Бефстроганов - Beef "à la" Stroganov

I have to admit that this is not really a Stroganov recipe anymore.  Which is probably a good thing, because I think my "Russian" in the title is wrong. 

My entire family has tweaked the original recipe so many times over the years that it has definitely become "Americanized".  Then again, I guess it can't really be helped on some level.  It started with the lack of Smetana.

Smetana is an Eastern European soured cream product that has the same properties as Crème Fraîche.  It doesn't curdle under heat like Yogurt and "Sour Cream" do.  It's also not quite as thick as Sour Cream, however, it is more sour than Crème Fraîche, thus the conundrum.  So to produce the same effect, we originally mixed Sour Cream with Heavy Cream and Lemon Juice to produce a "smetana type" product.  Then Crème Fraîche suddenly became available on a regular basis and a shift occurred.  NOW we mix Crème Fraîche with a little Sour Cream and Lemon Juice.  This works significantly better than the old way.  (But in a pinch your can still mix 8 oz of Sour Cream with 2 oz of Heavy Cream and 1 tsp Lemon Juice)

Over the years we have dropped the Dijon Mustard from the recipe...  Which is technically what makes it NOT Stroganov, being by definition "Beef in Mustard and Sour Cream".  Though occasionally I throw it in anyway.  In this family it's all about the wine, sour cream and homemade egg noodles... LOL

That is the one thing that has never changed over the years.... Homemade Egg Noodles.

While I realize that it's more traditional to serve Stroganov ("Stroganoff" in French) with crispy shoestring potatoes, I really enjoy it over noodles.  It's a comfort food thing.  Which is why I was so diligently making Egg Noodles yesterday to fill the freezer shelf.  So I am always prepared for....

Beef à la Stroganoff

1 lb Chuck or Sirloin Steak, cubed in 1 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 TB AP Flour
1 TB Olive Oil
4 TB Unsalted Butter, divided
1 White Onion, chopped
8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
4 oz Pinot Noir
2 tsp Lemon Juice
8 oz Crème Fraîche      - or -   8 oz Sour Cream
2 oz cup Sour Cream    - or -   2 oz Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
12 oz Fresh Egg Noodles tossed with Unsalted Butter

Place cubed Beef in a storage bag with the AP Flour, seal and toss well.

Heat 2 TB Olive oil in a saute pan, then add the flour coated Beef and saute until well browned.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt 2 TB Unsalted Butter in the saute pan.

When Hot, add the Onions and saute until soft.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 2 TB Butter in the saute pan.

When hot, add the Mushrooms and saute until browned.

Remove from the pan and set aside as well.

Deglaze the pan with 4 oz of Pinot Noir, lower the heat to Medium-Low and let this reduce by 1/3 (about 2 minutes).

Add the Tomato Paste and Dijon Mustard stirring to combine.

In a small bowl combine the Lemon Juice, Crème Fraîche and Sour Cream (or the Lemon Juice, Sour Cream and Heavy Cream)

Remove the saute pan from the heat and stir in the Crème Fraîche/Sour Cream mixture.

Add the Beef, Onions and Mushrooms back to the pan and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

While the Stroganov is simmering, drop the Fresh Egg Noodles into a pot of salted boiling water for 3 minutes...

Drain well and toss with a little bit of Unsalted Butter. (about 1 TB)

Season with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, then serve over, or tossed with, Homemade Egg Noodles (or better yet, with crispy Shoe-string potatoes on the side)

Mangia!!
~~

Hot Vocado - Crab Stuffed Avocado

Oh avocado, thou art unctuously delicious and nutritious.

Surprisingly good for you, regardless of the 30 grams of fat contained within the bumpy dark skin, the avocado is a wonder fruit.  This is due to the fact that they are so high in Oleic acid which not only increases your HDL cholesterol, but lowers your less than savory LDL levels as well.  This mono-unsaturated fat can also help to regulate triglycerides (that's free fat in the blood) and can assist in controlling diabetes. 

All this and over 25% more potassium than that yellowest of tropical herbs, the banana.  And, as if that wasn't enough, the blessed avocado is high in fiber and multiple B vitamins like Folate and Pyridoxine.  If you are normally a "meat and potatoes" kind of person, then Pyridoxine is your friend for it is used by your body to break down proteins, not to mention boosting your immune system and fostering proper nerve function.

But enough about the nutritional wonder that is the avocado.  It all boils down the the fact that you should eat them because they are tasty.  Not just as the main ingredient to guacamole or "California Cuisine".  Try it on your morning bagel instead of butter or cream cheese schmear.   Trust me, Lox with Avocado is a revelation.

You can even bake them... I know it sounds little strange at first, as most avocado applications are of the raw variety, but it's shockingly scrumptious.  Of course anything that contains Béchamel, Chipotle and Crab, can't possibly be ALL bad... Right?

Hot Vocado

Printable Recipe
1 TB (16g) Unsalted Butter
2 TB (16g) AP Flour
Pinch of Cayenne
3/4 cup (200ml) Whole Milk
1 tsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Chipotle Tobasco
7 oz (198 g) Canned or Frozen Crab Meat
2 large Haas Avocados

Melt Butter in a small sauce pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix Flour with a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

When Butter is melted and foaming subsides, add the Flour/Cayenne mixture and whisk until bubbly, making a roux.

Whisk warm Milk into the roux and continue cooking until the mixture (now a Béchamel) becomes thick.

Remove the Béchamel from the flame and add Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato Paste, and Chipotle Tobasco; whisking to combine.

Fold in the Crab meat.

Slice the Avocados in half and remove the pit.

Scoop out a little bit of the flesh to make the depression a little bigger. (A little sustenance for the cook, cause this is hard work)  ;)

Spoon the crab mixture into the avocado.

Place in an oven proof bowl.

Bake until the top begins to brown slightly, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Mangia!!
~~

Pizza Party In Portland

It has been awhile since I posted about Pizza... So I figured it was high time that I revisit the subject again. Especially since I was making pizza with my niece.

Ok, I did make pizza several months ago at my other brother's place, but I had forgotten my camera. Thus there were no pictures of the happy little sauce smeared, pizza smeared faces...

I was determined not to make the same mistake twice.... So I loaded up all my goodies and a very large portion of Pizza Dough, along with my camera, and toddled myself on over to my niece's house where we had a pizza night.... :)

It was pretty much the basic pizza fair, nothing outrageous like Eggs Benedict Pizza, Squash Blossom and Leek, Fig and Rossini or Lox & Caviar. Just good old Meat & Vegetable pizza. Which is the best kind when you are consuming Cinder Cone from Dechutes brewery. ;)

According to my brother, the empty bottle makes a pretty good rolling pin too....

Pizza Dough
Sliced Bell Peppers - Green, Red & Yellow
Cured Meats - Salame, Pepperoni & Canadian Bacon
Sliced Roma Tomatoes
Basil Leaves
Mushrooms, sliced
Black Olives, Sliced
Shredded Cheese Mix - Provolone, Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmegiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano
Shredded Parmegiano-Reggiano
Pizza Sauce (Tomato paste, a little water, Oregano, Thyme, Minced Garlic & Rosemary with a drizzle of olive oil)
1 Very excited Niece
1 Very Hungry Nephew

So here, in order of baking, are the pizza creations. Both before and after.....

Lillyann....

& Maryann.... Ladies first, after all ;)

The missing piece is in my 19 month old nephew's mouth.... LOL
He couldn't seem to get enough of it either.

Chris...

Me... Cause the pizzaiolo eats last... LOL

Awesome Times! And one VERY happy niece....

Mangia!!
~~

The Soup That Eats Like a Salad - Squash Soup with Celery & Bok Choy

I was a little leery about this soup. After all, the only pumpkin/squash soups I have had in the past were pureed with a ton of cream added. Quite tasty, but also a little heavy on the calories. This recipe comes from the Feng Shui Food cookbook I recently found when perusing the volumes at the GoodWill (I find some pretty darned nifty cookbooks in there).

I have modified it slightly, for personal taste. The original recipe called for 2 tomatoes, diced to 1 cm, to be added at the end along with the Basil, Bok Choy and the Celery leaves. Since I cannot eat uncooked tomatoes I added them after I had fished out my bowl and taken my photos.

I shared this soup with my parents, and my mother stated that she felt the tomatoes overpowered everything else in the pot. So I have left them out of this blogged version completely. Feel free to add them in if you like. Oh, and I also chose spring onions (scallions) instead of a white onion or a shallot.... This was a personal preference because I was going to a "crisper" onion flavor.

Squash Soup with Celery and Bok Choy

1 TB Olive oil
1 bunch Scallions, Sliced - White and light green parts
3 Cloves garlic, Minced
2 stalks celery, diced (save the leaves)
1 small Fennel Bulb, diced
1 Liter Cold Water (this is about 4 1/2 cups)
300 g (10.5 oz) Butternut Squash, Diced in 2 cm cubes
1 TB Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (or Sun-Dried Tomato Paste)
Kosher Salt
White Pepper
1-2 Baby Bok Choy, Chopped
Small bunch of Basil, chiffonade
1 tsp Black Truffle oil

Chop the Celery and save the leaves, your gonna need then for finished the soup.

Heat the oil over medium flame in a stock pot then add Spring onion, Garlic, Celery and Fennel, sweating for about 3 - 4 minutes to release their vegetable goodness into the pot (DO NOT saute, this seals the flavors in)

Add the water and the diced Butternut Squash.

Bring to a boil, then add tomato paste and reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until the Squash is tender.

Chop the Bok Choy.

Pick the leaves from the celery, removing the actual top stems.

Chiffonade the Basil, reserving a couple of bud tops for garnishing.

After 15-20 minutes, season with Kosher Salt and White pepper, then remove from the heat and stir in the Bok Choy, Basil and the Celery Leaves.

Drizzle with 1 tsp Black Truffle oil and enjoy a steaming bowl garnished with basil tops and a couple extra celery leaves.

This was an absolutely delicious soup! Light on calories with a delightfully "fresh" flavor. I cannot wait to make it again! Neither can my mother.... ;)

Mangia!!
~~