Beef Stroganoff with Cedar Lake Beef Strips

A couple of months ago, I made a post on facebook about my blog, asking for ideas on veggie meats that I should profile. I got tons of suggestions, but only one challenge. My friend Tiffany (a total hoot of a human) said that if I could make something out of Numeat that tasted good, she would be seriously impressed. I don’t know that I’ve ever had Numeat. To be quite honest, I don’t think it even goes by that name anymore. Anyway, Tiffany actually offered to send some all the way from Chicago! And then she actually DID it! I told you, she’s an awesome human. She even threw in a bonus meat: a can of Cedar Lake Beef Strips. Truth be told, I’m a bit scared of the Numeat, now called Nutolene, so when I finally work up the courage, you’ll hear about it. But the beef strips were so inviting.

I have actually been inside the Cedar Lake factory. No, it was not a veggie meat pilgrimage; it was just a walk across the street. I am a proud alumnus of Great Lakes Adventist Academy, located in, you guessed it, Cedar Lake, Michigan. And the Cedar Lake factory was right next store.

To be honest, Cedar Lake products seem a bit eccentric. The aforementioned beef strips are symmetrical. As in, they have corners and angles. But at least they don’t have a weird name. Other Cedar Lake canned items aren’t so fortunate: Nuti-Loaf, Hostess Cuts (seem a bit gender specific…) and 3 Grain Pecan Patty (not plural, just one patty I guess) are a few examples. But a weird shape and name are the least of my worries. I mean seriously, I’ve been eating veggie meat my whole life. You CANNOT scare me with that stuff. If it tastes good, no worries, so what is my verdict on the beef strips? Not bad.

The flavor is mild, dare I say earthy? Oh so subtly reminiscent of mushrooms or… something. A peak at the label revealed why; they have less sodium then most fake meats. Three hundred mg per serving isn’t exactly low sodium, but it’s less then most. Plus, they’re super low fat, low in carbohydrates and are a good source of protein. They even finagled 20 percent of your Thiamin and B6 in there. Good job.

While the can says they’re “Ideal for stir-fry or great in casseroles,” and “Perfect for fajitas,” I decided to try stroganoff. I’d been craving that lately for some reason (no, I’m not pregnant), so the newly acquired strips seemed like a good excuse. Stroganoff can be really good, or really gross. They key is finding the proper balance between the richness of the sour cream and the general presence of the other components. Just don’t let it get too heavy. And quick disclaimer, that stroganoff photo up there is not mine. We were so hungry, we scarffed the stuff I made before I remembered to get a photo…


Beef Stroganoff with Cedar Lake Beef Strips
Serves 4

1 Tbls olive oil
½ a medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 c. thinly sliced mushrooms
20 oz can Cedar Lake Beef Strips, chopped into smaller pieces
1 c sour cream
½ c milk
2 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper

In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and beef strips and sauté until onions are tender and beef strips begin to brown.

Add remaining ingredients (salt and pepper to your liking) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve over egg noodles, rice, toast, etc.


Tips: A lot of stroganoff recipes call for flour to thicken the mixture and tomato paste… because they're dumb. The sour cream starts getting thick again like two minutes after you take it off the heat, so don’t even worry about it. If anything, you want to make sure it’s viscous enough. Also, for a vegan version, I did a combination of vegan sour cream and dairy free cream cheese, along with some almond milk and a little bit of Veganaise. It sounds sort of complicated, but I just threw things in until I liked it. Isn’t that what cooking’s all about?