Beef Stroga-NO

Who didn't grow up on this classic? It was definitely one of those stand-by childhood meals that my mother cooked for us, and I have always loved it. I realize that most of the time, when I get a craving for a meat dish that I used to like, it's generally the overall flavors of the dish and not the meat that I miss. So, it becomes fairly easy to recreate without meat (especially with all of the meat substitutes available)...except for crab cakes...which I don't think I will ever stop craving (and tuno just won't fly there). I did use whole wheat yolk-free egg noodles to make this, but other than that, this is vegan. I know they make them, however, so this could easily be made vegan if placed on top of a vegan noodle, or even rice.

I have never actually made beef stroganoff before, so I read several recipes, and then put my own modern spin on the classics that I had read. I used substantially less soy sour cream than is generally used in beef stroganoff recipes, because I don't really see the need for all of those additional calories when it seemed creamy enough after only 1/3 c. (it seems pretty average to use 1 1/2-2 c. in other recipes). I'm sure it would be tasty with more, though, of course :) The best part about this is that is takes less than 20 minutes to put together, especially if you use pre-sliced mushrooms, and the flavor is really fantastic. Pour yourself a nice glass of red wine, think of your mom, and enjoy!

Beef Stroga-NO

2 T. margarine
1 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, diced
5 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used 8 oz. cremini and 8 oz. white button)
1/4 c. sherry
1 t. dried rosemary (or thyme, or other herb that you like)
1 lb. equivalent of meatless ground burger (I used 2 of the sealed packs of Boca)
2 c. vegetable broth (I find that plain old vegetable bouillon has a nice light flavor here, and is easy to dissolve with the handy boiling pasta water)
1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. soy sour cream
chopped fresh parsley (optional)
paprika (optional)
12 oz. egg or other noodles

Heat the margarine and oil over medium in a skillet. Add garlic, onion, shallots, and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown. Stir in sherry and dried herbs, cook for about one minute until liquid is beginning to absorb into the mushrooms. Add meatless ground burger, stir, add 1 c. vegetable broth, and stir again. Dissolve flour into 1/2 c. vegetable broth, and stir into pan. Add sour cream, stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over noodles with chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkle of paprika for a true Betty Crocker touch.