This recipe is my own concoction of the hearty stews we have in Portugal and it varies depending on what veggies I have on the pantry. Usually it will take all of the ones below plus potatoes, but the variations are up to you. I made dumplings instead f using potatoes and reduced most of the fat used by my matriarchs back in Portugal to make it quite low-fat (a bit less tasty indeed, you do need some fat, so use more olive oil if you are comfortable with it and cuts of meat with fat in it will add flavour - I used lean chicken, takes less time to cook, but you could use some nice beef or even lamb or veal.)
Serves 6:
dumplings: 1 cup self raising flour, 1/2 cup milk, 80g butter or margarine, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, plus flour to dust stew: 500g lean chicken breast cut into cubes, 1 onion diced, 1 bay leaf, 4 tsp olive oil, 1 green capsicum finely diced, 5 or 6 carrots cubed, 1 tomato diced, 1x400g can diced tomatoes, 3 cups of water (or stock if you prefer a thicker flavour - you can also add some white wine), 2 cups frozen peas, 2 handfuls green beans cut into 4 cm pieces, salt to taste
1. In a bowl mix flour with butter with your fingers. Add milk, 1 tsp salt and mix everything to form a moist dough. reserve;
2. In a large sauce pan, heat the oil. Add the bay leaf, diced onion and cook until the onion is golden. Add tomato, capsicum and cook for another 5 minutes; and bring everything to a boil
3. Add diced carrots, diced tomatoes and stir well. Add chicken and water (3 cups should be enough to cover chicken, if not use some more - the dumplings will soak some of the liquid later);
4. Add green beans, peas and season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes;
5. Meanwhile, add parsley to dumpling dough and form 12 small balls with your hands - use more flour to avoid the dough sticking to your hands. Place each ball in the simmering stew sauce, cover and cook everything for about 20 minutes; Serve and enjoy.
Its quite comforting and it reminds me of home a bit...minus dumplings.
Serves 6:
dumplings: 1 cup self raising flour, 1/2 cup milk, 80g butter or margarine, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, plus flour to dust stew: 500g lean chicken breast cut into cubes, 1 onion diced, 1 bay leaf, 4 tsp olive oil, 1 green capsicum finely diced, 5 or 6 carrots cubed, 1 tomato diced, 1x400g can diced tomatoes, 3 cups of water (or stock if you prefer a thicker flavour - you can also add some white wine), 2 cups frozen peas, 2 handfuls green beans cut into 4 cm pieces, salt to taste
1. In a bowl mix flour with butter with your fingers. Add milk, 1 tsp salt and mix everything to form a moist dough. reserve;
2. In a large sauce pan, heat the oil. Add the bay leaf, diced onion and cook until the onion is golden. Add tomato, capsicum and cook for another 5 minutes; and bring everything to a boil
3. Add diced carrots, diced tomatoes and stir well. Add chicken and water (3 cups should be enough to cover chicken, if not use some more - the dumplings will soak some of the liquid later);
4. Add green beans, peas and season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes;
5. Meanwhile, add parsley to dumpling dough and form 12 small balls with your hands - use more flour to avoid the dough sticking to your hands. Place each ball in the simmering stew sauce, cover and cook everything for about 20 minutes; Serve and enjoy.
Its quite comforting and it reminds me of home a bit...minus dumplings.
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