A Swift Kick & A Band-Aid

Veal Dumpling Stew

Its a cold, rainy mess of a day here in my world. It is a perfect day for one of my new favorite stews. This used to be a Rachel Ray recipe but I didn't like it her way. I changed around a few things and now it is much yummier.

INGREDIENTS
Veal Dumplings:
1 pound ground veal (or meatloaf blend)
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup, a generous handful, grated Parmigiano or Romano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
Coarse salt and black pepper

Stew:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, enough to cover the pot
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 ribs celery and their greens, diced
1 medium yellow skinned onion, diced
Coarse salt and pepper
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 can green beans
1 (15- ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups beef stock
6 sheets of wanton wrapper, cut into 1 in squares

Crusty bread, to pass at table

DIRECTIONS
Combine the veal and the next 5 ingredients. Then form the mixture into small meatballs, set aside.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Begin to chop veggies while pot heats up: dice carrots into 1/4 inch pieces, chop celery and onion. Add extra-virgin olive oil to warm pot. Once the oil is warm, add the carrots. Turn carrots to coat them in oil and add celery and onion.

Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Stir vegetables and cook 5 minutes to begin to soften. Do not let vegetables brown, reduce heat if necessary.

Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.

Next, add chicken and beef stock, crushed tomatoes to the pot. Put a lid on the pot and raise heat to high. When soup boils, about 3 minutes, add 1-inch balls of veal dumplings directly to the pot.

When you are done adding the veal, drop in the wanton squares. Simmer stoup for 6 minutes to cook wanton squares and meat dumplings.

Adjust seasonings and turn the heat off, then let stew stand a couple of minutes.

Enjoy with warm crusty bread and a glass of wine or a beer.

Note: If you make this a day ahead, refridgerate, and reheat the next day the stew will be thicker and the flavors will be much richer.

Posted by Princess Cat at October 22, 2005 12:02 PM @ 12:02 PM in Good Times // Permalink | TrackBack