Carnivore to Herbivore: Beef Stroganoff to Tofu Stroganoff

I recently had a request to convert Beef Stroganoff into a vegetarian recipe. I spent quite a bit of time deciding how to make it and reviewed several different recipes. I decided to base my recipe on Julia Child's Sauté de Boeuf à la Parisienne found  on the Channeling Julia Child blog page. I made the dish with my favorite gluten free pasta and tofu rather than the rice and beef that Julia's recipe calls for. I also substituted shitake mushrooms for crimini, as they have more of a "beefy" taste.

I apologize to my vegan readers, as this isn't technically an herbivore recipe, I used real butter and whipping cream. Don't worry though, I provide tips for vegan alternatives.

I was a little hesitant on whether I would like the recipe because of the amount of mushrooms (I'm not a huge mushroom fan). To my surprise, I really enjoyed it.  It's basically fettuccini alfredo on shroom steroids! Between my husband, daughter and myself we ate the whole pan. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and warm in the oven or slow cooker for a meal with friends and family. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
8 ounces of fusilli pasta 
8 ounces shitake mushrooms
15 ounces extra firm tofu (you could also use seitan or veggie beef if you aren't gluten free)
3 tablespoons butter (vegan alternative: Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
pinch of salt and pepper (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons of tamari 
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup of vegetarian beef stock (Edward & Son's is my favorite brand)
1 cup whipping cream (vegan alternative: 1/2 cup soy cream blended with 1/2 cup soft silken tofu)
2 teaspoons cornstarch blended with 1 tablespoon of the cream

Ancient grain pasta is the BEST gluten free pasta on the market. It's not chewy and separates well while cooking. Egg noodles, fettuccini or tagliatelle pastas work too. Make the pasta as instructed, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water to make the "beef" broth with.

In the meantime, dice the onions...

and slice the shitake mushrooms (stems removed)

Use a cast iron pan, it adds so much flavor to your meals and IRON! Sauté the onions in the 2 tablespoons of butter for 7 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Of course Julia would tell you not to crowd the mushrooms, so gently stir until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the burner off and set aside the onions and mushrooms in a separate bowl. Don't forget about your pasta!

Now it is time to beef up the tofu. Turn your oven on broil mode. Take the tofu out of the container and press out water and pat dry with paper towel (see tips from my tofu taco recipe). Slice the tofu into thin strips and toss with tamari. Place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and broil until golden brown, flip 3-4 times throughout cooking process. This should take about 20 minutes.

Nom nom. Take a sample. Turn the burner back on and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Now add the wine and no-beef broth (1 cube mixed with the reserved pasta water) and reduce it to about 1/3 cup. Beat in the cream and cornstarch mixture. Simmer for about a minute, until the mixture is bubbling and thickened. Add the tofu, mushrooms and onions, stir evenly, then toss in the pasta.

Now get cooking so you can enjoy! Please comment!