Beef and vegetable casserole 

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1kg beef chuck steak, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 pickling onions, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups beef stock
• 410g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 carrots, peeled, sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled, halved, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 swede, peeled, cut into
• 2cm pieces
• 3 celery stalks, sliced

• Parsley dumplings

• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup milk
• 60g butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Place flour and beef in a snap-lock bag. Season with salt and pepper. Shake to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-based, ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add remaining oil to dish. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Return beef to dish with stock, tomato, carrot, parsnip, swede and celery. Bring to the boil. Cover with lid. Transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
3. Meanwhile, make dumplings: Combine flours and parsley in a jug. Make a well in the centre. Add milk and butter. Stir to form a soft dough. Roll mixture into 12 dumplings.
4. Arrange dumplings over beef mixture. Bake, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Serve.