BEEF STROGANOFF

I made this from an old Cooking Light issue I found at work, and it turned out so well, I asked for a subscription to the magazine for Christmas. This recipe was in the monthly section where readers write in with beloved but extremely unhealthy recipes, and the Cooking Light staff adapts them into healthier versions. While I’m suspicious of recipes that torturously bastardize perfectly good food just to make it diet-friendly (please, no margarine or low-fat cheese or carob chips for me—can’t I just eat more vegetables the rest of the time and have my full-fat treats in moderation?), this one doesn’t go overboard. It does ask for reduced-fat sour cream, which doesn’t bother me (maybe because I don’t really like sour cream anyway, or maybe because it’s blended into a sauce), but everything else is just normal and sensible. The recipe has less than half the fat and 30% fewer calories than the original, so yay, but it also tastes great—rich and flavorful. It’s really simple to make, too. I may be a booster for making homemade chicken broth, but please note that I did not make my own beef broth; I just don’t love beef enough to exert the effort. I bought good beef broth in a carton from Trader Joe’s, used 7 ounces, and froze the rest, which was great because I had it on hand to make this dish several more times in the future.

4 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
7 ounces low-sodium beef broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I usually use more, sometimes even twice as much)
Chopped fresh parsley
4 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 3 1/2 cups uncooked)

1. Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add beef; seal and shake to coat with flour mixture.

3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add beef and flour mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until beef is browned.

4. Gradually add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add mushrooms; cover and cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Reduce heat to low; gradually stir in sour cream mixture. Cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until heated (do not boil). Stir in parsley. Serve over the egg noodles.

Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes