Making the "cream" for the stroganoff:In a blender or a small food processor, combine the Greek yogurt and the cottage cheese and blend until smooth. Set the mixture aside and allow it to come up to room temperature. This will keep the cheese and yogurt from separating when added to the hot broth!

Prepping the Beef:Pound out the beef by laying it on a cutting board and covering it with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the meat out evenly to 1/2" to 3/4" thick. This step does make a difference in tenderizing the meat and ensuring even cooking, so don't skip this step!

Slice the beef into strips. First, cutting WITH THE GRAIN, cut strips that are long and about 1" thick in width.

Next, take your 1" strips and cut ACROSS THE GRAIN into 1/2" thick chunks. Pat the top of the chunks dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

In a deep pot or dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the beef chunks and sear until the meat is browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan.

Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside on a plate.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, reduce the heat if burning starts to occur, and add your second batch of beef.

Sear the meat until browned on all sides. Just like before, once the meat is browned, remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Repeat this process until all the beef has been seared and is resting on a plate.

Cook the veggiesIn the same pot you seared the beef, add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add the mushrooms and the onions to the pot. Cook until the onions are soft and the mushrooms are tender and have started to release their liquid, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the dried thyme, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the beef back to the pot, along with any accumulated juices.

Pour 3 cups of vegetable broth over the beef and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently uncovered 20-25 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Do not bring this stock to a roaring boil-- too much liquid will reduce. You want a gentle simmer.

Start testing the beef after 15 minutes to make sure it's doesn't overcook.

Finishing the beef stroganoff:After the broth has reduced and the beef is nice and tender, add the egg noodles to the pot.

Bring the broth to a simmer and cook the noodles until tender, about 9-10 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and add a little more vegetable stock if the stroganoff is looking too dry. It should look like most of the liquid has been absorbed, but there should still be enough liquid to coat the bottom of the pot.

Once the noodles are cooked, immediately remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in the lemon juice, if using.

Grab your yogurt and cottage cheese mixture. Adding a little at a time, stir into the beef and noodles.

Give the stroganoff a taste and hit it with an extra squeeze of lemon or salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!