I now have another goal for this project: be able to mince a shallot without a tsunami of tears hiding my view of the chopping that is happening in close vicinity to my fingers. Those are brutal! But tasty.
All in all, though, week one went blessedly well. I chose Meatless Stroganoff and the ingredients were inexpensive, the instructions were easy to follow and it was quick and tasty. PLUS... we have enough left over for at least 2 more servings (even after Brian had seconds).
Source: The Red Rock Ranch Collection (thanks Tamzen!)
4 T. olive oil - 1 portabello mushroom, sliced - 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced - 2 shallots, minced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 yellow or red tomato, chopped - 1/4 c. chicken stock - 2 T. dry white wine - 2 T. soy sauce - 1/2 tsp. dried or 3 T. fresh basil, chopped - 1/4 tsp. sugar - 2 T. sour cream - 8 oz. cooked pasta
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms until soft. Add shallots, garlic and tomato, stirring occasionally, cook 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, wine, soy sauce, basil and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until mixture begins to evaporate slightly. Turn off ehat and stir in sour cream until smooth. Serve over hot pasta, with crushed black peppercorns and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
What Brian says:
With a traditional beef stroganoff the gravy tends to overpower the dish. With so many ingredients in the meatless version it could easily become too complicated but for some reason it works here. With slight nuances, each ingredient can be detected with a bit of effort but none dominating the dish. The substitution of meat with vegetables like portabello and button mushrooms and tomatoes keeps the meal thick and filling. The addition of whole wheat pasta that Kelly used adds a whole new element. Overall the dish was flavorful and definitely worth a second chance.
Brian's Rating: *****
Wow! A 5 Star rating on dish #1. You're gonna have a lot to live up to if you start off strong like this. I recommend making some really hard dishes at first, hoping they don't turn out right. Then, as you get to the easier ones, your progress seems really impressive :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kevin. Starting off with a five star rating is like giving a movie two thumbs up just because Tom Cruise is in it. The recipe was probably pretty good, but what's your base rating system so we can get an idea? Was it a Top Gun or a Minority Report.
ReplyDeleteThe dish was really good. I'm not going to demerit it just because it was the first attempt. It deserved what it got. Whether I started with a 1 star or 5, it sets a baseline for future ratings.
ReplyDelete