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Mushroom stroganoff – quite a delicious little treat.
You can keep your quorn – for my money, the best plant-based alternative for meat is an actual plant: the mushroom. (They should be for your money, too; you can buy the amount of mushrooms required for this recipe for $5.)
In texture and ability to take on flavour, mushrooms mimic meat, especially beef, extremely well. They’re a whole food, entirely unprocessed, and very quick and easy to both prepare and cook.
This vegetarian take on the beefy classic is lighter and healthier while still creamy and satisfying – the perfect early autumn dish. Best of all, you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.
READ MORE:
* Recipe: Beef Stroganov
* Recipes: Harvest ratatouille with basil oil and grilled polenta
* Recipe: Chicken and mushroom pasta with spelt spaghetti
Mushroom stroganoff
by Nicola Galloway
Crème fraiche is best for this recipe but there is the option to use store-bought sour cream, however the thickeners in the cream may affect the consistency of the sauce so add extra stock as needed.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 tsp smoked (sweet) paprika
400g button mushrooms, quartered
200g crème fraiche (or sour cream)
2-3 tbs chicken or vegetable stock
Small knob of butter, about 20g
4 small gherkins, sliced
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Cooked white rice or fettucine to serve
Method
Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan over moderate heat. Add onions and sauté without colouring for 5 minutes.
Add paprika and mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes until mushrooms soften.
Stir in crème fraiche, stock, butter and three-quarters of the chopped gherkins. Bubble gently for a few minutes until the sauce has melted together. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Take off heat and scatter with the parsley and remaining sliced gherkins and serve immediately, with fluffy white rice or buttered fettucine.
More last-minute dinners
Caramelised onion and potato frittata, by Nadia Lim. Get the recipe here
Beef chow mein, by My Food Bag. Get the recipe here
Chunky vegetable soup, by Ray McVinnie. Get the recipe here
Chicken burgers with peanut satay, by My Food Bag. Get the recipe here