Are you afraid of failure in the kitchen?

If you are, you’re not alone. I was recently talking to a friend who interviews people on video for a local on-line media publication. She had no experience when she started, but she accepted the challenge and went ahead and said yes.

She could have failed. Most people aren’t that great behind the camera, and even if they are, they don’t have the finesse it takes to interview people. She discovered she had a talent for this, a real talent she never knew she had.

I liken her style to that of Johnny Carson. A genius at not making the interview about him, Johnny knew how to keep the spotlight on the star. Some of the best known interviewers of the last few decades have not been able to master that, and they have had training and experience. My friend possesses this quality naturally. Over the last year, her natural skill has been polished.

No one is perfectly perfect at first, but that learning curve often stops people and they never discover who they are or what they are capable of.

The secret in unleashing secret talents, skills, gems, surprises is to venture forth and try new things without concern of the outcome. Most of us are afraid to fiddle with recipes or break new ground, for fear of failure. Success only comes from embracing failure, even if it’s the failure in your head. 

There is a tipping point where failure fades and success increases. Most people can’t handle failure and they stop before the tipping point. Even in cooking simple food, people become afraid.

I am not afraid to try new things in the kitchen because my fails usually get me to where I want to go.

A Twist on Classic: Beef Stroganoff with Ground Beef

In this recipe I put a spin on a classic and developed a Ground Beef Stroganoff recipe with a twist for saving time and pots. I used no boil lasagna noodles. Of course, you can use buttered noodles, (recipe here), but we loved the way the noodles got crunchy on top.

Ground beef is quite a departure in this dish, but an easy and delicious one. The fat from the ground beef will bring great flavor, as well as the Worcestershire, onions, garlic and mushrooms, thyme and parsley.  The best part, the sour cream, brings the comfort factor.

While this almost seems like one of those hamburger helper recipes, it’s not. It’s much better, but it’s just as quick. This is not processed food. It’s whole food, made fresh. You can, of course, sub any noodle (even gluten free) or go completely grain free. It’s still good food.

Two Ways to Make Beef Stroganoff

I’ve made Ground Beef Stroganoff two ways, because I think of you.  Easy and Easier.

1. Easy. Serve over store bought egg noodles (or make your own if you desire).

2. Easier. Break up the no boil lasagna noodles and turn this dish into an outstanding baked Ground Beef Stroganoff skillet bake. We loved the crunch of the noodles. This dish was so good, it was all gone in minutes.

So tell me, have you ever discovered something cool about yourself that totally surprised you?

More Ground Beef Ideas from Spinach Tiger

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Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Two ways to make ground beef stroganoff. Stove top and oven, both easy and delicious.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 12 ounces mushrooms
• 4 teaspoons butter divided
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 4 -6 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt less if you desire
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream can use low fat or full fat
• 1/2 pound egg noodles

No Boil Lasagna Noodles Option

• 1/2 box no boil noodles

Instructions

• Scrub mushrooms off with a paper towel or brush. Slice, and saute in a tablespoon butter.
• Set mushrooms aside.
• Saute onions in olive oil until softened. Add garlic and cook a few minutes.
• Add mushrooms back in.
• Season ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper.
• Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until the beef is well done.
• Add fresh thyme.
• If using noodles, boil 1/2 pound noodles according to package instructions.
• Add sour cream to the ground beef.
• Butter noodles with remaining teaspoon butter.
• Serve immediately over buttered noodles with a heaping of chopped parsley.

No Boil Lasagna Noodles

• Break noodles up and toss with ground beef. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 or until noodles are softened.

Notes

This recipe will serve 2 to 4 depending on portion size. You may want to double it for 4 people.

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