VAL'S SPIRITED 4PATRIOTS BEEF STROGANOFF Recipe; Castle Rock-WA

Val's Spirited 4Patriots Beef Stroganoff

The cooler days of Fall 🧣🍁 beg for heartier supper fare - beef stroganoff seemed to be the best choice for tonight's meal 🥩🍲

I like flavoring my meals with aromatic spices 👩‍🍳🍃; so, today, I pulled my little bottle of Juniper Berries from the spice cupboard; juniper berries are not traditionally used in beef stroganoff, but they will give the bland sauce a lively depth with the berries unique flavoring. Juniper berries can best be described as a pungent pine-like aroma, with a sharp tangy citrus flavor - some people may not like that combination … but, I do. Especially in the Fall 🌳🍂 

I also like to add a touch of whiskey to my Fall & Winter stews: the days are cold & dreary in the PNW & the rainfall can be unpleasantly biting when blown in off the river -  the pungent cinnamon aroma/flavor of the whiskey are a pleasant & welcome bite. For those concerned about alcohol usage … alcohol dissipates during cooking, leaving only the flavor behind.

And I pre-prep ingredients, hours before cooking commences: I spend less time standing in the kitchen, cooking flows smoothly, and splitting the dish washing cycles between early prep and later cooking - means there is no dish drainer jenga going on following the meal (there are still dishes to wash - but less of them - which is a plus for RV living). Also pre-prep allows for spontaneity if we want to enjoy an out-of-house hour or two 🚘, that supper prep would normally hog up: the time consuming work has already been done, and cooking is a snap when we get back home.

I like spending spontaneous time with my husband 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

I like cooking for my husband‍ ⏲️🍽️❤️

Pre-prep and experimentation with recipes 👩‍🍳‍, works for me … and is a 👍 for both of us 😁

NOTE: If you want to pre-prep ingredients too, read the recipe 1st, so you know ingredient amounts to prep:

a) Prepare beef; thaw slightly & break apart, if frozen (frozen slices better) - I chose to slice in thin strips; refrigerate until needed.

Thaw slightly & separate.

Dice, cube, or slice into thin strips; I sliced my pieces on the diagonal - just to be different.

b) Place chunked veggies & garlic cloves, in the manual-pull food chopper & process as you desire - I like my veggies minced fine; set aside.

Process as you desire; I like minced fine.

c) Using a medium-size mesh strainer over a bowl, I prefer to separate the pre-packaged noodles from the dry sauce mix - I find this way make for a smoother blending of the sauce into the mixture; set aside.

I also add the mushroom powder, paprika & brown sugar, to the dry sauce mix & stir to blend thoroughly; set aside.

d) Crush the Juniper Berries & place in the tea ball with a pinched tip of a sprig of rosemary; close & set aside.

e) Place the lemon juice in 1 Jigger Cup … and the whiskey, in another Jigger Cup; cover with plastic wrap & set aside.

f) Measure margarine, place on a saucer (I use a recycled plastic top from a cake icing container; saved for this particular purpose) - cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate until needed.

Val's Spirited 4Patriots Beef Stroganoff  ~serves 3

4-Qt. Soup Pot * 1 Cutting Board  * 1 Med-size Mesh Strainer * 1 Lrg. Kitchen Knife * Manual-Pull Food Chopper * Kitchen Meat Scissors * 1 Lrg. Pyrex Measuring Cup * 1 Tea Ball * 2 ct. Alcohol Jigger Cups * Measuring Cups & Spoons * Small Whisk * Lrg. Slotted Cooking Spoon * Lrg. Spaghetti Spoon * Supper Plates & Silverware

1 ct. 4Patriots Hearty Stroganoff-Style Pasta, dry mix * 4-1/2 c. Water * 1-lb. Beef Sirloin, (diced, cubed, or sliced into thin strips) * 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil * 1/2 Red Onion, chunked * 2 Carrots, chunked *  2 Garlic, peeled & whole * 1 TBSP Vitality Blend Mushroom Powder * 1/2 TBSP Brown Sugar * 1/2 tsp. Paprika * Juniper Berries, 3 ct. & crushed * Pinch of a Rosemary Sprig * 1 TBSP. Lemon Juice * 1 TBSP. Fireball Whiskey * 2 TBSP. Margarine * Parsley, fresh & finely chopped

Prepped Ingredients

1) Pour Olive oil into soup pot & tip to coat bottom evenly - add meat & cook over medium-heat until there is no more pink showing.

2) Add vegetable & garlic blend to skillet & continue cooking until liquid is absorbed & veggie are tender.

3) In the large Pyrex cup, whisk the dry sauce, spices, & brown sugar blend thoroughly - pour into meat & veggie mixture.

4) Add noodles, spiced tea ball, lemon juice, whiskey, margarine & parsley; stir to fully incorporate: bring mixture to a boil.

5) Reduce heat to medium, & continue cooking for 20 minutes (or until noodles are done to your satisfaction); stirring frequently to avoid mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan.

6) Remove from heat & let stand 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce before serving.