Mushroom Stroganoff

When you go to a pub in England, they always have a few vegetarians on hand to feed the crowd.  Oh, whoops, did I say vegetarians?  I meant vegetarian dishes.  There are usually but a couple options, tried and tired and true:  the ever-changing seasonal risotto and a Mushroom stroganoff.  If you go to a fancy pub where they actually have a creative chef, then you might get a few more oldie but goodies thrown in, but those are the two that I see on almost every menu I encounter.  

I'm sick of the risotto, but with a few good ingredients and a hunt for mushrooms that aren't plain white buttons and you've got yourself a really nice dinner that I'm happy to make at home.  Use fresh pasta - if you don't make it yourself, I'm finding most groceries now carry a selection of fresh egg-pasta over with the fancy overpriced ravioli section, and sometimes they even have whole wheat pasta.  It's worlds better than the dehydrated stuff, which always seems to hang around in my cupboard forever in half-box portions.  

I loved beef stroganoff when I was a kid and when I became vegetarian, my mom would put cubes of tofu in my portion to replace the beef.  She told me later that, sigh, she still used beef stock, because what else are you going to use for a base?  I'm glad I got over my "tofu in everything" obsession.  It has its place as I'll eat it in stir fries all day long but as a meat substitute I find it horrid now.   Apparently, we didn't know about how delicious and good mushrooms were in this classic dish instead.  

This recipe is healthy yet comforting and makes for a nice post-hike dinner with its earthy tang and super fast effortless time from fridge to plate.  The longest part is waiting for the dehydrated mushrooms to come around.  I use both fresh and dried mushrooms in whatever varietals I can find.  Usually the dried mushrooms are fancy varieties but cheaper than fresh, but a dry springtime means we don't have the variety of fresh I normally count on.  Don't discard the soaking water- add all but the grit that collects at the bottom in the stock to make a rich, earthy meatless base.  Feel free to go a bit wild here:  shiitakes and morels and pied du mouton.  Mushrooms are the stars!

Recipe:  Mushroom Stroganoff

Serves 4

olive oil for frying

1 onion, sliced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

200g (2 cups) mix of fresh mushrooms, wiped off with a towel and sliced

100g (1 cup) dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water for at least 20 minutes

1 leek, white and light green part only, diced

100ml (1/2 cup) stock- the mushroom soaking liquid and additional vege stock if needed

1 tsp paprika, hot or sweet, your choice

1 tsp tomato paste (or tomato puree as they call it in the UK) 

1 tsp mustard

200g (2 cups) fresh pasta

4 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche, full-fat

1 lemon

a couple Tablespoons wine

handful of fresh dill, chopped

handful of fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil for the pasta.  Heat oil in a large fry pan.  When hot, add the onion and leek and cook until soft and starting to color, about 10 minutes.  Add the fresh mushrooms, the drained formerly dried mushrooms, and the garlic.  Turn the heat up and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the paprika and tomato paste, cook for an additional minute.  Add the vegetable and/or mushroom stock and a glug of wine and let it cook down to half.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta:  fresh stuff only takes 3-5 minutes.  Once al dente, drain and toss with a little oil to keep it from getting sticky.  

Once the mushroom stock has reduced, add the sour cream and turn the heat down to simmer for just a couple more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Plate the pasta, top with the mushrooms and sprinkle with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs.