Beef stew with herb dumplings

you will need
2 pinches dried mixed herbs
440g, diced beef
1.25kg vegetable selection pack
400g tin chopped tomatoes
200g self-raising flour
1 tablespon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 beef or vegetable stock cube
100g butter, grated
1.4 litre water

Method

Peel and finely slice the onions in the basics vegetable selection pack. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until soft, then add the basics diced beef and continue to fry.

Add the rest of the vegetables from the basics vegetable selection pack, peeled and cut into small chunks. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs, then fry for approximately 10 minutes. Stir in the basics chopped tomatoes, 1 litre water and crumble in 1 beef or vegetable stock cube. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place 200g self-raising flour in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grate 100g chilled butter into the flour, add a couple of pinches of dried mixed herbs (or some freshly chopped rosemary leaves) and then rub together with your fingers so the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Gradually mix in small amounts of cold water until it forms a soft dough. Roll the dough into approximately 12 evenly-sized balls.

The stew should be nice and saucy by now but, if it looks a little dry, stir in another 400ml water. Turn up the heat and bring it to the boil again. Add the dumplings, pushing them under the surface of the liquid. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the dumplings are puffed up and cooked through, then serve with an optional garnish of freshly chopped parsley.