I don’t know about the rest of you, but after spending the last few weeks literally gorging myself on wine, cheese, chocolate, more wine, dip, crackers, wine again, and then some beer I’m starting to feel like I need to promptly go to a spa, a yoga retreat, the gym, and possibly rehab.

So to lighten up my fatty food intake just a smidgen I decided to make a creamy meatless alternative to the traditional stroganoff by substituting substantial portobello and baby bella mushrooms for beef. I also reduced the fat of the dish by using a combination of low-fat sour cream and Fage Non-Fat Yogurt. While this isn’t a perfect “lighten up” meal, it sure beats the heck out of brittle, turnovers, and fettuccine.

Line Up!	Boil, Drain, and Set Aside
Choppity Chop	Cook the Onions and Garlic
Add the Mushrooms	Pour in the Stock; Reduce
Stir	Add the Sour Cream, Yogurt, and Parsley
Toss With Pasta	Mmm…Mushroomy

Mushroom Stroganoff (Inspired by a recipe from AllRecipes.com)
Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced (Note: I used Portobello and Baby Bella)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock (Note: You may also use vegetable or beef stock)
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup non-fat yogurt (Note: You can use a combination of low or non-fat Greek yogurt (such as Fage) and light sour cream, or use one exclusively)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and a lttle extra for garnish
8 ounces Farfalle Pasta (Note: Feel free to use whatever pasta you prefer, or even brown or white rice)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles, and cook according to your desired level of doneness. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring until softened.

Add the sliced mushrooms, cooking until they are softened and lightly browned.

Next add the stock, soy and Worcestershire sauces. Bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced by 1/3.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream and flour and parsley. Add this mixture to the pan and stir. Continue cooking over low heat, just until the sauce thickens. Pour the pasta into the sauce and cook until the dish is evenly heated through. Serve, seasoning with salt and pepper and garnish with additional parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

Sometimes the simplest meals can leave you feeling the most satisfied.  This easy Beef Stroganoff is great to prepare after a long day at work.  It’s quick, hearty, and the leftovers are delicious.  Admittedly, I did cheat and used one of those McCormick spice packets, but honestly what happens in my kitchen stays in the kitchen…Basically I prepared the dish from the recipe on the back of the packet and added red and green peppers to liven up the color.  It definitely wasn’t “gourmet” by any stretch of the imagination, but it tasted good — and really isn’t that the only thing that matters?

Peppers & Mushrooms	Saute
Brown	Add Water & Spice Pack
Simmer	Stir in the Sour Cream
Hide the “Evidence”	Serve Over Hot Noodles

We’re obviously all more than aware that I can cook, but I bet you didn’t know that CK can also hold his own in the kitchen. The below dish is actually a replication of the first meal that Chris ever made for me. We both had a bit of a crush on Giada de Laurentis and spent many lazy Sundays watching the Food Network together, so it was only appropriate that he made a recipe from her show. This dish of farfalle pasta topped with mushrooms, peas, and freshly grated cheese is very hearty. You can also vary the flavor of the meal by using different types of sausage. In the past we’ve used Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, but in the below instance we bought Spicy Italian Sausage. I actually prefer the spicy version as it gives the dish an unexpected “eyebrow raising” tang.

Grocery Shop	Remove From Casings
Brown	Ask Erin to Assist
Boil	Bake the “Fake Bread” in the Oven
Set Sausage Aside	Add More Olive Oil
Saute Mushrooms	Pour in Peas
Combine	Re-add the Sausage
Stir in the Pasta	More Olive Oil
Top With Parmesan	Seriously Impress Your Girlfriend

Quiche is one of my top 5 favorite foods.  I love the flaky crust, melted cheeses, and all of the yummy textures and veggies.  It’s the perfect meal, especially since you can serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  What more can you ask for?  PS:  Yes, real men really do eat quiche.  Just ask CK.  Click here for the recipe.

Fake Pie Crust (Shh…)	Chop!
Heat Olive Oil & Saute	Grate the Cheeses
Brown	Whisk
Layer	Pour
Bake	Enjoy!

Risotto is my second favorite dish to make (behind any kind of soup). What I love about risotto is that you can just toss in fun combinations of veggies, handfuls of grated cheese, and dinner is done (well after you stir it until your arm is ready to fall off, but personally I can use the upper body exercise). In this particular instance I used zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms. My basic risotto recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Complete Pasta Cookbook but you could also use this one and vary the vegetables.

Slice, Dice & Chop	Gather
Pat Dry, Salt & Pepper	Saute the Onion in Olive Oil
Zucchini, Squash & Mushrooms	Arborio Rice & Wine
Add Stock Slowly	Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir…
Combine Garlic & Veggies	Season
Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir, Stir…	Set Aside
5 Minutes on Each Side	Add Veggies (Stir…)
Rest	CHEESE!
Stir (One Last Time)	Fall Risotto & Turkey Cutlets

My “edited” version of Ellie Krieger’s Scrumptious Scramble.  Essentially, throw whatever you have on hand into a pan, saute it in a small amount of olive oil, and combine it with scrambled eggs for a delicious breakfast.  I like serving eggs this way because I am a miserable failure when it comes to making omelets.

Chop! Chop! Chop!	Saute in Olive Oil
Eggs, Cream, Salt & Pepper	Pour
Scramble	Combine Veggies & Eggs
Grated Gruyere	Plated Scrumptious Scramble