Wild Mushroom Beef Stroganoff with Red-Skin Mashed Potatoes and Petite Garlic Green Beans

1)Empty the packets of dried mushrooms into a large bowl, and cover with the 2 cups of boiling water; allow to re-hydrate and soften for 15-20 minutes; strain mushrooms and reserve the mushroom liquid (about 1 1/2 cups roughly), as this will be the “stock” for the stroganoff; keep warm.
2)In a large bowl, toss together the cubed beef stew meat, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, the garlic powder, the Italian seasoning and 2 tablespoons of the flour to coat; place a medium pot over medium-high heat, and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the pot is hot, add the beef to sear on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Then remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon, and set aside for a moment.
3)Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook for about 1-2 minutes; add 2 cloves of the chopped garlic and allow to become fragrant; return the meat back to the pot with it’s juices, and add the wine to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pot. Allow wine to reduce for a minute, then add the reserved liquid (about 1 1/2 cups) from the mushrooms to the pot, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper and bring to the boil. Then cover the pot, turn heat down to LOW and allow to gently braise/simmer for 2 hours, periodically stirring, scraping bottom of the pot to prevent burning.
3)During the last 30 minutes of the cooking process for the stew, place the peeled and cubed potatoes into a medium pot with 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover with water; bring to the boil and cook for about 20-22 minutes, until fork tender; drain water from the potatoes, and return potatoes to the pot over medium heat to dry-out for 1 minute. Then remove from heat, add the butter and, incrementally add the milk, and mash with masher until smooth and whipped. Check salt and adjust seasonings, if necessary, and cover pot to keep potatoes warm.
4)Next prepare the petite green beans by placing them in a small pot and covering them with water and 2 tablespoons of the salt; bring to the boil and allow to cook for about 6 minutes, until crisp-tender, and still green; drain and then plunge the beans into a small bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to shock and stop cooking. Remove them from the water and dry them off. Set aside.

In a pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 clove of the chopped garlic; allow to become fragrant and add the green beans, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper and the pinch of salt. Once the green beans are warmed through, remove from heat and keep warm.
5) At the end of the cooking time, once the meat is tender, finish the stroganoff by whisking together, in a small bowl, the light sour cream, a 1/2 tablespoon of flour and the 1 tablespoon of water until smooth; add to the beef and stir to incorporate, and allow to cook for another minute to thicken just slightly. Then turn off heat, add the chopped parsley and stir in.
6) Plate the mashed potatoes, smother them with the stroganoff and add a side of the garlic green beans. Enjoy!