beef stroganoff... good for the soul.

now that i am back from the thanksgiving hiatus (where i stupidly forgot to take pictures because i was so excited about eating dinner that night...), i would like to wish you all a happy holiday season!  the holidays are my absolute FAVORITE time of year.  decorations, holiday music, snow fall in charlottesville, family and friends, and of course, christmas cookies.  but that is for a later post.

today i would like to share with you the recipe for the most delicious beef stroganoff i have ever consumed.    it is simple, inexpensive, and it makes a whole ton of food, so this would be a perfect dish to serve to guests around the holidays!

lets start with the obligatory ingredient list:
1 lb. of beef tenderloin (i used the more inexpensive cut called "stir fry" beef because its cut in to perfect strips already!)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pint of baby portobello (or white) mushrooms, sliced
1 can low-sodium beef broth
1/3 c. reduced-fat sour cream
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. AP (all-purpose) flour
1 lb. flat wheat (or egg) noodles
olive oil, S&P
parsely for garnish

this dish is deceptively simple and totally delicious.  start by coating a skillet with a little olive oil and sauté the tenderloin strips until they are just browned on all sides.  **note: you don't have to cook them through now since they will finish cooking in the sauce later on!  put them aside.  then in the same skillet, melt 1 tbs. of butter and sauté the sliced onions and sliced mushrooms until they are tender.  set these aside in the same bowl as the beef tenderloin.

*note on slicing onions:  wanna know how to get those perfect half moons?  slice your onion in half from top to bottom (not around the middle) and put your halves cut side down on the cutting board.  then going in at an angle from the side, slice your onions into thin strips.  they will separate and be perfect every time!

next, put a large pot of water on to boil for the flat noodles.  add a splash of olive oil so that the noodles don't stick to each other!

now for the sauce:  start by melting two tablespoons of butter in the same skillet we've been working in. once it has melted, add two tablespoons of flour and cook the mixture until it turns a light brown color (remember, this is a roux!).  once it starts to smell nutty, add your one can of beef broth and stir to combine.  make sure you stir as you add the broth or your sauce may get lumpy!  the roux will start to thicken the beef broth after a few minutes, but keep stirring to make sure that the sauce doesn't burn.

once it has thickened, add 1/3 c. of reduced fat sour cream right to the sauce, stirring it in well.  this is the point where you'll want to check your sauce for seasoning-- salt, pepper, maybe even some dried oregano or crushed red pepper if you want a little kick!

drop your flat noodles in the boiling water (they only take about 7-8 minutes since they are flat!) and add the tenderloin, mushrooms, and onions right in to the sauce to simmer away.  let the meat and vegetables sit and finish cooking in the sauce until your noodles are ready.

once everything is set to be plated, grab a large platter (or serve on individual plates).  put the noodles down in a nice big pile on the platter and then ladle the stroganoff sauce right on top.  garnish with some fresh basil leaves or crisp flat-leaf parsley for your green pop of color :]

and here is what you'll end up with!  a quick, simple, healthy dinner for you and yours this holiday season!

serve with toasty garlic bread or a nice wheat roll and some honey butter.  buon appetito!