A recipe as versatile for the home cook as a little black dress is for the working woman.

A great fitting little black dress is priceless. Wear it dressed-down to the office with a nice pair of Converse sneakers and a jean jacket. Switch to heels, some red lipstick, and a statement necklace for drinks after work. Versatility is essential in your closet and in your kitchen. This mushroom dish is just that. Easily dress it up for entertaining (add beef if you’re in the mood!) or dress it down to get a bowl of savory, garlicky goodness.

We made the decision to eat less meat and more vegetables. There are a lot of reasons behind that decision. I won’t get into those now, but know that it’s pushed us to rethink some of our favorite dishes and led to some unexpected new favorites. This is a twist on a classic. Beef stroganoff is a favorite dish in the Smith house and this PBS Cooking Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe is a worthy vegetarian version of the classic for the modern foodie.

If you’re on the fence about mushrooms, give this recipe a chance. Mushrooms treated well will soak up the flavor-making ingredients they are paired with. In this recipe that’s garlic, shallots, butter, and sherry wine. Yes, please! The recipe is easy and I often have all the ingredients on hand. If I don’t, I dress it down. And if we aren’t feeling like vegetarian, we dress it up. Here are tips for both:

Dress it up:

Go exotic. I’m lucky to have a mushroom man at our local Farmer’s Market and can get exotic mushrooms easily to really dress this up. Wegman's, Whole Foods and Fresh Market usually have good quality exotic mushrooms as well. Use any combo. Last time I added a mix of: Matsutake, Chanterelles, Velvet Pioppini, and Shiitakes (about 1 1/2 lbs total) to Baby Bellas.
Where’s the beef? Add it. Use a sirloin tip, diced. Brown in oil on all sides and remove to a plate before cooking the mushrooms. (Toss with a few tablespoons of sherry wine while it rests if you want it really boozy). Then start the recipe, adding the beef back in when the mushrooms have released much of their water. Simmer on low with some beef stock (skip if you added more sherry) until the beef is cooked through. Add the dairy last.

Dress it down:

Stick to the recipe or skip the tarragon and nutmeg for extra salt and ground pepper
No shallots? Use a yellow onion but cook a little longer and slower until it starts to caramelize, you’ll get a similar flavor-packed result.
Skip either the heavy cream -or- the sour cream. I usually only use one since we rarely have both in the house. Cook the noodles al dente and then add to the pan with the mushrooms to finish. If needed, add a few spoons of the noodle water to thin the sauce.

Exotic mushrooms easily dress up this recipe. Front: Pioppini. Back L-R: Baby Bella, Shiitake, Matsutake, Chanterrelles.

#KitchenAcumen Tips:

Make sure the mushrooms are fresh! None of the mushrooms should be slimy, wet, or shiny. They should smell fresh and earthy and be springy/spongy to the touch.
Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp towel; they’ll soak up water if you rinse them under the faucet. Then they won’t be able to soak up the flavors as they cook!
Cut off woody ends/stalks of mushrooms. I don’t use skiitake stems at all. I do use stems from smaller baby bellas. Depending on the size of the exotic mushrooms (Matsutake, Chanterelles) I’ll use some of the stem but stop when it starts to look grainy as that’s not a good texture for eating.
Pasta noodle water should be as salty as the sea.