Recipe Roadtest: Jamie Oliver's Beef Stroganoff

Hello Fellow Nom Seekers!

Today's Recipe Roadtest is Jamie Oliver's Beef Stroganoff with Fluffy Rice, Red Onion and Parsley Pickle.  Here is the link to the recipe on his website. 


I received Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals cookbook as a housewarming present a year ago and have been working my way solidly through the recipes.  For some reason, the Beef Stroganoff never piqued my interest. Maybe because there seem to be other much more interesting recipes to try.  However last night, Jamie was on Foxtel and making the said recipe and he really sold it.  He was waxing lyrical about the dilled pickles intermingling with the tender beef strips which reminded me of a McDonalds quarter pounder, a contraband substance but this is a healthier version! Also sans bun. 

Jamie's version

My attempt

Here is the verdict:

Why I love the recipe:

• Lots of veg (spinach, pickle, herbage, mushroom) mixed in with the meat and sauce.  This results in incidental vegetable eating.  That is a desirable outcome in this household where I have a vehemently non veggie eating 7 year old, Bubbachuck.   Bubbachuck was three quarters of the way through her meal before she realised she has been nomming veggies. 
• Use of natural yoghurt instead of sour cream. 
• Clever trick of cooking the thyme with the rice.  Every element was flavoursome.  I received a, "Mmm, smells yummy" from Bubbachuck.  That doesn't happen often. 

What didn't work so well:

• I put the spinach in the cooked rice to wilt as instructed however I think I should have done so earlier in the piece when there was still cooking liquid in the rice.  As a result, I had to wait awhile for the spinach on top of the pile to wilt and the rice subsequently became stuck on the bottom of the pot.  No biggie but Obelix was none to thrilled as he was on wash up duty tonight. 
• It took me close to 30 minutes from start to finish.  So not a 15 minute meal but I have no expectation that it would be as I'm no Jamie Oliver.  Still it is a very delicious meal in a decent time. 

What it cost:

• The grocery shop for the meal cost approximately $15 - $20.  I had a few of the items already and part of that cost covered items such as a big bag of onions, jar of pickles and a big tub of yoghurt which I could use for other meals. 
• It was 4 decent sized adult serves. 

Will definitely make again. 


Nom Seeker, Glutt