Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Sauce

We put on some weight with our recent trips to Spain and San Francisco.  So, we've been eating in a lot and making constant reference to Cooking Light.  What I liked about this meal is that it didn't taste like it came from Cooking Light at all... not that their recipes normally taste bad or anything, but this one really pulled the wool over my eyes.

Yield:
4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup beef mixture and 2/3 cup noodles)

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 low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-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.