Family Favorites - August 2018: Gluten-Free Stroganoff (Fish, Nut, Egg and Wheat-Free, Can Be Soy and Milk-Free)

This year, I decided to list a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the eighth Family Favorites recipe of 2018.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Gluten-Free Stroganoff!  This recipe is basically my Super Easy Stroganoff recipe made gluten-free.  It is fish, nut, egg and wheat-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be soy and milk-free (see variations).  It is super simple to make, and so creamy and delicious!  My entire family enjoys it (hence why it is being featured on Family Favorites), but I make it more often in the fall, winter and early spring when it is cooler out.  It's definitely a hardy meal, and relatively inexpensive to make, and you probably have most if not all the ingredients on hand, so you can make it about any time the mood strikes you!  Pretty awesome! 

Note: The gluten-free flours I recommend do not technically contain soy, but one does contain guar gum and the other contains xanthan gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details), both of which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free already. 

Gluten-Free Stroganoff

1 Tablespoon full-fat, salted butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

(We always use extra virgin olive oil.  My favorite brand is O-Live.)

1 medium to large white onion, diced

(We always use white onion because it gives the best flavor.  Yellow, red or Vidalia onions can give this dish an odd taste.  You could, however, use green onions, if you wanted.)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced, or about 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon minced garlic in water

(We normally used the minced garlic.  I always start with 1/2 Tablespoon and add more if needed.)

1 to 2 lbs. ground chuck or venison

(We normally use ground chuck, but prefer venison when we have it.  What you use is totally personal preference, though.  We also normally use closer to 2 lbs. of meat.)

1 to 2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, chopped, or 1 to 2 large can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

(We normally used the canned mushrooms, and I normally go heavy handed on them because we like them.  You can use whatever your preference is.)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

paprika (optional and to taste)

(We always add this.)

parsley flakes (optional and to taste)

(We always add this.)

celery salt (optional and to taste)

(We don't always add this, but generally the dish needs a little bit.  We almost always use McCormick brand.)

2 Tablespoons potato starch or gluten-free flour blend

(We normally use Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or Namaste Perfect Flour Blend, but have used the potato starch with great success.)

1 to 2 Cups water or beef stock 

(We always use beef stock, and we normally use Pacific Organic Beef Broth.)

2 Cups sour cream 

(We normally use Daisy brand.)

gluten-free noodles, cooked

(You'll want them hot/warm, not cold!)

(We normally use Tinkyada, and we have used everything from spaghetti noodles to seashell pasta - whatever your favorite type is will work wonderfully!) 

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat until the butter is melted; add in onions and garlic and cook until the onions turn clear. (Note: Amount of onion based on preference.  If you do not like white onion, you can use green onion to taste in place of it or see variations on how to replace the onion with onion salt.  If you don't like raw garlic, you can also substitute garlic salt (see variations) in place of it.)
   
   
2. Add burger, mushrooms, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley flakes and celery salt (all spices to taste) and cook until the burger is browned and cooked through.  (Note: When using spices to taste, start off with just a little bit (less than 1/2 a teaspoon each), taste and then add more as needed (i.e. sprinkle some over the top, stir well, let cook for a few seconds, taste and add more if desired, repeating as necessary).  With this recipe, you won't be able to taste your spice level until the burger is cooked, but that's ok.  You can adjust the spice level easily within a short span of time, just remember that you can always add more spice, but you cannot remove it once it is added.  Also, keep in mind that you want the dish slightly salter than you want when it's finished at this stage because the sour cream will dull it down some.  You can always add more spice at any point in preparing this dish, as well.  Remember that the level of spice I like is not necessarily the level of spice you like, so feel free to use as much or as little as you like, even leaving out spices if you wish or adding others (i.e. garlic salt, onion salt).  I recommend you try the recipe with the spices recommended first before altering them, but it is up to you.)
   
   
3. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons of gluten-free flour or potato starch and cook until the flour/potato starch is well-blended in and the flour/starch taste has cooked out; from 3 to 5 minutes. (Note: If you find that you have a lot of fat in the pan, you can drain out all but about 2 Tablespoons of it BEFORE you add the flour/starch.  You will need some of the fat for your roux to work, but you don't have to have your dish swimming in it. :) )
   
   
4. Stir in 1 to 2 Cups water or beef stock, depending on how thick you want your sauce (I recommend starting with 1 Cup, adding the sour cream, then adding more water/stock if needed), and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes so the flavors can blend.  (Note: This is a good time to do a taste test to see if you want to add more spice or not.  You will get more flavor by using the beef stock, too.)
5. Stir in the sour cream until well-blended; serve over hot/warm, cooked gluten-free noodles or mix the hot/warm, cooked gluten-free noodles directly into the sauce before serving. (Note: If this seems like too much sour cream to you, feel free to cut back on the amount.  Also, do one last taste to make sure your spices are where you like them.  If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add more water/stock as well.  I also like to cook my noodles while I am making the stroganoff sauce, and then mix my noodles into the sauce, but I like my noodles saucy.  You can serve the stroganoff how you like it best, though!)

Feeds a family of 5 generously with leftovers.

Variations (Please keep in mind your individual allergen needs when using substitutions!):

• Milk-Free: Use dairy-free butter for the butter (or omit the butter and double the oil) and use plain dairy-free yogurt for the sour cream (Earth Balance and SoDelicious are good brands that cater to a lot of allergen needs).
    
• Soy-Free: Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour does not claim to contain soy, but it does contain guar gum, and Namaste Perfect Flour Blend does not claim to contain soy either, but contains xanthan gum.  Both guar gum and xanthan gum can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, and hence the reason I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it) or the potato starch in this recipe instead.  I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, however, because you will have textural issues, because the sauce won't thicken up like it is supposed to.  You can use corn starch in a pinch, but the sauce will be sweeter.  You'll have to make sure all of your ingredients are soy-free, too.
    
• Vegetarian/Vegan: Leave out the beef/venison and double the mushrooms, or use a few different types.  Use the water or use a vegetable or mushroom stock (Kitchen Basics and Pacific brand both have a great variety of allergy-friendly stocks, or you can use your own).  Use vegan butter for the butter or omit the butter and double the oil and use a vegan plain yogurt for the sour cream (Earth Balance and SoDelicious are good brands that cater to a lot of allergen needs).
    
• No Raw Onion/Garlic or More Garlic/Onion Flavor: If you don't like raw garlic and/or raw onion or simply don't have them on hand, you can substitute onion salt and/or garlic salt.  Simply leave out the regular salt and add onion salt and/or garlic salt to taste with the other spices.  Remember to start out with just a small amount (think less than 1/2 a teaspoon) and work your way up from there so that you don't overdo the salt/flavor.  Also, if you are using raw garlic and raw onion, but find that you need a little more onion or garlic flavor, onion salt and garlic salt or even onion powder and garlic powder are a good way to get that.  You'll want to use the powders if you want to keep the salt level down, too.
    
• No Noodles: If you are not a fan of noodles, you can serve the sauce over potatoes (mashed or baked) or cooked rice, too.

Easy, peasy and so customizable!

  I hope you give it a try and that it becomes a family favorite for you and yours, too!