Beef Stroganoff

I love the versatility of Beef Stroganoff - you can use it with practically any type of pasta, and the ingredients are very simple. It is always a "go-to" dish when I am running out of ideas and pressed for time. I tried to make it "healthier" by using whole wheat pasta, but I felt like I offset the healthy effect of the grain by using heavy cream. It tasted good, though, so no complaints!


What you need: 

1/2 pound skirt steak
8 oz whole wheat egg noodles
4 cloves of garlic, coarsely minced
1/4 of a Vidalia onion, sliced
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 can (6 oz) button mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of dried basil
1 teaspoon corn starch


What to do: 

In a pot, boil beef in lightly salted water for about an hour, or until tender. Save the broth. 

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.

Heat a pan over medium-high and add butter. Saute the garlic and onion in the hot butter for a minute, then add the beef and mushroom. Continue cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and pour in broth and 1/4 cup heavy cream.

Meanwhile, dilute the cornstarch in the remaining heavy cream. Mix well. Add mixture to the pot and stir. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Cook for at least 2 more minutes, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency. Ladle sauce on top of prepared noodles. Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Use any type of pasta you have! (I noticed that whole wheat pasta tends to be more dry.)
2. Double the amount if using fresh (chopped) basil.
3. Substitute heavy cream with condensed cream of mushroom soup. It will be thicker, though, so you might have to skip the cornstarch.