Beef Stroganoff

Main Dish: Homemade Beef Stroganoff Recipe

• Thin cut round steak. Cut into strips
• 1 vidalia onion - Cut in slices and then into pieces
• 1 package of mushrooms ( I used whole mushrooms, quartered for a heartier presentation)
• 2 cups Beef broth
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2 dashes of Worcester sauce
• 4 dashes of A-1 steak sauce
• 1 12 oz can of tomato puree
• 3 tbs corn starch
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• sour cream
• chives
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Cut round steak into strips. Brown in olive oil. Brown a little at a time. It is important to brown the meat before mixing it together with the sauce. Salt and pepper each portion of steak while it is browning. Set aside.

Brown onion lightly in olive oil. Add mushrooms until slightly golden color. Add cornstarch to vegetables. Stir well. Be sure to add the cornstarch before adding the meat and the liquids. You will avoid getting lumpy gravy by following this step closely.

Add meat. Stir well. Add tomato puree and mix.

Add Worcester sauce. Add steak sauce. Add red wine. Mix well. Add your favorite red wine to the stroganoff sauce. The wine should be just enough to enhance the flavor of the meat and sauce.

Add Beef broth. Beef broth can be purchased ready-to-go from your market, or you can make your own from a beef powder. It is very inexpensive to use a beef broth powder. We use this a lot in our cooking. Taste your homemade broth before adding to meat and sauce. Determine the best concentration of the beef flavor.

Turn up temperature until the sauce starts to thicken. Be sure to keep stirring while the sauce thickens.

Turn down temperature to low and simmer slowly for two hours. If you prefer, you can put the beef stroganoff in the oven and bake on a very low temperature-- about 300 degrees F.

Prepare egg noodles just prior to serving. Serve the stroganoff in individual pasta bowls with meat and sauce over the noodles. Add a tsp of sour cream to the top of each serving and sprinkle with chives.

Lean Budget Tips

Use left-over roast beef to make a completely different yet tasty meal.
This recipe can be made without meat. This can be friendly to your budget. The recipe also does not list the number of ounces of meat or mushrooms. Use as much meat or mushrooms as you like.
If you have freezer space, buy round steak when it is on sale.
Any lean cut of beef will work. It is less expensive to buy a roast than to purchase ready-cut stew meat. You can also get a better quality meat for less than the cost of stew meat.
For stroganoff I like to cut the meat into thin strips. This will help the meat brown quickly and will stretch your budget as less meat per serving will be needed.


Lean & Healthy Tips

For fewer calories this recipe can be made meatless.
For the cholesterol conscious: Use yolk-less egg noodles.
You can omit the sour cream and chives. The recipe did not include adding the sour cream to the sauce, but rather adding to the top of the serving with a sprinkle of chives.
Pack your own lunch with the leftovers. Use a pre-portioned dish to control the serving size.

Side Dish: Pea Pods and Baby Carrots

This is a twist to the traditional peas and carrots side dish. The pea pods and baby carrots give this dish a more robust appearance than ordinary small peas and cut carrots. The trick to preparing this side is to cook the carrots until tender without overcooking the pea pods.

Steam the carrots first until almost tender. Then add the pea pods and steam for just a couple minutes longer.

Several variations can be used to create just the right appearance for serving:

• Use a ratio of only 25% carrots to 75% pea pods. The carrots highlight the peas and offer a nice contrast.
• Cut the baby carrots into quarters lengthwise. This will create a unique appearance and shorten the steam time. (Be careful not to cut yourself when quartering the carrots!)
• Add sliced zuchini and onion pieces to the pea pods and slices carrots. This combination can be prepared quickly when stir-fried over medium-high heat. Stir constantly when preparing this way.
• Serve the vegetables in a small jello or desert dish, not in the same dish as your stroganoff.
• Sprinkle a little salt and butter over the vegetables before serving. The salt and butter may be omitted for the calorie conscious person.

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