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06/11/2002 Archived Entry: "Hamburger Stroganoff from Minute Meals"

I was in on Minutemeals.com from the very beginning. I knew founder Joe Langhan from The Food Network, where he was also one of the founders, and he asked me to do an on-line chat with Minute Meals -- their first. Hardly anyone had even heard of on-line chats back then and it was exciting.

Joe’s idea for the website was simple: Focus on what every home cook needs, everyday meals that can be prepared quickly with fresh, wholesome ingredients. The site has followed through faithfully on that promise and now has more than 170 menus that take only 20 minutes to prepare, small but full menus for the family or good friends. But Minute Meals has evolved into Allfood.com, which streams popular TV programs onto your computer screen, as well as offering other features – a question and answer column, kids’ food, food news, and more.

And there is now a Minutemeals book, edited by Evie Righter, with recipes and menus from the website (again, that’s www.minutemeals.com). I made the following tasty concoction yesterday, and I was impressed at how perfect the directions were. Following the order of the instructions – putting the water up for the noodles first, etc. – I did, indeed, have everything ready in 20 minutes.

Hamburger Stroganoff with buttered noodles and green peas with mint
Serves 4

Arthur’s Two Cents: The only thing I would change here is the order in which a few ingredients are added. I would (and did) add the broth, then the tomato paste and thyme. Adding the broth stops the cooking for a minute at a crucial moment and also allows you to dissolve the tomato paste more easily. In addition, I did not need to heat the meat again after adding the sour cream. The temperature seemed just fine to me and you always risk curdling the sour cream if you heat it too much.

For the buttered noodles:
3 quarts water
salt, to taste
12 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon butter

For the stroganoff:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup onion slices
1 pound lean ground beef, such as ground round
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

For the green peas:
1 package (10 ounces) frozen green peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon butter

To make the buttered noodles:
Pour the water into a large pot, salt lightly, and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain in a colander.

Return the noodles to the pot, add the butter, ad toss until melted. Keep warm, covered.

To make the stroganoff:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the ground beef and sauté, tossing, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic clove. Add to the meat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and thyme, then sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Stir in the broth until fully incorporated. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Place the pan over low heat and warm the stroganoff just until heated through. Do not let it boil.

To make the green peas:
In a medium saucepan, cook the peas on the stovetop or in the microwave oven according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, chop enough mint to measure 1 tablespoon.

Drain the peas, add the butter and chopped mint, stirring to combine, and keep warm, covered.

To serve:
Divide the noodles among 4 dinner plates and spoon the stroganoff over them.

Spoon a serving of minted peas onto each plate.