Beef Stew with Parsley Dumplings
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4 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 bacon slices, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 1/2 cups beef broth, divided
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with added puree
6 medium carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Parsley Dumplings (recipe follows)

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven
over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook beef until browned,
stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits, about 8 minutes.
Transfer meat to bowl.

Add bacon to same pot. Fry until crisp; add onions, garlic, thyme
and bay leaf. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring
occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated
juices to pot. Add 5 cups beef broth and crushed tomatoes with puree.
Bring to a simmer; cover and cook until beef is just tender, stirring
occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add carrots and potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and continue simmering until vegetables are tender, about 30
minutes. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and cornstarch in small
bowl to blend. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into stew. Return
stew to simmer, stirring until sauce thickens.

Spoon dumpling batter in 12 dollops atop simmering stew. Cover
tightly; simmer until dumplings are puffed, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Do not lift lid during the first 12 minutes of cooking, as this will
cause the dumplings to be heavy, rather than light and fluffy.

Parsley Dumplings:

2/3 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk milk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Stir in onion powder
and parsley. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Combine flour,
baking powder and salt into large bowl. Add milk mixture and stir
just until blended.