Shazam America!  This dish is FAB.YOO.LUSS!  Hand to God, Scouts Honor, swear on someone’s Grandmammy’s grave FABULOUS!  And I don’t like stroganoff, so that is saying something!  Beef Stroganoff is one of TSM’s most favorite meals.  The man has a serious thing for sour cream.  He only eats Mexican food because he’s convinced sour cream exists solely to be a delivery system for the Mexican food.  I on the other hand could live quite happily without having sour cream so I’ve always been torn when it comes to making Stroganoff for The Stud Muffin because he loves it and I can’t stand it.  That is, until tonight. I’ve changed my mind and this recipe is to thank for that.

I did make some changes based on what I had on hand AND I cut the amount of butter by 50%, but added in a little heart healthy olive oil  because I had very thirsty mushrooms and I didn’t want the butter to burn.   I also cut the amount of wine and pasta called for in the original recipe by half.  This is more than enough food for 4 decent portions if served with some veggies on the side and some nice French bread.

I had to adapt to what I had on hand because I didn’t want to thaw an entire 1 quart container of homemade chicken stock for just the small amount called for but I had about 2/3 of a cup of stock in an “ice-cube” form and I had about 1-1/2 cup of homemade beef stock in “ice-cube” form, so I mixed both of them because I never understood why people use chicken stock in a recipe that calls for beef.  It drives me flipping bonkers and I want to pull my hair out and write these people sternly worded letters.  (breathe Kristine, just breathe)…

After I got over my initial tantrum because the recipe called for chicken stock vs. beef stock I got busy and went to town. Mushrooms LOVE beef stock, so if you want to go meatless, go with beef stock. You will get a much richer flavor.  (I freeze left over stock in small plastic containers and once frozen I store them in zipper top bags. These stock-cubes come in handy with dishes like this.

This recipe was fast!  As I was taking my time making it (because I’m seriously anal and extremely detail oriented so each cut I make has to be perfect and the exact width from slice to slice), I realized that this would qualify for a Fast and Furious Friday dish! Then I got excited and stopped worrying about perfectly cut mushrooms and subtracting for my OCD issues, I figure this recipe could be completed and on the table within 45 minutes.  Probably faster because you guys don’t have to stop and take pictures along the way.

I should note that we didn’t have any left over steak to use, I only had some organic ground beef and I used an organic sour cream, which happened to not be as thick as the non-organic brands which use lots of stabilizers and thickeners.  I’m mentioning this simply because your might turn out looking a little different based on the brand and kind of sour cream you use.  The mushrooms, shallots, sour cream, and homemade stocks and ground beef I used in this recipe were all organic.  Since all the ingredients used in this dish were organic, I’m submitting this recipe on The Food Renegade’s website for Fight Back Friday.  I submit a recipe each Friday.  Be sure to stop by and look at all the other REAL food recipes and articles featured from other fellow REAL food bloggers.

Creamy Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff

If you prefer to use beef vs. ground beef, just use 1 lb. cooked leftover steak, such as a strip steak or tenderloin and cut into thin slices on the bias, or cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 TB unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large shallot, diced fine
• 1 lb. fresh baby portabella mushrooms,thinly sliced
• 2 TB.. AP flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 2  cups beef stock (combine the stocks together)
• 1-2 cups pasta water
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 TB minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. wide egg noodles
• 3/4 lb ground beef, or left over steak/beef cut into thin strips or 1″ cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet add 1 tsp olive oil.  Add ground beef.  Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Cook until no more pink remains.  Drain and set aside in a bowl.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until they start to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, and pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until they have softened and released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the wine and all but 1/2 cup of the stock and cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Taste, and add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper.
5. Add the flour to remaining 1/2 cup of stock and whisk to incorporate flour into stock.   Lower heat to medium low and add the flour and stock mixture.
6. Remove from the heat, and stir in the sour cream and the 2 TB. parsley. Taste again and then season with salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Return to the heat and add the cooked ground beef, or the sliced steak, and the cooked noodles. Stir to combine. Add pasta water as needed to get sauce to consistency desired. Cook over low heat until meat is warmed through, another 2-3 minutes.
8. Serve immediately.

Cooking the Pasta
(I started my water boiling while I was prepping the veggies because my package said to cook 6-10 minutes.)  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to shortest time on the package instructions. Drain, and reserve 1-1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.  The noodles will cook a little in the sauce, so under cook them slightly.

I share this recipe and others with these fabulous blogs:

• Kelly the Kitchen Kop for Real Food Wednesdays
• Cultured Palate for Tasty Traditions Thursdays
• Food Renegade for Fight Back Fridays
• The Country Cook for Weekend Potluck