Stroganoff

I got a text the other day from a Foodnatic fan asking for a good stroganoff recipe.  I texted the recipe back to her right away from memory.  That prompted me to ask myself WHY in the world had I not made stroganoff a SINGLE time since we've been stationed in Canada?  I know the recipe by heart for a reason.  It is simple, it is fabulous, and any level of cooking experience can make it.  Heck, it is even easy to maneuver this recipe into dairy free without breaking a sweat.  So...stroganoff...why not?

Typically people I know serve their stroganoff with the noodles under sauce.  I have always mixed the noodles IN.  I put them in when JUST hitting al dente so they may absorb some flavor from the sauce before serving.  You don't have to do this, but I guarantee you once you try it, you'll always make it that way.

*This can be made vegetarian simply by omitting the beef and using vegetable stock instead of beef stock.  To make this dairy free omit the sour cream.  Frankly, you can make this with chicken breast or turkey breast if you don't eat red meat...this dish can be quite made over to be whatever you want or need it to be.Voila! 

Beef Stroganoff
8 oz. beef, sliced into thin strips about 1.5 in. long
1 1/2 c. beef stock (not broth!)
1/4 c. flour
6 T. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1 box of fettucine, cooked per box directions
4 T. FULL fat sour cream

fresh parsley or fresh chives for garnish
sea salt to taste
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, once they are translucent add in the minced garlic and allow to cook for 2 minutes.  Toss in the sliced mushrooms and saute until just tender, about 4 minutes.  Add in the slices of beef and black pepper then cook until beef is browned.  Add in the flour and stir until the flour is no longer white and allow it to "fry" a bit in the pan and fully mix with the oils.  Start slowing adding in the beef stock, 1/2 c. at a time, stirring between each 1/2 c. addition.  Allow to simmer on lowest burner setting.

(You may like your sauce thicker or thinner than we do...add or subtract beef stock to this recipe accordingly.  Watch the thickness of your sauce after 1 c. of stock has been added.)

Cook noodles per box instructions, when the noodles are al dente drain the noodles.  Before adding the noodles to the sauce turn the heat off, remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the sour cream.  Don't allow the sauce to be taken to a high temperature again, it will cause the sour cream to curdle the sauce.  

Add the noodles directly into the pot of sauce and stir.  Allow them to sit in the sauce for 3-5 minutes before serving to allow the flavor from the sauce to soak into the noodles a bit.  Garnish with parsley or chives and serve.

       
Making this dairy free was a cinch, and the whole family was able to enjoy it.  Even the 10 month old had her way with a plate of it.  I'm glad to say that more went into her mouth than ON her.  That's an accomplishment.  The meat was so tender, the noodles cooked perfectly, and the flavor infused into the noodles from just the couple of minutes in the warm sauce was a pleasant surprise for everyone at the table.