Everyday, from Day 1: Issue 6

Posted by Alison Sickelka

A dreary, rainy day demands comfort food. But with not only my own oven on the fritz, but also my backup (faulty kitchen is equipment taking over NYC), I needed a recipe that required a stove-top burner at most.

Conveniently, the September 2003 issue of Everyday Food has a section of skillet dinners ("There's no need to turn on the oven to make these one-pan meals from all over the world") that fit the bill.

Of the meals listed, Beef Stroganoff caught my eye. Back when I was in college, my sister Emily and I would occasionally cook supper together. We usually stuck to the same set of recipes, and beef Stroganoff was among them.

Could this Everyday Food recipe replace our go-to dish?

Beef Stroganoff originated as a dish of sauteed beef in a sour cream sauce, but has since evolved into our current version, which usually includes mushrooms and onions. Have you noticed I have a mild obsession with onions? A recipe with onions has an automatic edge over any other.

With the recipe in hand, I headed out to the grocery store. The recipe calls for several pantry staples and just a few additional ingredients needed to be purchased. One, the beef tenderloin, eluded me. The meat man at the market had gone home for the day, so I was at a loss as to what to substitute for that cut of beef. Fortunately, a very polite man asked me what I was making and helped me select some presliced beef he assured would work great in beef Stroganoff. This saved me some prep time, but I would have liked to experiment with a beef tenderloin, the most tender cut of beef.

The recipe was really easy to follow and, as an added bonus, didn't require a huge amount of cleanup. I sauteed the beef, then cooked the onion and mushrooms. Beef broth gets added to the veggies, followed by the beef (to reheat it), followed by sour cream. The total time listed for the recipe is 45 minutes, but it didn't take me that long to get this hearty dish on my plate. Following the suggestion listed in the magazine, I made some egg noodles to go with it.

The rain discouraged visitors from coming over, so I enjoyed this meal alone (I've always been a fan of Everyday Food's Cooking for One column -- every now and then, you've got to eat alone). I wrapped myself in a blanket and curled up in front of the movie "Fools Rush In."

The meal was actually the perfect ending to the day -- it was rainy, so I craved something hearty, but it was also very hot out. I got my hearty meal, but didn't have to turn on the oven -- perfect! The best thing about this dinner, though, was that it was all about the beef; I grew up on a cattle farm so you could say beef is in my blood. It was a nice slice of home!

As far as replacing my old recipe, I'm torn. This recipe was significantly easier and had very similar flavor. The next time I get a craving for Stroganoff, it'll be a toss-up as to which recipe I go with.

Final verdict? This is easy comfort food! The jury's still out if this will be my go-to beef Stroganoff. I also need to try Everyday Food's slow-cooker version.

Total bill: $14.38.

Do you have a go-to recipe you make again and again?

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Comments

[VeggieGirl]

The "go-to" recipe that I make again and again (and keep featuring on my blog, again and again, haha) is the Lower Fat Banana Bread recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook - it's so versatile, infallible, and delectable.

[Lisa Patrin]

I have created my own twist on shepards pie that I think is easy and delicious because the ingredients are almost all repeats from the previous nights meal. This is one of my "go to" winter comfort foods. When I make a pot roast the side dishes almost always include garlic mashed potatoes, and mushrooms sauteed with butter, a "splash" of cabernet or merlot, rosemary, thyme and crushed garlic. I layer the ingredients beginning with the leftover roast, top with the herbed mushrooms, and then the mashed potatoes, all in a decorative baking dish. I end by sprinkling fresh grated parmesan cheese on the top on the top of the potatoes and bake at 350 until it is heated through and the cheese is golden. This is a great, hearty meal. I serve it with warm bread and a glass of full bodied red wine. Cheers!

[Toni]

One of my favorite go-to meals is the chicken in mustard-cream sauce from issue 3. It is so easy and makes a boring chicken breast yummy. I usually serve it with roasted potatoes (cut potatoes into chunks & roast them at 425 with some olive oil & spices so they get nice & crispy). My son & husband love dipping the potatoes in the sauce as well.

[cindylea21]

I really like beef stroganoff and you makes these recipes sound so easy to make! I really enjoy your articles and look forward each week to seeing what "new" recipes you make. Keep up the good work!!!

[Madeline]

You had me at "no oven needed!" One of the things I miss during the summer is comfort food. For me it's roast chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. I love stroganoff too. Can't wait to try this.

[Melinda]

I am so jealous you could make this in July! It's been over 100 here in DFW, so there's no comfort food here!

We love the beef stroganoff. I often substitute the meat since I have preschoolers--no need to feed them the good stuff. It's even decent without the sour cream-I have to improvise dairy free cooking with my daughter's dairy allergy.

Issue 6 is one of my favorites ever. It's falling apart! Baked ravioli, tortilla and black bean pie, beef tacos, chocolate custard cups, and yes, beef stroganoff!, are all recipes that I have made regularly for the past five (!!!) years. And flipping through right now makes me want to compare/contrast the the chicken salad recipes.

Did I tell you I LOVE the flashbacks!??

[Jason A (Vancouver, BC)]

Beef Stroganoff is definitely a comfort food staple for me and one of my favorite dishes all time. Mine has a few more steps and ingredients than they one you listed here and I can't imagine it any other way. :)

I usually use flank steak sliced on the bias and it comes out amazingly tender.

A brief summary of mine you can try is...

season and sear the beef and set aside.
sautee the mushrooms with garlic and shallots (or onion since you're a fan) :) and set aside.

using about 2 tbsp OVOO or butter or both create a roux with 2tbsp of flour and let it sligthly brown. Add a tbsp or so of tomatoe paste and stir it in then a cup or two of beer stock and whisk until thick.

Add the mushrooms and beef back in to warm up. some paprika salt and pepper for seasoning and 1/3 to 1/2 cup of fresh chopped dill or a couple tbsp dried dill.

Stir in a small container of sour cream a few minutes before serving.

I actually much prefer mine on rice, but noodles will work. My wife actually loves it on mashed potatoes... :)