Simple is not Easy

In my continual quest to fill the bellies of my loved ones with real food versus that which has been processed beyond recognition, today I attempted a from scratch "authentication" of the Steak Stroganoff recipe in the Fix-it and Forget-It Cookbook. My resolve to do better in this area was not weakened, but I must tell you that making the mushroom sauce takes a whole lot longer than opening a can of mushroom soup and mixing in a packet of onion soup mix. However, seeing 5 empty plates with smiling full kid-os and husband behind them was worth the effort!

Saralyn's Take Longer to Fix-It and Be Less Concerned about Its Ingredients Stroganoff

3 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. parsley
1 cup milk

Saute mushrooms and onion in butter for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to incorporate. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, stirring all the while to avoid lumps. Cook until thickens. Set aside.

1-3/4 lbs. round steak, cut into strips (Safeway often has this on sale for $1 per pound!)
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp . garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika

Mix the seasonings and flour in a bowl. Add steak and toss to coat.

Mix mushroom sauce and 1/2 cup water in crockpot. Add steak. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

Stir in:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. parsley

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until hot. Serve over buttered egg noodles.