Pierogi with Potato, Carrot and Cheese Filling

To download a copy of the recipe for Potato, Carrot and Cheese Pierogi, click HERE.

First things first: “pierogi” is plural. The singular form, pierog, is on the list of forgotten singular food words that also includes raviolo, gnocco, and – so help me, I’m not making this up – spaghetto.

Pierogi, of course, are essentially dumplings that are boiled, and often (though not always) fried afterward. (You can think of it as Poland’s somewhat doughier answer to Italy’s ravioli, although similar-concept dishes with a variety of different names are served throughout Europe and Asia.) Pierogi are popular throughout Canada and the United States, particularly in areas populated by Eastern European immigrants or their descendants.

It also seems worth a mention that pierogi even have their own patron saint.  (According to Wikipedia, “ ‘Swiety Jacek z pierogami!’, (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the American "good grief" or "holy smokes!" As they say in the sports pages, you can look it up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi )

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• If refrigerating the pierogi to serve the next day, lightly flour the container in which they are being stored to prevent sticking.

• If freezing the pierogi, first freeze on a baking sheet, then place the frozen pierogi in a sealed bag or container for storage.

• Exercise care when rolling out the dough. If it’s thicker than the 1/8” called for in the recipe, the pierogi can become overly doughy.

• The filling used in this recipe is a dressed up version of a typical potato and cheese filling. In this case, the potato and cheese mixture has added mashed carrots, sautéed onions, and just the right bit of bacon. Pierogi are often topped with sour cream and sautéed onion. Since here I’ve put the onion in the filling, the recipe calls for the sour cream to be mixed with chopped chives.

• Since I like to keep things low fat whenever possible, in this recipe the pierogi are cooked by boiling. As mentioned above, pierogi are often pan-fried after being boiled, so feel free to do that here too you’re so inclined.

This recipe makes about 30 3-1/2” pierogi (four servings).

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the filling: 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins of equal thickness; olive oil for sauté; 1 small onion, diced; ¾ lb. red potatoes, baked; 3 Tbsp low fat sour cream; 3 Tbsp farmer cheese; 1 ounce turkey bacon, cooked and diced; and salt and pepper.

For the dough: 3 cups AP flour; ½ tsp salt; 2 egg-substitute eggs; ¼ cup low fat sour cream; and ½ cup water.

Other Ingredients for Serving: low fat sour cream; and chopped chives.

First, prepare the filling as follows:

Steam the carrot coins till soft. After they are soft, mash them with a masher or fork.

 

While the carrots are steaming, heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until lightly caramelized.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash well. (Leaving potato skins on is optional but recommended.)

Add the carrots, sour cream, farmer cheese, diced turkey bacon, and the sautéed onions, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

While the filling is cooling, prepare the dough as follows:

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Form a well in the flour, and add the egg-substitute eggs, sour cream and water. Whisk the liquids in the well together.

Work the liquid mixture into the flour until a dough forms.

Knead the dough for about five minutes until smooth.

Cut the dough into four equal parts. Wrap each in plastic wrap, and let rest for twenty minutes.

To form the pierogi:

Roll one of the dough quarters out on a floured surface to about 1/8” thick.

Using a 3-1/2” cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can. (Alternatively, the dough can be cut into 3-1/2” squares.)

(If necessary, you can get an extra pierogi or two by taking a dough piece and attaching it where needed with a wet finger.)

Place about a tablespoon of filling on each dough piece.

Fold the dough piece over into a half-circle, and press down on the edges with your fingers.

Seal the edges with the tines of a fork.

Set the pierogi out on a lightly floured baking sheet lined with foil while you prepare the other dough quarters in the same way.

To cook:

Drop the pierogi into a pot of salted boiling water. When the pierogi float to the top (about four minutes) they are ready to serve.

 
To serve:

Plate the pierogi. Place some sour cream and chives on the side.

To download a copy of the recipe for Potato, Carrot and Cheese Pierogi, click HERE.

If you don’t make this great dinner for your family, friends, and even yourself, you just might end up saying, “! Swiety Jacek z pierogami!”

I hope you’ll visit here again next week for another kitchen-tested, home-cook ready recipe. Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Chicken Piccata Ravioli

To download a cookbook-style copy of the recipe for Chicken Piccata Ravioli, click HERE.

A meal of homemade ravioli can be as satisfying to make as it is to serve and eat. It also affords some great opportunities to be creative with your fillings and sauces.

With that in mind, today’s recipe takes Chicken Piccata, that simple and very delicious restaurant favorite of browned chicken topped with a white wine and lemon sauce (and that is often served over pasta), and uses it as the basis for a unique, fresh ravioli dish. It’s a simple idea – the chicken is used to make the filling, and the wine and lemon sauce is used to top the finished ravioli – that’s a whole new way to look at ravioli.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin.

• In the recipe below, we’ll be making our own pasta dough from scratch. It’s fun and not at all difficult, but if you still prefer not to make your own, store-bought wonton wrappers will work just fine.

• There are many ways of rolling and cutting pasta dough for ravioli. In the recipe below, I hand rolled the dough and used a ravioli stamp, but if you prefer other ways – rolling with a pasta machine, cutting with round cookie cutters, using a ravioli attachment on a stand mixer, etc. – feel free. The right way is any way that works for you.

• When we make the pasta dough in the recipe below, I combined the ingredients in a bowl. Some people do prefer the more traditional way of mixing the ingredients directly on the counter. As was the case with rolling and cutting the ravioli, there’s more than one way, and you should use any you prefer.

This recipe makes about 24 ravioli.

We’ll start by making the pasta dough. (Skip this step if you’re using wonton wrappers.)

In a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ tsp salt; and 1 tsp dried sage.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Add 1 tsp of olive oil and 3 egg substitute eggs.

Mix until a dough forms. (Add a little more flour if the dough seems too moist, but not more than 1 Tbsp.) Knead by hand or using the dough hook of a mixer for about five minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Cut the dough into quarters and wrap in plastic wrap. Let dough rest for at 20 – 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, begin making the filling.

Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbsp chopped shallots or onions, and sauté until translucent but not brown.

Add ½ pound of ground chicken and ¼ tsp dried thyme, and cook until slightly browned. Add ¼ cup of dry white wine (Chardonnay or similar) and ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth, and cook for about three minutes, stirring often.

Remove the chicken mixture from the heat and mix ¼ cup of plain, fresh bread crumbs.

Using a blender or food processor, grind the chicken mixture till it has a slightly coarse texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, and mix in 1 egg substitute egg to make the filling.

While the filling is cooling, make the piccata sauce as described below.

Using the same pan you used to cook the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. When heated, sauté 2 chopped garlic cloves until aromatic, 30 seconds – 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, combine ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth; 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice; and ½ cup dry white wine.

Add the broth mixture and 2 tsp all-purpose flour to the pan, and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in 1 Tbsp dried sage and 1 Tbsp capers. Cook another 2 – 3 minutes.

Stir in 1 Tbsp butter substitute, remove from heat, and set aside.

Now let’s make the ravioli! (Repeat the following steps for each of the dough quarters. Keep the unused dough covered to prevent drying out.)

On a well-floured surface, roll to a thickness of about 1/16”.

Cut into desired shapes.

Apply egg substitute to the edges of half of the shapes.

Place 1 tsp of filling on half the shapes.

Place an identical shape on top, pressing down onto the egg. Press down edges with a fork or fingers to seal.

If using a ravioli stamp, press out each ravioli. Cook in salted boiling water (usually about 7 minutes but check often for doneness) or freeze for later use.

To serve, plate the ravioli and top with the sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serve with a salad or vegetable side dish.

To download a cookbook-style copy of the recipe for Chicken Piccata Ravioli, click HERE.

Whether you’re making it for yourself or for company, this is a dinner you’ll be proud to serve. Bon appétit!

We hope you’ll visit here again next week for another kitchen-tested, home-cook ready recipe. Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Peach Pie Cookies

To download a copy of the recipe for Peach Pie Cookies, click HERE.

Real food is all well and good, but every so often a person has to have cookies. With that in mind, this week’s recipe for Peach Pie Cookies makes a soft, peach flavored cookie, seasoned similar to peach pie, bakes them into a miniature pie shape, and tops it with peach-flavored icing made to look like a lattice top. (These cookies are not only delicious; they’re fun to make and to eat!)

This recipe makes about 30 cookies. (The number you get will vary with exactly how you spoon out the cookie dough.)

We'll start by making the peach puree.

In a saucepan, combine the juice of one lemon, 2 Tbsp water, and a 28 ounce can of sliced peaches (well drained but not rinsed) over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.

Simmer until the peaches have broken down to a sauce consistency, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Mash the peach flesh with a spoon or masher if necessary.) This should make about 1 cup of peach puree.

Place the puree in a separate container and let cool a little in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next, we'll make the cookie dough.

In a medium size bowl, mix ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of light brown sugar, and 6 Tbsp of softened butter substitute together until combined and creamy.

Stir in ½ tsp of vanilla and ¾ cup of the peach puree, reserving the remaining puree.

Sift 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, a pinch of salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg into the mixture, and stir to combine.

To bake the cookies:

Drop a heaping teaspoon of the mixture into each cup of a medium-size (12 cup/pan) muffin pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. (You can also drop them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking sheet, but it’s the muffin tin that gives the cookie its pie-like shape.)

Bake the cookies until golden and the edges are browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool completely before applying the glaze as described below.

To glaze the cookies:

While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze by combining 1 Tbsp of the reserved peach puree and 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar until thick (but spreadable) and smooth. It’s ok to use a little more of the puree if necessary, but make sure the glaze remains thick; if the glaze is too thin, it will tend to soak into the cookies.

After the cookies have cooled completely, apply the glaze and wait 30 minutes for the glaze to get firm. (As an added touch, you can apply the glaze in a lattice-top pattern!)

To download a copy of the recipe for Peach Pie Cookies, click HERE.

I hope you’ll make and enjoy these delicious, and slightly unusual, cookies. And that you’ll visit again next week for another recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)