Easy Peasy Beef and Dumpling Pie
I forgot to take a picture before we devoured this. Sorry. It was too good.
I pan roasted some chunks of stew meat in my cast iron skillet. (I added one thin sliced plum tomato to the pan during he roasting–not sure how much this mattered)
While that was happening, I heated up some chicken broth in a separate pot.
Then I made a batter by beating together 2 eggs, 2 Tbs oil, 2 Tbs soymilk, and then adding 1 tsp salt, Tbs sugar,½ tsp baking power, some flour–probably about a cup, maybe cup and a half. Enough to make it thick but still soft. Then I let it rest a few minutes while the soup came up to boil, and dropped Tbs of batter into the boiling broth, turned down to a simmer to poach the dumplings gently, put on the lid and waited10 min. (NO stirring)!
When the meat was browned and nearly cooked (and still a little pink in a few places) I took it out, let it cool for a few minutes, and then cut it up into very small bite sized pieces. Put it back into he roasting pan and added some salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder.
When the dumplings were done, I ladled them and the broth they were cooked in into the pan I roasted the meat in, added a cup of frozen mixed veggies, gave it a gentle stir, and mostly moved the dumplings to the top of the dish.
Warm the whole thing through until the veggies were just thawed, and served in the cast iron skillet. (You have to make the picture in your mind here: dumplings, meat, veggies, gravy, steam, skillet, etc.)
Easy peasy, and delicious.
I also happened to make a side of rice pilaf for one family member who wont eat flour dumplings. Turns out everyone else like putting rice in their stew, too.