Tomato Vegetable Stew with Cheddar Dumplings

Here's another recipe I cut from the newspaper. This is so good!  My husband says he doesn't like tomatoes, so he's not super excited when I make this, but he will eat it without complaining too much, especially if I serve him some kind of meat on the side.  Me, I love it.  I think the flavors are so perfect together.

Tomato Vegetable Stew with Cheddar Dumplings

Stew:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. pepper or hot sauce to taste

Dumplings:

• 1-1/2 cup flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. In Dutch oven with lid, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and celery.  Cook and stir until celery is tender.  Add remaining stew ingredients: diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, green beans, basil and hot sauce.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning; add salt if canned tomatoes and broth were not salty.
2. For dumplings, put flour, baking powder, salt and dry mustard in medium mixing bowl and stir well.  Using pastry blender, two table knives, or fork, cut shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in shredded cheddar.  Add milk and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Drop by tablespoonfuls over the simmering stew.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes or until dumplings are firm. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

I get a lot of recipes from the newspaper and from magazines. If a recipe looks good, I clip it. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the perfect way to organize them so that I can find them later and actually try them. If only my clippings could at least be in a regular consistent size, like notebook paper size or even postcards, then I could sort and store them in a binder or a box or something. And if only two recipes I want didn't always seem to be printed on opposite sides of the same page!  I'm really going to have to buckle down and post more of the recipes I really like or really want to try - or figure out if I can find them on the magazine or newspaper websites and save them from there, instead of trying to keep track of so many newspaper clippings!

I like the idea of posting the recipes, because then I'm sharing, too - but it just takes time.  Anyway, try this.  It's yummy!