Steak Dinner, hold the steak

For this meal what I really wanted was something to reflect the classic steak dinner, meat-and-potatoes-type of thing, but (obviously) without the steak part. This is extremely simple, and the BEST part of it (I think) is that I've finally perfected southern-style green beans without bacon or salt pork.

Steak Salmon Dinner

2 1/4 lb salmon fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp steak seasoning

2 potatoes*
2 tbsp low-fat sour cream or cream cheese
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

fresh green beans (2 servings' worth -- can't really measure these by cups, they're too big. I'd say I used about 1/2 lb and had lots of leftover)
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot
1/3 c vegetable broth
generous sprinkling of bacon salt
1 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Start with the potatoes, 'cause they take a LONG time. Preheat the oven to 425, and toss the potatoes in it. Bake 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.

When your 'tatoes have about 30 minutes left, start the beans. Dice the shallot. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, then add shallot, heating until it begins to become translucent. Add green beans, seasoning with bacon salt and tossing to coat. Cook 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly. Add vegetable broth and reduce heat to low; cover.

When the potatoes have maybe 5 minutes left, prepare the salmon. This one's tough, so pay attention! Take a baking pan. Put the salmon in it. Coat them with a little olive oil, sprinkle them with steak seasoning. When you take the potatoes out of the oven, put the salmon in for 20 minutes. See? Really friggin difficult.

Turn off the green beans about 5 minutes before the salmon comes out. Split the baked potatoes and dress with cream cheese/sour cream and chives. Garnish the green beans with the parm. Then you eat it! :)

*potato note: When I made these I used red potatoes, but if you like baking potatoes or yukon golds or whatever, use what you like. It's just a baked potato.

Absolutely Not Beef Stroganoff

I know what you're thinking: "What title could possibly be less descriptive than one where all we know is that we have ruled out one of the billions of meals in the world?" But please, bear with me here. There is a story:

Growing up, my mom would often make what she would refer to as "beef stroganoff," though she and the rest of my family knew that what she was actually making was nowhere close. The primary ingredients of her recipe were ground chuck, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream. These things do not a stroganoff make, but what they did make was a delicious dinner of which I was a very big fan. The "stroganoff" is served over egg noodles, and was a favorite in my family.

My adaptation doesn't even have beef in it, so it is not just "beef stroganoff" with air quotes, it is absolutely not beef stroganoff. It is, however, yummy.

Absolutely Not Beef Stroganoff

prep time 15-20 minutes
serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
1 bag of Boca or Morningstar ground crumbles
1 package sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
milk or cream
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 bag egg noodles
salt & pepper
parmesan cheese (optional)

recommended seasonings:
bacon salt
fresh oregano
fresh chives
paprika

Set your pan of water over high heat for the egg noodles. Simultaneously with preparing the egg noodles, add olive oil to a large, deep skillet (or electric skillet if you have one). Add crumbles, onion, and mushrooms, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add soup and sour cream, stirring until well blended. Slowly add milk or cream until you reach desired sauce consistency. Once desired consistency is reached, add corn and cook until heated through, then season to taste. Serve sauce generously over egg noodles and garnish with parmesan. Enjoy!