He's a Fun Guy

Hi all,

Well, I made it to the market yesterday.  The Del Monte Center Market has different vendors than the Salinas Market, so it was nice to have some different options -- like fresh mushrooms.  The mushroom guy had a great sense of humor and when I complimented him, he said, "Yeah, I'm a fun guy."  Fun guy...like fungi...okay, well maybe it lost something in translation.

So tonight I want something kind of rich and creamy, but without a lot of fuss or fat, so I'm making Meatless Stroganoff.  The dish is usually made with beef and sour cream, and the mushrooms are strictly bit players.  I'm making them the star of the show.  You can decide what to serve it over: egg noodles, rice, or even potatoes are good.  You might also try toasting a piece of bread and spooning it over top like the open-face roast beef sandwiches we used to get in diners.

For one person, start by thinly slicing an onion until you have about a half cup, then slice 1/4 lb. of crimini mushrooms thinly as well (it'll be about 2 cups, but don't worry, they shrink a lot when you cook them).  Heat 2 T. of olive oil (or 1 of olive oil + 1 of better) in a frying pan.  Cook the onions for about 3 minutes, until they're limp.  Take them out with a slotted spoon or spatula, letting as much oil as possible drain back into the pan, and set them aside.  Brown the mushrooms on both sides.  Do this in batches if you have to, because you really don't want to crowd the pan - they won't brown properly.

When the mushrooms are cooked, drain the excess oil from the pan and add the onions back in.  Add 1/2 T. miso paste (or 1/2 a boullion cube) dissolved in 1/2 c. very hot water and stir.  Add 3/4 of a teaspoon dried tarragon, a pinch (literally what you can pinch between your thumb and forefinger) of ground dry mustard, a dash of worcestershire sauce and, if you want, a drop or two of liquid smoke.  If you've never worked with it before, I really mean a drop or two.  A little goes a long way.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until there's only about half as much liquid as you started with in the pan.  Now it's ready to serve.  Spoon it over your starch of choice and add a dollop (about 1/2 c.) nonfat Greek yogurt on the side. If you spoon the yogurt into the sauce, it does this weird curdling thing - still tastes good, but doesn't look good.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

If you want your sauce to be more like gravy, try this - mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a jar until it's dissolved.  Add it to the pot, raise the heat a little, and stir.  The sauce will thicken up nicely.

I'm off to catch up with "The Next Food Network Star."  Until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!