30 minute meals: Beef Stroganoff
Have you ever seen that show on the Food Network called “30 minute meals”? I love that show! I also have all of Rachel Ray’s cookbooks as well. I’ve made countless of her recipes over the years and have loved almost all of them. This is my version of a 30 minute meal. It literally took me that long from start to finish. Sometimes, those 30 minute meals are only 30 minutes when you have everything prepped, chopped, washed, and ready to go. Not here! The only thing I made sure of before I started was that my ground beef was completely defrosted. This was 30 minutes, including chopping and prep work.
My family spent about 9 months on the mission field when I was 11 in Russia. Well, Belarus, which was part of the USSR. In preparation for heading to Russia, my mom bought this cookbook, Please to the Table: a Russian Cookbook. Both my mom and dad were raised in thoroughly Italian families and other ethnic foods really weren’t apart of their recipe repertoire. My mom had done a decent job when I was little of incorporating more than just lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, but I don’t think eastern European cuisine had ever graced our table before we decided to move there. Not that foods from eastern Europe are all that tantalizing. They’re kind of bland, actually. It’s cold there and not a lot grows well in that climate. Root vegetables, breads, and meat are staples in eastern Europe (my dad was in heaven! He’s a big meat and potatoes fan). So when we came back home, this little gem of a recipe was probably the only meal we still made. It became a staple in our house as it’s quick to make and easy on the budget.
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups beef bone broth (or stock)
- 1 tsp cornstarch or tapioca
- 2 T sour cream (or plain yogurt: use Kite Hill for dairy free)
- 1 T prepared mustard
- 2 T minced fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil and continue to heat.
- Add onion and garlic to pan and fry till onions are translucent and soft.
- Add ground beef to onions and cook 5-10 minutes until meat is no longer pink.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in cornstarch.
- Pour broth into pan. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken. Add mustard, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Lastly, add sour cream (or yogurt) and stir to combine. Mixture should be slightly creamy in appearance. Add more sour cream if needed or to taste. Sprinkle with additional parsley and serve over egg noodles or rice.