My first post was ok.  I mean, I got out the vintage recipe and then my version of it with healthier amounts but it wasn't personal.  I have been thinking that I should issue an apology.  I want my blog to be interesting, share my thoughts and feeling about why I chose this particular recipe and some of the stories written in some of these cookery books.  If all you wanted was a recipe, you could just Google it.

Let's have some fun, shall we?

I would love to hear suggestions from ya'll about what foods you would like to feature or an event you may have to cook something for and would like to bring something not common nowadays.  Please feel free to share.

Beef Stroganoff

Welcome to Trouble's Kitchen!

Today is Sunday, May 27, 2012.  This is my first blog of Trouble's Kitchen.  I started this blog because I read cook books and the most interesting to me are the vintage and antique ones.  I love to cook but joined Weight Watchers over a year ago to lose weight, and the recipes from these cook books usually call for bacon fat, lard, shortening, or the like.  Massive amounts of butter and sugars!  My heart is stopping just from reading them, let alone from cooking and eating them!  As much as my husband would love to have me cook old fashion recipes, or true southern cooking, he would get really fat, and so would I!

So I decided to take these well loved recipes and convert them into healthier versions.  Hence the blog.  I also have a love of people and enjoy talking to them, which is why I am also a volunteer at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  I am trying to get into the Docent program, to help educate the public about the animals, conservation efforts the zoo is making, and helping the zoo in whatever events they are doing.

Now to the old style recipe:

Now I like Beef Stroganoff, but this recipe takes half a pound of butter and a pint of sour cream!  Loaded with calories!  And it asks you to open a can of Italian tomato paste for just one tablespoon!  Wasteful unless you have room in your freezer for a cookie tray to measure out a lot of tablespoons of the paste to freeze and use at a later date.  Besides, we can use other things.

My version of Beef Stroganoff.  Since neither Eric or I like mushrooms, we are using cashew nuts, unsalted.

This is the list of my ingredients pictured here, except for the nuts.  We have:

      

           2 lbs Round Steak, cut into 3/4 inch strips with excess fat cut off

           1 medium onion, chopped fine

           1 cup cashew nut, unsalted

           2 tablespoons minced garlic

           4 tablespoons butter

           1 cup sour cream

           1 tablespoon ketsup

           2 tablespoons orange juice

           1 teaspoon salt

           1/4 teaspoon pepper

           1/2 teaspoon paprika

Tip:  When you buy the beef in the grocery store, ask the butcher to cut off the excess fat and trim the steak into 3/4 inch strips.  They do this for no charge.  You can ask to take home the fat they cut off if you make treats for your four footed friends.  It will save you loads of time and the strips will be more even, making cooking faster.

Cut the butter in half.  Then cut it in small pieces and put into the pan.  This will make it melt faster.  You want to be on medium heat, not high enough to burn the butter.  While you are melting the butter, turn on the oven to 350 degrees.

Once the butter is melted, add half the beef.  Brown it on all sides. 

Once it is browned, use a slotted spoon to take out the beef and add to a casserole dish or pan.  Melt the other half of the butter then cook the remaining beef.

While the beef is browning, chop the medium onion into fine pieces.  Once the beef is removed from the pan, add to the pan of melted butter the minced garlic and onions.  Brown.  Then add the ketsup and paprika.  Stir.

Remove the pan from heat, stir in the sour cream and cashews, then pour over the meat in the casserole dish or pan.  Cover.  I used aluminum foil to cover my pan.  Squished it in tight around the rim.

Place in the over heated to 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

When the timer dings, and you remove it, take the cover off and add the orange juice, salt and pepper.  Stir well.

You can make egg noodle to put the Beef Stroganoff on but I needed a change of pace, so I made rice!

This is my husband filming the final shot, the Beef Stroganoff over rice.  The opinions of my husband and roommate is it was great!

Now I am going to post new blogs once to twice a week.  Please join me again to see the next recipe.  Usually I will annouce at the end of the blog what it is, but I haven't decided yet!

Thank you for joining in and Happy Cooking!

I appreciate all comments and you can email me directly at TroublesKitchen@gmail.com troubleskitchen@gmail.com

This Cookery Blog will be reveled on Sunday, May 27, 2012.  Come back and see us then!

I'm Trouble OHara.  Welcome to my Blog!

In the not too distant days, I will be posting antique and vintage recipes and my healthier version, or remake, of them.  I will post the published version and then show you mine, with step by step photos and instruction so you can make this in your home.

I collect vintage and antique cooking books.  Follow me, and the Art of Cookery, we can explore together!  

The first story will be posted Sunday, May 27, 2012.  Please come back and see me!

To contact me, email me at TroublesKitchen@gmail.com