Swift and simple Beef Stroganoff

Lovely Lentil Hotpot

Over the past week I have played the part of Florence Nightingale as all six of my children have been sick. Yes, all at once. So instead of filling the whiteboard with lists of grocery items needed and meal ideas for the week ahead, I instead turned it into a chart detailing what medication was being given to which child and when. Of course I still cooked – Chicken Soup from Scratch; Garlicky Lemon, Zucchini Pasta, Veggie Laden Stir-fry to name a few. Meals were nutritious but simple, easy to east and easy to digest to help my brood bounce back. Eventually they did, just in time for the three rounds of Saturday sport. Unfortunately food blogging took a back seat. 

This evening I made Tender Beef Stroganoff with butter-soft fillet steak. This is a dish to make when time is of the essence, because although beef fillet is a premium priced cut of meat, it does cook quickly whilst retaining tenderness and flavour. 

Tender Beef Stroganoff to serve 4 people (I doubled this for my family. This recipe freezes well so making a large batch and freezing half for a busy weekly dinner is also an option).  

Olive oil
25 grams unsalted butter
1 white onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 large carrot, finely sliced
1 cup of finely sliced button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and a good grind of pepper)
1 kg beef fillet, finely sliced into bite sized lengths
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/2 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
250 – 300 ml chicken stock
Pouring cream

In a large, heavy based pot, heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and butter over a low-medium heat and add the onion, garlic, carrot, mushrooms, sage, salt and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes. Remove to a clean bowl or plate. 

Increase the heat to medium-high, add an other splash of olive oil and brown off the beef in 4 lots, removing each batch to a clean bowl before adding the next lot of raw meat to the pot. 

Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the meat, toss through and then add all of the browned beef back to the pot, stirring for a minute just to cook off the floury taste. 

Add the veggie herb mixture, tomato paste and the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring briefly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes until cooked through in a rich gravy. Just before serving, stir through 2 tablespoons of pouring cream. Serve with steamed rice or mash or buttered pasta. 

This Lovely Lentil, Potato and Herb Hotpot is protein rich, but easy on the purse and one which I fashioned from a Karen Martini recipe. Although it doesn’t look like glamour dish it is incredibly tasty. Don’t let the appearance of a dish turn you away. Sometimes the most humble meal can be the most satisfying. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dollop of Greek yoghurt, and this becomes an ideal Friday night comfort food. 

Lovely Lentil, Potato and Herb Hotpot to serve 4 people as a complete meal or 6 people as a side dish to grilled sausages or chicken. 

300 grams Australian puy lentils (the speckled green-blue little lentils)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 golden shallots finely diced
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 bay leaves – fresh if available
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
6 baby chat potatoes, washed, skins left on and thickly sliced
1.2 litres chicken stock (a quality commercial brand is fine, salt reduced recommended)
sea salt to taste

Put the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Drain immediately in a colander and set aside.

Wash out the same large saucepan and when dry, place over a medium heat and add the olive oil, shallots, chilli, garlic, fennel seeds, bay leaves and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir to prevent the ingredients from burning. 

Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, again stirring gently when they start to stick to the pot. 

Add back the lentils, the chicken stock, a little salt (not too much because the chicken stock already contains salt) and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender and potatoes are cooked. The mixture will look very watery at the beginning of the simmering stage, but most of this liquid will be absorbed by the end of the cooking time so the dish will resemble a thick, soupy stew. 

To serve, ladle into bowls and squeeze over a lemon wedge, add a generous amount of Greek yoghurt and settle down on the couch in front of your favourite film.