Recipe: Mushroom Goulash and Tips for Preparing Dual Stews (with and without meat)

MUSHROOM GOULASH

1 (14.5 ounce) can plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound white mushrooms, stemmed and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 (10 ounce) package cremini mushrooms, stemmed and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
4 tsp. Hungarian paprika (can replace 2 tsp with hot paprika)
Salt and ground black pepper
8 ounces uncooked egg noodles, preferably whole wheat
4 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. chopped dill, optional garnish

Place tomatoes in bowl, reserving liquid from can for another use. Coarsely chop tomatoes, and set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion and garlic and cook until they start to brown, 8 minutes, stirring often.

Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their juices, about 8 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and all liquid in their bowl to mushrooms. Mix in paprika and season goulash to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until liquid has thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil large pot of water and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles, and divide them among 4 wide, shallow bowls.

To serve, spoon goulash over noodles. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and one-quarter of chopped dill, if using. Serve immediately.

The goulash keeps for 3 days, covered in refrigerator. If reheating in pot, you may want to add some reserved tomato liquid or broth. To microwave, adding liquid is not necessary.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 380 calories, 10 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 58 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 14 g dietary fiber, 260 mg sodium.

HOW TO PREPARE DUAL STEWS:
Recently, I met a mom coping with an interesting role-reversal in her family's diet. She had become vegan while the rest of the family remained omnivores.

Most often, when children are vegetarian, and particularly if they are vegan, making sure their developing bodies get enough protein and other nutrients is the challenge. For this mom, though, it was more about finding recipes for dishes to cook once but serve two ways, so she could cook, take off her portion, then complete the dish for the rest of the family by adding meat, dairy, eggs or seafood.

I suggested she concentrate on making soups and stews. Most soups can be made successfully using vegetable broth in place of chicken. I am not vegetarian but enjoy meatless meals and often make a big batch of vegetarian lentil, bean or other soup. The second time I serve it, I may add torn up roast chicken or finely diced boneless breast, which cooks as the soup reheats. Rolling lean ground turkey or pork into little balls that cook in the soup is another choice. Sprinkling on chopped hard-cooked egg works well with many soups, too. All these ways let you serve a meal that can be vegetarian and non-vegetarian simultaneously.

Dual stews require more choreography, in three steps. First make a meatless version, something bold like this Mushroom Goulash. Chunky and meaty in texture, it is so flavorful that it does not need meat. Dishes served, like this one, with pasta or rice, also gain some protein from the grains, which is important in the meatless version. To punch up the protein even more, add sauteed tofu. The mushrooms, paprika and spices will enliven its mild taste.

Before the final step, set aside what you have just cooked. Now, in the same pan, saute the ground meat, diced chicken or shelled shrimp you want to add. Just brown or sear this, then reserving the needed amount of vegetarian servings, return the rest of the stew to the pan. Add extra liquid, which could be broth or liquid from canned tomatoes, during this third step to keep the stew succulent while the protein cooks. Now you have two versions of dinner at one time.

Source: Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research