Recipe Rehab: Mushroom Stroganoff

In honor of Earth Day, this week's recipe will focus on earth-friendly substitutions. Since the resources to produce a pound of meat far exceed the resources needed to produce a pound of vegetables, I'm going to use mushrooms to replace the beef in my rehab for Mushroom Stroganoff.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of cancer-fighting phytonutrients as well as essential minerals that ensure proper functioning of bodily systems. Check out your local farmers' market to discover the varieties found in your region. Shopping at farmers' markets is another way to reduce the energy costs associated with your food production and any combination of fresh, local mushrooms would add a unique flavor to this dish.

Traditional stroganoff combines sliced beef, mushrooms and a gravy-like sauce made out of sour cream. I will replace the beef with hearty mushrooms such as shiitake, portobello and cremini. In order to improve the calories even further, I will replace the sour cream in the gravy with plain non-fat yogurt. Serve with pearl barley for a healthy serving of whole grains instead of the typical egg noodle pasta.

I challenge you to reduce your carbon footprint in honor of Earth Day throughout the year by shopping local and replacing some of the meat in your favorite recipes with vegetarian ingredients. You may just discover a new favorite recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 cups cooked barley

Instructions:
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in two cups warm water to reconstitute them. When soft, remove the mushrooms and set aside. Mix the remaining mushroom water with 2 tablespoons of white whole wheat flour. Set aside until needed.
2. Heat the oil and sauté the onions, celery, garlic and all of the mushrooms. Add the mushroom water/flour mixture and vegetable stock and simmer until thickened (about 20 minutes).
3. Mix the yogurt and ground mustard together. Pour into the mushroom mixture and heat through.
4. Garnish with parsley and serve over cooked barley.

Serves: 4

Nutrition Content (per serving):
328 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 64 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 12 g protein, 321 mg sodium

My Rehab for Mexican Lasagna is another great recipe featuring vegetarian substitutions.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!