Where's the Beef?

...why in the Beef Stroganoff of course! Ken and I have always liked beef stroganoff. But up until a week ago, we had only ever had the hamburger helper version (I know, I know). So after catching an episode of "Paula's Home Cooking", I decided to give a try at making an "authentic" version of the dish. My mom, dad, and Ken were all my taste-testers, and according to them, it passed with flying colors! =)

Beef Stroganoff



Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon cup salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
Salt and black pepper
1 cup sour cream
Cooked egg noodles

Directions

1. Season the steak strips with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Dust strips with flour.
3. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter.
4. Remove the steak from the pan and add the onion slices to the pan drippings.
5. Saute the onions for a few minutes, until tender.
6. Sprinkle onions with 1 teaspoon flour.
7. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion.
8. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth.
9. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered.
10. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed.
11. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve.
12. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Yummy Comfort Food

As I've told you guys before, my hubby is definitely a meat and potatoes man. So what better meal to serve to fit that bill than Shepherd's Pie! It's a delicious comfort food at it's best...and here's my first stab at it...

Shepherd's Pie



Ingredients

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup beer
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping:
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. For the filling: Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 minute.

2. Add cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 minute. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick but still saucy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas, adjust seasonings, and transfer to broilersafe 2-quart casserole dish.

3. For the topping: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan, and mash potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread potatoes over filling, using spatula to smooth top (see photo at left). Brush with egg and drag fork across top to make ridges. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn on broiler and cook until top is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes: I used a bag of frozen peas and carrots instead of fresh ones and I omitted the beer.

Here's the result: