Tomato Vegetable Stew With Cheddar Cheese Dumplings Recipes

TOMATO & HARISSA STEW WITH CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large wide-topped casserole dish with a lid, then fry the onion and celery for 5 mins until softening and starting to colour. Tip in the tomatoes and a can of water, then stir in the harissa, courgettes and chickpeas, and crumble in the stock cube. Cover and simmer for 18 mins until the veg is almost tender. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Meanwhile, rub the butter into the flour and baking powder with a good pinch of salt, then mix in the cheese with a round-bladed knife. Two mins before the stew is ready, pour the milk into the dumpling mix and stir with the knife to make a dough. Turn out onto your work surface (no need to flour it), lightly shape into a sausage and cut into 8 equal pieces.
• Put the dumplings on top of the stew and bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until golden and cooked through.

CHEDDAR TOMATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add flour; stir well. Gradually blend in tomatoes. Add celery leaves, sugar, salt and pepper; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. , Meanwhile, for dumplings, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening until crumbly. Add cheddar cheese. Stir in milk just until moistened. , Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto simmering tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering).

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.