Easy Beef Stroganoff

It's been a long day and I am starving. My dinner choices was either a Home Run Inn frozen pizza or this. I know the pizza is processed but I do have my weaknesses and this brand of pizza tastes just like the ones I eat in Chicago so if I am really hungry sometimes we will eat one. Luckily I had thawed out ground beef (grass fed from the local market) so I was forced into cooking. This recipe is quick and easy and I'm always happy that I cooked after I am done.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained

6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

2 pounds lean ground beef

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef broth

1 cup sour cream

salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water until done, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, cook mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until soft; remove from pan.

Using the same pan, melt remaining butter. Cook ground beef in melted butter until browned. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth, and cook until slightly thickened.

Add mushroom and onion mixture; stir in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until sauce is hot, but not boiling. Serve sauce over egg noodles.

I like a couple pancakes with my syrup please.

The Hubster has been begging for pancakes so I decided to dig out my iphone and search my cooking apps. I love my iphone apps. There are tons of free cooking apps with really good recipes. I have always bought the little shaker of pancake mix and the cheapest syrup I could find. I didn't even bother to check the mix but most of the syrup has high fructose corn syrup in it. The ingredient list just doesn't look appetizing at all. I really wanted to get maple syrup but it is pretty expensive. Instead I found a brand called Log Cabin. They carry one in a cute round jug container and it's natural. I guess it's the next best thing to pure maple.

The pancake recipe I found is so simple. I will never buy the pre-mixes again. It is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything iphone app but I did find it online as well. Here is the recipe but you can check it out here as well.

Everyday Pancakes

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 20 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 eggs
11/2 to 2 cups milk
2 optional tablespoons melted and cooled butter, plus
unmelted butter for cooking, or use a neutral oil like grapeseed or corn

1. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat while you make the batter.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs into 11/2 cups of the milk, then stir in the 2 tablespoons cooled melted butter if you’re using it. Gently stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten the flour; don’t worry about a few lumps. If the batter seems thick, add a little more milk.

3. Use a little butter or oil each time you add batter, unless your skillet is truly nonstick. When the butter foam subsides or the oil shimmers, ladle batter onto the griddle or skillet, making any size pancakes you like. Adjust the heat as necessary; usually, the first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. The idea is to brown the bottom in 2 to 4 minutes, without burning it. Flip when bubbles appear in the center of the pancakes and the bottoms are cooked; they won’t hold together well until they’re ready.

4. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, a couple more minutes, and serve or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200°F oven for up to 15 minutes.