SIMPLE SLIMMERS VEGGIE STEAK AND MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

With my summer holiday booked it is now time to get working on that beach body. This is a nightmare for a foodie like me but it's OK! You can still have your favorite dishes if you just make a few little changes. This recipe for my vegetarian take on a beef stroganoff is automatically better for you as it uses Quorn rather than beef and the main calorie adding culprit, the cream is replaced with creme fraiche. Adding some peppers in to bump up the flavors is all you need to turn this classic dish into a guilt free feast!

My stroganoff contains Quorn steak strips. You can find these now in most large supermarkets. If you prefer a different type of "beef" vegetarian replacement protein feel free to use that instead. If you really can't live without meat, you can use beef but make sure it's cut into lean strips to keep things low in calories.

As for the rest of the ingredients, I wouldn't advise changing anything else otherwise your not really having a mushroom stroganoff. Apart from the peppers! You can leave them out if you like but they do make a great addition to the dish. Also, I'll leave it up to you to choose what color you want to use but red and yellow peppers do add a burst of color that is needed for what can be quite a dull looking plate of food. The parsley has the same effect. The speckles of green not only taste great but look great too. I've used dried parsley as it's just easier but you can chopped up fresh leaves if you have them to hand.

Whats great about this recipe is that its so simple and quick to make. This is a great one to do if are rushed for time or don't want to spend a long time in the kitchen as a majority of time is spent just simmering and reducing the sauce. The recipe below will serve two-four people depending on if you serve it with any sides.

Veggie Steak And Mushroom Stroganoff

 1 Chopped Red Onion

300g Chopped Mushrooms

200g Quorn Steak Strips
1 Chopped Pepper
300ml Vegetable Stock
2 Tsp Dried Parsley

1 Tbsp Potato Starch

Salt And Pepper To Season

3 Tbsp Creme Fraiche

1. In a well oiled pan on a medium heat, throw in the onion and mushrooms and fry until the onions have softened and the mushrooms have shrunk in sized. Add in the steak and peppers and fry until the peppers begin to soften.
2. Pour in the stock and top up the pan with hot water so that the liquid in the pan is just above the rest of the ingredients. Add in the parsley and potato starch and give everything a good mix until the potato starch has incorporated into the stock and there are no lumps.
3. Season liberally with salt and pepper and then bring the mix to the boil before reducing to a simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add in the creme fraiche and give everything a good mix before simmering for another 5 minutes.

Serve the stroganoff on a bed of rice and garnish with a smidge more of the dried parsley if you have any left. In less than 45 minutes you have a speedy healthier and most importantly vegetarian version of this Russian classic. It's such a tasty dish that you won't believe how easy it is to make. Make sure you also have some good chunks of warm crusty bread to mop every last drop of that herby creamy sauce. Well, that might add a few more calories to your dinner but think of the calories you've saved used Quorn and creme fraiche. Stop feeling guilty and just get stuck in to this super slimmers supper!