Beef Stroganoff

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander and keep warm.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, peel the onion and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Remove and discard the ends of the mushroom stems and cut into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove and discard any visible fat from the meat and slice into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick strips.

   Step 3

   Place the canola oil in a large sauté pan and add the onion and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onions are lightly browned and soft. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the meat is browned. Combine the cornstarch and bouillon in a small bowl and slowly add the water, stirring until smooth. (If you put all the water in at once, the cornstarch will get lumpy.) Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream.

   Step 4

   Serve immediately over the cooked noodles.

2. Food for Thought

   Step 5

   Sirloin and chuck steak both work well in this recipe, so how do you decide which to use? Sirloin is more expensive, but it is much leaner and therefore has fewer calories. Chuck steak (also called pot roast) is inexpensive and very flavorful because it has more fat. So if you are on a tight budget, use the chuck steak. It is a tougher cut of meat that generally needs to cook for several hours to become tender, but if you slice it as thin as possible across (perpendicular to) the grain it will be very tender. If you are watching your calories, use the sirloin, fat-free sour cream, and cooking spray instead of oil for a low-calorie version that tastes as good as the original.