Beef Stroganoff, Quick and Easy

Beef stroganoff was one of my favorite meals as a kid.  I remember it being pretty quick for my Mom to make, and along with buttered noodles and a green vegetable, it made a filling and warming dinner.  This version is "just like Mom made," with a few exceptions.

First, the way my Mom made it, and the way most recipes online present it, is with sour cream.  I don't know about you, but I never have it in my house.  It's expensive, and honestly, if I had it in the fridge, I'd eat most of it with Fritos.  (Try it and you'll see how quickly you can consume hundreds of pointless calories!)  What I do have, always, is plain yogurt.  Fewer calories, cheaper per ounce, and indistinguishable from the original.  Done!

Another thing I saw in a lot of the internet versions was either cognac or cream sherry.  My rule is, if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.  I don't care for cognac, and I don't even know what cream sherry is!  What I do have, always, is red wine.  Open the bottle, pour yourself a glass, and add a little to your food.  Done!

I served the beef stroganoff over homemade egg noodles.  You can put it on noodles, rice, or for an English-meets-Russian combo, try mashed potatoes!

Beef Stroganoff, Quick and Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, button or cremini, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 pound ground beef (ground turkey works too!)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 cup broth - beef, chicken, or mushroom stock
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add butter and onions.  Stir occasionally until onions turn translucent.  Add mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir.  Get out all the lumps!  Then add the ground beef, stirring to break up.
3. When beef is browned, stir in dill, mustard, broth and wine.  Turn the heat down and let simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for about ten minutes.
4. When the sauce is thick and you are ready to serve, take pan off the heat and stir in the yogurt.  Ladle over noodles (or rice or mashed potatoes, whatever you're eating) and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley.