Very Veggie Stroganoff

Not the prettiest dish, but it does taste much, much better than it looks! ;)

I have been meaning to come up with a vegetable stroganoff that does not include processed meat substitutes. Most contain soy, and the one I found that doesn't contains eggs and wheat. And they are quite expensive, especially considering the small package sizes. I would much rather substitute the meat with fresh vegetables and add some fresh herbs to help boost the flavor. Honestly, between the richness of the homemade vegetable stock and the meatiness of the mushrooms, I did not miss the meat one bit!

You could certainly use sour cream instead of the plain unsweetened yogurt, but as I have said, I like to limit my use of dairy as well as use the ingredients I have on hand, which is why you will often see me use plain, unsweetened yogurt in lieu of other more traditional dairy items--we've always got some in the fridge. If you don't do homemade vegetable stock, use whatever you like or have on hand. You can mix up the vegetables as well, depending on what you like, find on sale or can pick out of your garden--I picked up eggplant and zucchini because they were on sale, and their flavors are relatively neutral. For my next batch, I think I will scratch the eggplant and try some asparagus. I like to eat this just as is or over quinoa pasta. Quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta or even a baked potato would be great to serve it over as well.

This is a very economical recipe, even if you serve it over something and/or need to add more veggies to make more servings. The amount of homemade vegetable stock I used is most definitely a freebie, and I hit some great produce sales. Right now all I got from the garden was garlic, parsley and chives, but my zucchini and eggplant are coming along nicely!

Very Veggie Stroganoff

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz package mushrooms, diced
1 small-med zucchini, diced
2 cups eggplant, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh chives (or 1 tsp dried)
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Place diced eggplant in a colander, place colander over a large bowl or in the sink, and sprinkle eggplant generously with salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. This will draw out a brownish liquid and get rid of the bitter taste eggplant can have. Rinse very thoroughly to remove salt and pat dry.

Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and just a little salt and pepper, saute for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant, parsley and chives, saute for just 1 minute. Add vegetable stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until there is only about a couple tablespoons of liquid left. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Do a taste check for salt/pepper.

Cost:

Mushrooms: 8 oz package white buttons on sale = $1.00

Eggplant: On sale for $.88/lb, used 8 oz = $.44

Zucchini: On sale for $1.19/lb, used a 5 oz zucchini = $.37

Red onion: $.75/lb, used a 5 oz onion = $.23

Yogurt (organic): $4.69/32 oz tub, used 1/8 = $.59

 

Total Cost: $2.63

4 Servings: $.66 per serving

6 Servings: $.44 per serving