Beef and Mushroom Casserole

I like to read Clean Eating magazine, and recently purchased their magazine "Classic Comfort Foods". One recipe jumped out at me called "creamy mushroom casserole" because it had beef and mushrooms, my two favorites. It is like a clean beef stroganoff. With no disrespect to Clean Eating, often their recipes are far from what I would call "clean". I think I am much more selective than they are, especially when some of their dishes have well over 40 grams of carbs in them.


I decided to make their casserole, but modified it big time. Theirs has milk and rice in it, and lots of cheese. I left out the rice and milk and drastically reduced the cheese, it's not needed. The porcini soaking water replaced the milk and is important for a rich taste.


2 1/2 pounds flank steak run through the tenderizer once, then cut into 1 inch thick slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups mixed sliced mushrooms (brown, oyster, shitake)
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water then strained and rinsed, reserve water for dish
3 tbsps whole wheat flour
pepper, salt
2 slices Lacey Swiss cheese (in the deli section, it is 5x5 inch block of low calorie Swiss, or any low cal Swiss will do)
1 tsp Umami Taste #5 paste (optional)


I love mushrooms, especially porcini. First soak the porcini in one cup of hot water until soft, then strain and save the water. Chop the porcini. If you will not be using porcini you can use beef broth instead of the porcini water.


Heat a skillet over medium high heat and quickly saute the beef slices until browned, 3 to 5 minutes, set aside.

Wipe out the skillet, heat it on medium high and add 2 tsps olive oil, onion, all the mushrooms and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes until onions are translucent. 

Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, stir. Slowly add the porcini water (or beef broth) and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add beef back into the mushroom mixture, add pepper and crumble and toss in the 2 slices of cheese, stir to melt and combine.

Taste for seasoning.

I add a squirt of Taste #5, it makes everything taste better! You can get it on Amazon and in any fancy cooking shop.

It is rich and creamy with no milk, and a fraction of the cheese that was called for.

I had it over broccoli florets. It was great!

Beef with Broccoli

Yum! I love Chinese food but I don't eat it, way too unhealthy. Most Chinese food (at restaurants) is loaded with oil and sodium. But I have a solution, make my own! The boys were at a lacrosse game in San Francisco, I was left to my own devises...


Ingredients (for 2)


10-12 ounces flank steak sliced very thin across the grain
4 cups broccoli cut into small florets
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
1/2 large onion chopped into large pieces
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (or more) low sodium soy sauce
black pepper


First, I always ask the butcher to run my flank steak through the tenderizer two times. This is a machine that pokes a zillion holes in the meat, breaking it up. It is still a whole piece, but very tender like it has been pounded.


Slice it across the grain very thin.

Assemble the ingredients, this doesn't take long to cook. 4 cups of fresh broccoli florets, use the peeled stalk too, its quite tasty; low sodium beef broth; onion; garlic; red pepper flakes.

Heat a large skillet or a wok over high heat, then add a tablespoon of the broth and the garlic. Saute it a minute or two. Add the beef and toss just till barely cooked through. Add the onion, broccoli, red pepper flakes, remaining beef broth (almost 1/2 cup); soy sauce, stir and cover with a lid.


Cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with a lot of black pepper. The onion should still be a bit crunchy, the broccoli barely cooked through, the meat will be cooked through and very tender.


This will not have the thick sauce you get at a restaurant, they use oil and thickeners, and it really isn't necessary.

This can be served over rice if you like, but I had it without starch, I have to drop the weight I just packed on in the last week.


This serves two. Of course, if you have a big guy who eats more, just increase the proportions, it's not very scientific. You can season with additional soy sauce if you like.


This cured my Chinese food cravings!