Beef Stroganoff

I have found there are many different versions of this dish and to this day I don't believe I have ever had the version with tomato paste.  I've always had the creamy onion and mushroom heavy versions, ranging from healthy to heart clogging recipes.  This version isn't the healthiest but also isn't the most fattening, I would call it a happy in between.  During this cold fall with a quickly approaching winter I have found myself making hearty and seasonal dishes, I found this recipe here.  In other news I am more than excited because tonight I am going to my monthly book club meeting, but this time it is extra special because it is focused around French cheeses!  We all just finished reading the book The Whole Fromage, a wonderfully written exploration through France and its cheeses written by a journalist.  I can tell you I will never look at cheese the same way again.  I already had much love for cheese but now it feels as if I am romantically involved with cheese.  I will report back on my next blog with my personal favorite cheese that I try.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

The Ingredients
1 lb top sirloin, trimmed of fat and sliced into thin strips

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

8 oz mushroom, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup beef broth

1 cup sour cream, low fat

1 tbsp flour (if needed)

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

12 oz  egg noodles, cooked

The Process

1.)Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and as soon as it melts and before it starts to brown add steak slices.  Toss, then cook without stirring for a minute or two or until well browned on one side.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.) Flip steak pieces over and brown the other side, about one minute.  Remove steak to a plate.

3.) Repeat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper.  Reserve to the plate with the steak.

4.) Turn heat down to medium and the last 2 tbsp of butter.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.

5.) Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits in the pan.  Once wine has cooked off add sour cream and beef broth, stir and heat until smooth.

6.) If the sauce seems too thin you can thicken it by removing a 1/4 cup of sauce and stirring in 1 tbsp of flour and adding it back in.

7.) Add steak and mushrooms back into sauce. Stir and simmer until hot. Boiling the sauce heavily will result in the sour cream curdling but it isn’t so fragile that you can’t bring it to a nice simmer.

8.) Taste and add salt and pepper.  Stir in chopped parsley.  Serve over egg noodles.