Rosemary Beef and Wild Mushroom Stew with Potato Gruyere Dumplings

Well it's that time of year again. A cold snap has come to the air, and Christmas will be here before we know it. Although this can be a depressing time for many of us, this year, I choose happy - reminding myself that a change of seasons is also a reminder of change in our own lives.

Spring for me is all about renewal - new vegetables, fresh asparagus, crepes, and eggs. Foods that evoke feelings of Easter, and lilacs, and breezes grown warmer.

And then, before we know it, it's summer. The sun comes out, the grass grows green, and we find ourselves in a world of abundance. Fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are ours for the picking. Plump ripe tomatoes on the vine, juicy berries, and the smell of grilled meats on the breeze as we head to the beach for one last swim and kids play until the streetlights come on.

With Autumn, comes the harvest. Afternoons spent canning tomatoes, and pickles, and beans. The smell of wood smoke, new pencils, and apple pie as we prepare ourselves for the long months of hibernation the cold weather brings.

And now, with winter right around the corner, I'd like to present a meal that makes me think of roaring fires, days on the ski slope, fresh shoveled snow, skating parties, and Jack Frost painting the trees in shades of icy silver white.

 This gorgeous stew is full of the flavours I think about when I contemplate winter. Rosemary and thyme combine with fresh garlic and winter herbs seasoning the stew from the inside out with their combined essence of earthy unctuousness and acting as the perfect compliment to beef, wild mushrooms, and pillowy potato dumplings made with gruyere cheese.

 As always, I've worked hard to make this stew a little bit healthier by using high fiber Nutri-blend flour, lean beef, and no sodium added beef stock - keeping the sodium levels low in this dish while losing nothing on flavour.

So get out into the elements. Take a walk in the woods, pull on some skates, or hit the slopes - and then when you get home bask in the warmth and aroma of stew made with love and a pinch of magic from your friendly neighborhood Kitchen Witch. And if you try this recipe, please let me know! I love hearing from people who have tried my food!

As well, be sure to subscribe to follow this blog, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube. I upload new recipe blog and video every week week! 

Visit the printable recipe here: Rosemary Beef and Wild Mushroom Stew with Potato Gruyere Dumplings

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Rosemary Beef and Wild Mushroom Stew 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients

•  2 lbs stewing beef cut into bite sized cubes
• 1/4 cup all purpose or Robin Hood Nutri-Blend flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp herbes de provence
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup each diced celery and carrots
• 2 stalks fresh rosemary
• 2-3 stalks fresh thyme
• 5 cloves peeled whole garlic
• 10 brown button mushrooms, washed and quartered
• 1 pkg dried mixed wild mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups no sodium beef stock
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup frozen peas

Dumpling Ingredients

• 1  cup dried instant mashed potatoes
• 1 cup hot water 
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup all purpose or Robin Hood Nutri-Blend flour
• 1 tsp herbes de provence
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions 

1. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, herbs de provence, and garlic powder together.
2. Place the stewing beef into a medium bowl and sprinkle with the flour mixture. Toss well so that all of the meat is evenly coated. 
3. Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let steep 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the water and chop. Reserve the mushrooms water for the stew.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Sweat the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil just until they begin to grow soft.
6. Add the beef and toss well browning slightly on all sides. Don't worry if some of the flour mixture begins to stick to the pan, just reduce the heat lightly, this will add to the flavour of the stew. 
7. Add the wild mushrooms, the brown mushrooms, and continue to stir and toss.
8. Add the red wine, mushroom water, and beef stock to the pan and de-glaze it getting all of the flavour off the bottom. 
9. Bring to a slow boiling simmer, turn heat to low, cover, and let stew for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
10.  Add the frozen peas during the last 20 minutes of cooking and bring back to the boil.
11. Mix the potato flakes with hot water. Stir in the flour, herbs de provence and grated cheese. Add the beaten egg and mix well using your hands. Form into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Drop into the stew and cook covered for 15 more minutes.

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada, the $20,000.00 winner of the online competition "The Real Women of Philadelphia" and a finalist on the Food Network Canada show Recipe to Riches. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.