… Sorry, Mom, But We’re Doing This My Way!
Curly noodles cradling rich, creamy and meaty gravy is the epitome of comfort food for many people … including me. This was a staple dish when I was growing up, though my mom’s version included canned soup as a base gravy ingredient, far too much salt and sodium, and much more fat (aka greasy meat drippings) than I approve of, or enjoy the taste of, here. This dish was usually served with canned green beans that had been cooked even longer … to death, if I’m being honest. Sorry, Mom, but my grown up tastes prefer making and eating foods that have a much healthier approach, and resemble real vegetables too. You did your best, I know … now we’re doing things my way.
We can still have comforting beef stroganoff (and wholesome veggies without the can). There’s no need for those comfort food days to be behind us just because we’re living a healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle. No … we’re making the good old days return, and we’ll be enjoying this Hearty Beef Stroganoff recipe just like we do our Retro Pork ‘n Beans.
To control exactly what goes into our stroganoff recipe, the gravy is made with a homemade white sauce base then doctored to add deep, rich brown gravy flavor.
In place of milk or cream, or the canned soup, we’ll create creaminess by using either plain coconut yogurt, or canned coconut milk – which is my preference. Don’t worry, there’s no coconut flavor imparted into the dish. Just a smooth, silky texture that really brings home the comfort effect.
This dish is easy to prepare and uses ingredients that are, most likely, already in your kitchen pantry. I like using the curly noodles so they capture the sauce in all the twisted grooves, but any noodle will work fine here. Be sure to notice in the recipe that you don’t cook the noodles in water ahead of time, but rather the noodles are cooked right in the pot with the meat, herbs and liquids. You’ll love that this recipe can be made ahead and reheated, or prepared completely and then frozen for quick weekday dinners. For best results, simply allow the frozen portion to thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in the microwave when ready to serve.
Homemade Hearty Beef Stroganoff keeps our taste buds happy and our healthier lifestyles … healthier. Let’s get back to the good old days!
P.S. Make a BIG batch … this goes down easily!
Creamy and Comforting Hearty Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 1/3 pounds lean or extra lean ground beef, grass-fed if possible
- 1/4 cup vegan butter substitute - I use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread - soy free
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 1/4 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour - I use sorghum flour
- 1 cup dairy-free milk of your choice - I use Silk Unsweetened Cashew Milk
- 4 cups fat free, low sodium, gluten-free chicken broth, or homemade broth - Swanson's Natural Goodness is gluten-free
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cups uncooked pasta - I use Tinkyada Rice Pasta - spirals
- 1/2 cup plain coconut or dairy-free yogurt OR 1/3 cup solid coconut milk* from can
Directions
- In a very large, deep skillet (I like my cast iron dutch oven for this), heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, and herbs and cook until onion is almost translucent. Add meat and cook until browned. Discard extra moisture.
- While meat is cooking, in a sauce pan melt the "butter" over low heat. Add onion powder, celery salt, and pepper. Whisk in the flour and stir well. Let cook over very low heat a couple of minutes to cook out the flour taste. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer to thicken to a white sauce consistency.
- Add chicken broth, water, and white sauce to the meat and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add dry pasta and stir well. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer according to package directions, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta, the pasta is al dente, and cooked to your liking.
- Stir in the yogurt or solid coconut milk. *If you use canned coconut milk, do not shake can before using. Scoop out the solid portion of the coconut milk only and measure to 1/3 cup. If your can is all stirred together, simply stir in 1/3 liquid canned coconut milk. Adjust the moistness of the stroganoff with additional water, if necessary.
- Serve hot and garnish with freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, if desired. Allow leftover stroganoff to cool almost completely before storing in refrigerator. To freeze, make sure stroganoff has chilled in fridge for a couple of hours before freezing. This will prevent pasta from becoming mushing when thawing and reheating.
Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Dry Rub Pulled Pork
Pork, Beet, and Fennel Hash
Beef, Black Rice, and Apple Medley
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