Beef Stroganoff

Everyone has their own version of this dish. Mine is... the best. Just teasing. Mine is a bit different, it's fresher and a bit lighter than some of the others I've tried. It has less sour cream and cream cheese as well. Be prepared to be hooked. The amount of meat is subjective to how much meat you want to give each individual. I tend to stay in the three pound range and that will feed 4 people very well.

Ingredients
2-4 lbs steak or chuck roast cubed (I prefer steak but that's just me)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 box of beef stock
1-2 c water (if you need to thin your sauce)
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c white wine (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (or half based on your taste)
Chopped parsley

In a large skillet (with lid) over medium heat melt butter and oil. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in batches. After all meat is done and add in onion and garlic saute until tender. Add flour to pan stir in well, and cook about two minutes. Add in your thyme, bay leaf and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer covered for about an hour. A few minutes before serving add in mushrooms, wine, and Greek yogurt. Remove from heat and add in your lemon juice. Stir well. TASTE. Salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over noodles or rice. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.


Browning the meat

Onions and garlic.

Flour

Spices and liquids in.

Almost done

Enjoy!

Biscuits and Gravy

A VERY basic recipe today. Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite comfort foods. I'll make it for breakfast, or dinner if I'm eating alone (which happens far more often than I would like). The key to REALLY good biscuits and gravy is good sausage. You want to get really nice and flavorful sausage, or make your own if you've the time. I happened to have linked sausages for this go-around, but I usually use the log that you can just break off what you want. :D I also LOVE my sausage gravy to be loaded with sausage bits. So, good sausage, and good biscuits. If you want to use store bought that's fine... but stay away from the "flaky" ones, and anything that says "butter flavoring" on it. It will compete too much with your gravy. Here we go! Ingredients: 1-2 lb sausage 1/4 c flour 2 cups milk (or 1 c milk, 1 c cream) 1 shallot, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 8 oz mushrooms, half sliced, half diced Salt and Pepper Cook off your sausage until it's done. Remove from pan. Add your shallot, garlic, and mushrooms to the sausage drippings, sautee for about two minutes. Sprinkle your flour over the top, and then stir in well. You want to cook this gently to remove some of the floury taste. Slowly add in your milk, stirring as you go. If your gravy is going to have lumps... this is where it happens. Take your time! Add back in your cooked sausage and cook for a minute or so until everything is well combined and your sausage is warmed through. TASTE! Add salt and pepper as needed. Cover your biscuit of choice with your gravy and nosh away! Cook the sausage. Sautee the veg. Add your flour. Combine well. Slowly add your milk. Add your sausage back in. Nosh! Do you like biscuits and gravy?