Stroganoff….. with a little twist.
I’ve been making this recipe for years. At times, in restaurant and guest ranch venues, it has been made with elk or venison. This recipe is a crowd pleaser. And rich, earthy fragrances fill the kitchen. What more could you ask for?
- 2 pkg. traditional tempeh, cut into thin slices
- 8 oz. dried wild mushrooms, as big a variety as possible-shiitake, morels, oyster, tree ear…
- (OR) 1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms – for this photo shoot I used crimini and shiitake
- 1 onion, cut and sliced
- 4 – 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- a few tbsp. olive oil
- 4 tbsp. tapioca (or corn) starch
- 1 – 1.5 c. sour cream
- 2 – 3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp. dried rubbed sage or fresh minced sage leaves
- 2 – 3 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- tamari if desired
If using dried mushrooms: cover dried mushrooms with water in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil until tender, adding more water if necessary. Reserving mushroom cooking liquid into bowl, strain, pressing out all liquid. Pick through mushrooms, cutting off any woody stems and discarding (found on the shiitake mushrooms.) Roughly chop mushrooms into fairly large pieces.
If using fresh mushrooms, wash, pat dry, remove any woody stems such as on shiitakes, then slice.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat in large cooking pot. When garlic and onion just begin to brown, add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally.
Pour in reserved mushroom cooking liquid, (or 1 1/2 c. water + 1/4 c. tamari,) tempeh and herbs and stir until well blended. Blend tapioca (or corn)starch with a few tablespoons of water and slowly stir into the stroganoff. Simmer until sauce has thickened, then add sour cream, blending well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over wild rice blend or wide egg noodles. The asparagus was an inspiration when I saw it at the market today!
Pachamama's Beautiful Food 