A melt-in-the-mouth stew with proper dumplings that won't send you off plan

SIMPLE Serves 4 Ready in about 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 800g stewing beef, all visible fat removed, cut into cubes

• 1.2 litres beef stock

• 600g celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes

• 4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

• 2 large onions, roughly chopped

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 137g pack Tesco Dumpling Mix

• 2 tbsp dried parsley

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

Method:

1. Place the beef cubes in a large. heavy.based. flameproof casserole dish or pan. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently. uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes.

2. Add the celeriac, carrots, onions, thyme and garlic. Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make up the dumplings. according to packet instructions, add the dried parsley and season. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape each into a ball.

4. Put the dumplings on top of the casserole, cover, and cook for a further 20-25 minutes. or until the meat and vegetables arc tender. Divide between 4 bowls. sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Syns per serving: Extra Easy 6

MAKE IT IN A SLOW COOKER Cut the celeriac and carrots into 2cm chunks then put in the slow cooker pot with the beef, onions. thyme and garlic and mix. Ming 900m1 beef stock to the boil in a pan, season, and pour over the beef. Press the meat and veg beneath the stock, cover, and cook on Low for 8-10 hours. Make the dumplings, stir the stew, then put them on top, cover and cook on High for 30-40 minutes.

Fill up on Free Food®
All our meals are based on Slimming World Free Food – nutritious, everyday foods that fill you up for fewer calories, meaning they're great for weight loss! Free Food includes lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pasta, rice, potatoes, pulses, fruit, veg and more. And you can eat these foods freely, making them perfect for satisfying the biggest of appetites. Some Free Foods have the extra bonus of being Speed Food – fruit and veg that are super-low in calories and keep you slimming beautifully. For the best results, always reach for Speed Food first in between meals and include at least a third of a plate of Speed Food at every meal, where it makes sense.

Add in Healthy Extras®
To help provide a good balance of nutrients, enjoy two measured portions of milk or cheese each day – your Healthy Extra 'a' choices. Options include 350ml skimmed milk or 250ml semi-skimmed milk; 40g reduced-fat or 30g full-fat hard cheese; 50g mozzarella (cow's milk); 45g feta or 35g Danish blue, which can be eaten as part of a meal or snack. Also have one portion of wholemeal bread or breakfast cereal each day – your Healthy Extra 'b' choice. To keep things simple we've built your Healthy Extra 'b' choice into the menu plan each day.

Choose your Syns®
Foods and drinks that pose a risk to your weight loss – those high in fat or sugar, as well as alcohol – can be enjoyed as carefully counted Syns. We recommend you plan between 5 and 15 Syns into your day (see the bottom of the next page for some ideas).

Make simple swaps
To help protect your weight loss, choose the leanest meats and trim off any visible fat – cut the white bits off bacon and remove skin from poultry. Dry-fry or cook with low-calorie cooking spray rather than fat or oil, switch sugar for sweetener, and swap cream and crème fraîche for fat-free natural yogurt or plain quark.

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