_{Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross}

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

Cooking spray

1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 (8-ounce) package presliced baby bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cover.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Note:

Briefly cooking the gravy with thyme sprigs saves the time of stripping the tiny leaves from the stem, but still gives you the herb's woodsy flavor.

Serves 4

Borrowed from Cooking Light, January 2010

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