Beef Stew with Dumplings

I made this stew yesterday for dinner at my parents because my dad was craving real beef stew with all the yummy veggies.
Well I did bring real stew but I got the recipe from 'Eat, Shrink & Be Merry' so it definitely was trying to up the fibre content and lower the fat. I will admit that I changed the recipe a fair bit, mainly so that it went into the crockpot because I did not have time to sit and stir stew all afternoon.
In the end, the result was incredibly delicious and the boys had double helpings. I don't have a single scoop of leftovers - which is both good and bad.
Make this stew in a crockpot if you can, or else brown the meat first in a little olive oil before cooking the whole thing in a big pot.
Enjoy!

Beef Stew with Dumplings
Adapted from 'Eat, Shrink & Be Merry'

2lbs. stewing beef - I used skirt steak cut against the grain into 1" cubes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
6 small yellow potatoes, chopped
2t. chopped garlic or 2 cloves
2T. tomato paste
2T. balsamic vinegar
1/2t. marjoram
1/2t. basil
1/2t. thyme
1/2t. rosemary
4c. beef stock - 1/4c. reserved for the end
1T. cornstarch
1 1/2c. Bisquick
1/3c. milk
1/2t. rosemary

Combine everything but the last 4 ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8hrs, high for 4 hrs. Combine the remaining 1/4c. broth and cornstarch and stir into the pot.
In a small bowl, combine the Bisquick, milk and rosemary. Using a large spoon, scoop the mix into small portions and place on top of the stew - it should make 10 dumplings. Place the lid securely on the pot and turn on high for 20 minutes. The dumplings will steam through and double in size.
Serve and enjoy

Crockpot Chili

Now that the snow has returned, I felt like a warm and comforting dinner. Chili isn't high on my list of favorite foods but Paula Deen makes such yummy recipes that I thought I would try this one. The big difference between this chili and the standard fare is that the beef is stewing meat, not ground beef. Unfortunately, that makes it harder to scoop onto Doritos which is really the only way Josh eats chili, but he didn't seem to mind.
I whipped it up in no time, basically just opening a few cans. Paula suggests serving it with corn bread but my mom bought a cheddar loaf from our local bakery so we served that instead. This is a fantastic dinner idea especially when you are short on time.
Enjoy!

Update - This chili was a huge success!!! So delicious and devoured by Josh and my dad who are not the biggest chili lovers. If you eliminate the meat, it would be amazing over nachos.

Easy Crockpot Chili
Paula Deen's Christmas Magazine 2008
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 - 14oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 - 4oz. can chopped green chilies
1 cube beef bouillon
1t. dried minced onion - I used 1/2 a small onion, chopped
1/4t. garlic salt
1 - 16oz. can ranch-style beans - I didn't know what this meant so I used Pinto beans
1 - 15oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 - 11oz. can niblet corn, drained
Garnish - shredded cheese, sour cream

Place all ingredients except the beans and corn into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4hrs, then add the beans and corn and cook for 30min. longer on low.