"Beef" Stroganoff

One of my FAVORITE things to eat when I was growing up was my mom's Beef Stroganoff.  Something about the savory beef and the creamy sauce made it a very comforting and filling meal.  This time of year, when it's chilly out and the leaves have all fallen off the trees, I tend towards these kind of comforting foods from my childhood.  Of course, since I'm now a vegetarian, I had to come up with my own non-meat version of Beef Stroganoff.  This isn't healthy, or refined, but trust me, it tastes damn good! Hope you like it!

"Beef" Stroganoff

Makes 8 servings

1 container fresh sliced mushrooms (or 2-3 cans sliced mushrooms, drained)
1 can "cream of" soup (I like cream of onion, but you can use cream of mushroom)
1 16 oz. tub of sour cream (check to make sure it's not made with gelatin)
1 T. paprika
1 bag of meatless crumbles
1/4 c. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (I like Cajun Power brand, since it's a tad spicy)
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. olive oil
salt to taste
Egg noodles

Directions

While you're making the sauce, cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.  In a medium size skillet, cook the crumbles, garlic, and mushrooms in the oil over medium heat until the crumbles are browned and the mushrooms are cooked through.  Add the sour cream, soup, paprika, Worcestershire, and pepper.  ***About half of the time when I make this, I skip the condensed soup.  It just depends on whether I have any in the pantry.  It works just fine without it, although you will need to add more salt, a bit more sour cream, and perhaps some diced onion in with the crumbles.*** Mix thoroughly and cook over medium-low heat until heated through. If you're a normal human being, you probably won't need to add much salt.  If you're like me, and practically need a salt lick in your living room, then you may end up adding up to a teaspoon of salt.  The condensed soup is salty though, so don't salt until you've tasted, and then salt a little at a time until you're satisfied.  Spoon the sauce over the cooked noodles and serve with garlic bread. Yum!
(Nutrition facts don't include the noodles, since the info for those will vary on which brand you buy.)

"Chicken" and Dumplings

You know what I freakin' love? Chicken and dumplings.  Too bad I don't eat chicken anymore!  So, I needed a creamy, savory, satisfying substitute.  After much experimentation, I came up with this recipe for "chicken" and dumplings that's made with Quorn, which is a kind of fake chicken you can probably find at your grocery store in the freezer section.  If you can't find Quorn, you could probably substitute another brand of fake chicken patty; just choose something that isn't breaded.

"Chicken" and Dumplings

Ingredients:
2 T. butter
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
3 celery stalks, sliced into 1/2" pieces
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Quorn "naked" fake chicken breasts, torn into small pieces
1 cup frozen peas
2 t. faux chicken bouillon gel (see below)
6 cups 1% milk
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 dried bay leaves
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls, sliced into 1/2 inch wide discs

Directions:
In a stock pot, cook garlic, onion, carrot, celery, potato, and Quorn over medium heat until potato is *almost* done. I like to tear up the Quorn instead of dicing it, because it gives it a more realistic texture:

Add peas and cook a few more minutes until the peas are thawed. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, flour, thyme, marjoram, and pepper.  Add the milk mixture to the stock pot and stir.  Add the faux chicken stock and stir until it dissolves.  I like to use Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base.  If you use something else, you may need to alter the measurements.  Just follow the measurement given on your bouillon for making a quart of stock.

Now add the bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture is boiling, drop in the slices of crescent roll dough, cover, and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until your dumplings have fluffed up a bit.  You may need to taste test one or two...or four...to make sure they're done. Your dish will end up tasting much better if you make a mess while cooking it.  I swear. ;)

You probably will also want to give it a stir or two while the dumplings are cooking to make sure nothing sticks.  Once your dumplings are fluffy-ish, your "Chicken" and Dumplings are ready!  Just ladle into bowls, top with some more freshly ground black pepper, and serve. 

Squash Casserole

Well, we had the first real family Thanksgiving at our place this year, and it was great! I cooked for about 8 hours straight, but the end result was worth it!  Mom made turkey, cranberry-orange relish, and her EXCELLENT "ramshackle" mac and cheese (trust me, it's awesome!).  I made sweet potato souffle, stuffing, broccoli rice casserole, mashed potatoes, cornbread, Coca-cola cake, and an experimental squash casserole that ended up coming out wonderfully!  I made squash casserole last year from some random internet recipe, and couldn't remember what I put in it.  So this year, I started with Paula Deen's squash casserole recipe and messed with it until it looked tasty to me.  It went over very well, and it's officially being added to my Thanksgiving menu from now on!  It's very easy to put together, and it comes out as a cheesy, bubbly, savory dish. :)

Squash Casserole

8-10 small/medium yellow squash, diced (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. Shredded cheddar
1 large onion, diced
1.5 sleeves ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick salted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. Olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground pepper

Cook squash and onion in olive oil over medium heat until squash begins to break down. Place squash and onion in a colander and squeeze out excess water. Mix squash and onion and all remaining ingredients, reserving a third of the cracker crumbs. Spread into greased 8x8 casserole dish and top with remaining cracker crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.