Beef Stroganoff Loses Fat and Salt

This is my family’s favorite. Can you make it less caloric and retain the flavor?

--ELLEN, Apple Valley, Minn.

BEEF STROGANOFF

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 pounds round steak

1/2 cup minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup oil

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup sour cream

Cooked noodles or rice

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Cut beef in strips and dredge in flour mixture. Brown onion and garlic lightly in oil in skillet. Remove to larger, heavier pan. Cover and keep warm.

Place meat in skillet and brown well. Place in larger pan also. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes.

Add soup and mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, over low heat until meat is tender. Stir in sour cream and heat until warmed through. Serve with noodles or rice. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Recipe reheats beautifully and freezes well.

Dear Ellen: Your quick-and-easy Stroganoff is very good, but it is yet another recipe that uses a canned cream soup for the sauce. When I made your original recipe, I tried using the new sodium-reduced canned soup and still found the Stroganoff very salty. Also, even though the sodium is reduced, many of the new soups still contain MSG.

The health benefits of making your own cream sauce far outweigh the inconvenience of the added time it takes, and it saves money. Also, I would suggest you use fresh mushrooms whenever possible, since the canned kind usually contain added sodium. (My computer said that canned mushrooms with juice would add about 170 milligrams of sodium per serving to your recipe.)

I tried substituting light sour cream for the sour cream in your recipe, but found that even though the sauce was slightly more creamy, the results obtained from using nonfat milk and yogurt were most satisfactory. Considering the reduction in calories and cholesterol, I can happily give up a little creaminess for such a dramatic savings. I hope you agree.

LIGHTER STROGANOFF

1 tablespoon corn-oil margarine

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unbleached flour

1/2 cup nonfat milk

3/4 cup defatted chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted stock)

Dash garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon corn oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped (1 teaspoon)

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds lean round steak (all visible fat removed), sliced in thin strips

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Cooked noodles or rice

Chopped parsley

Melt margarine in saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons flour. Cook while mixing with wire whisk for about 1 minute. Add milk, chicken stock, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Continue stirring with wire whisk until mixture thickens and comes to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat corn oil in large (preferably non-stick) skillet. Add garlic, onion and beef strips. Saute over medium heat until onion is tender and meat is browned. Add mushrooms, cover, and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Uncover, add sauce mixture and continue to cook until meat is tender.

Combine yogurt and remaining 1 teaspoon flour, mixing well. Add to meat mixture and continue to cook until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Each Serving Contains Approximately

Original Recipe: Calories: 521 Cholesterol: 116 milligrams Fat: 32 grams Sodium: 1,700 milligrams Revised Recipe: Calories: 376 Cholesterol: 98 milligrams Fat: 14 grams Sodium: 342 milligrams