Meatless Monday - Mushroom Stroganoff

So, today was the first of 52  meatless Monday's.  In looking over my grocery budget, I had an idea that I could save money with one meatless meal a week, one leftovers day and one night of a hearty salad with protein (perhaps even left over for an even greater savings).

To be honest, I am only one food documentary away from becoming a full on vegetarian. (Anyone with any knowledge of me knows my LOVE of cheese prevents me from being a vegan.) I watched some great ones in the last year Fathead, Forks over Knives, Food Inc. If you haven't seen them I suggest you check them out.

Tonight's meatless dinner was one I have made before. Mushroom Stroganoff. I love beef stroganoff. However, my ability to digest most sources of animal based protein (gastric by-pass) being a crap shoot has me usually just eating the sauce and the noodles. Not too long ago, I took a peek at one of my favorite stroganoff recipes and decided to try to make one on my own using Portobello mushrooms instead of beef. I figured the texture of the mushrooms would be enough like beef to satisfy my husband and yet more easily digestible than beef for me. So off I went and here is what I came up with.

Let me say first I am sorry I don't have a picture of this for you. I tend to mix everything together in one pan before I serve it and it just doesn't make for a pretty picture. It just makes for a beige one. However, it tastes delicious!

Mushroom Stroganoff

1 8 oz package sliced baby bella mushrooms (or 8 ounces of portobello mushrooms cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 envelope Lipton's beefy onion soup mix
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup sour cream

Melt butter in a large pan and add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Sautee mushrooms until soft. (about 5-7 minutes) Once mushrooms are cooked add 1/4 cup red wine. Continue cooking over medium heat until wine has been absorbed into the mushrooms.  Add 1/2 cup water, can of cream of mushroom soup and beefy onion soup mix.  Stir to mix all ingredients together and let simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes to thicken.  (This is when I add the cooked egg noodles to the pan and let everything simmer together) Just before serving, add sour cream. Mix to incorporate.

If you have not added the cooked noodles to your dish on the stove, serve over noodles or rice.