1-pound stewing meat, cut up

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening

3 cups hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large potato, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

1 medium turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

Parsley Dumplings (see below)

1/2 cup cold water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cook and stir beef in oil over medium heat in 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven about 15 minutes or until beef is brown. Add 3 cups hot water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender.

Stir in carrots, potato, turnip, bell pepper, celery, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.

Prepare Parsley Dumplings. Set aside.

Shake 1/2 cup cold water and the flour in tightly covered container. Gradually stir into stew. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; reduce heat. Drop dumpling dough by 10 to 12 spoonfuls onto hot stew (do not drop directly into liquid). Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

3 tablespoons shortening

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons parsley flakes

3/4 cup milk

* If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Cut shortening into flour, baking powder, salt and parsley mixture with pastry blender (or a big fork) until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew (do not drop directly into liquid). Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

Notebook...

For chicken stew, substitute a 1-1/2 to 2 pound stewing chicken, cut up, for the beef. Remove skin and any excess fat from chicken and boil in water, salt and pepper as with beef above, but for 45 minutes, not 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove chicken from water, skim fat. Measure broth and add water if necessary to equal 3 cups. Cool chicken for about 10 minutes and remove meat from bones, return meat to broth. Continue preparing as with beef stew, but add another 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic (if desired).

This recipe uses very few spices, yet the stew has a very robust flavor. The source of this flavor has to do with one ingredient, the turnip. Turnips should be firm and the tops (where the greens have been cut off) should look fresh. Generally, the larger the turnip, the more pungent the flavor and the more pulpy the consistency. For this recipe I use a single turnip about the size of a tennis ball.

Cut the vegetables to the recommended sizes. This stew has a hearty flavor and the chunkiness of the ingredients aids in this.

I do not recommend adding additional vegetables to this stew.

Make sure the heat has been reduced to just allow the stew to bubble after adding the dumplings. The liquid has already been thickened by the water/flour mixture and the stew may burn if you aren't careful here.

When preparing the dumplings be careful to measure the amount of shortening accurately. Use too much and the dumpings will have a greasy, not doughy, taste.

Substitute a tube of "store-bought" biscuits for the dumplings if you wish. Follow the cooking times as above, but place under the broiler for a few minutes when done cooking to brown up the tops.

When preparing this or other stews for one or two people, divide stew into smaller portions just prior to adding the flour and water mixture and set aside portions that will not be consumed for that day's meal. Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to consume, reheat to boiling and proceed by adding a proportional flour and water mixture.