and made an awesome smokey ham and bean soup. You can freeze the broth too. My freezer is stocked. Here is my recipe for the beef stew.

Red Wine Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients:

2-3 lb roast

2 cups beef broth

(I prefer using home made, but if you use store bought be sure to get the low sodium)

1/2 cup of red wine

1 large onion large diced

2 whole cloves of garlic crushed

3 carrots chopped into bite size chunks

3 celery stalks cut in bite sized chunks

6-8 mushrooms sliced

1 tsp of fresh oregano chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme chopped

3 small potatoes chopped into bite size chunks

1/2 can diced tomatoes with juice

3 TBS flour

3 TBS butter

Instructions:

Season beef with sea salt and pepper

Add about a TBS olive oil to hot pan (you want the pan really hot to crisp up the outside of the beef and seal in all the juices)

Brown each side of beef then put in crock pot

Add stock and wine

Add veggies, herbs and 1/2 of the can of tomatoes with the juice

Sauté butter in a pan, or melt in the microwave in a small bowl
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Add to broth mixture.

Cover and cook on low for at least 6 hours

The dumplings only take about 20 min to prepare and cook.
Just before serving mix up the dumplings and allow 15 min for them to cook

Dumplings Recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp raw cane sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 TBS Butter

1/2 Cup milk

Chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme and rosemary)

Mix flour, salt and baking soda and herbs. Cut in butter with a fork or a pastry cutter. Stir in milk until a soft dough forms.

Drop by big spoonfuls into the crock pot. Cover the crockpot tightly with the lid. Cook 15 min. Don't peek, the steam is what cooks the dumplings.