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. ;-)

Chardonnay Chicken Crepes

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Chardonnay Chicken Crepes, click HERE.

If crepes are not normally considered one of the basic essentials of cooking, they should be. They’re as versatile as anything we cook can be, working just as well with sweet breakfasts and desserts as they do with savory meat dinner dishes. They’re easy to make, and can transform almost anything into an all-new dish. (My wife made a marvelous dinner by cutting up some leftover roast beef, adding vegetables and gravy, and wrapping it up in some of the extra crepes that were left the day after we had this week’s Chardonnay Chicken Crepes recipe for dinner.)

The Chardonnay Chicken filling is simple to make as well. It was modeled after a classic Beef Burgundy, in which beef chunks are browned, then finished in a wine and broth blend that is cooked down and thickened into a gravy. (If you prefer not to serve it inside a crepe, Chardonnay Chicken or, for that matter, Beef Burgundy, is also great on top of noodles.)

This recipe makes about 6 servings. (It will also leave you with a few extra crepes. This is a good thing.)

Here’s what you’ll need before you begin:

For the Crepes: 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¼ tsp salt; 2 Tbsp melted butter substitute; 2 egg-substitute eggs; 1-1/2 cups skim milk; and  butter substitute or oil for cooking the crepes. (A non-stick crepe pan is also helpful.)

For the Chardonnay Chicken Crepe Filling: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper; ½ tsp garlic powder; 2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes; butter substitute or oil for cooking; 3 slices turkey bacon; 8 to 12 ounces sliced mushrooms; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or similar); 2 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth; 1 cup pearl onions (the frozen ones are ok to use); ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp dried rosemary; 1 bay leaf; 1 to 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (to desired gravy thickness); green or red bell pepper, fine-diced, for garnish.

To make the crepe batter:

Combine flour and salt in a bowl, and form a well.

Pour the egg-substitute eggs and ½ cup of the skim milk into the well. Add the melted butter substitute to the well and mix the liquids together.

Once the liquid ingredients in the well are combined, gradually mix in the dry ingredients. The result should be a thick batter.

Gradually add the remaining skim milk until the batter has the consistency of heavy cream. Take care doing this; making crepes is easy, but the texture of the batter is very, very important to getting them right.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (This helps your crepes to have a smooth texture by allowing the air bubbles to clear from the batter after mixing.)

While the batter is resting, make the filling as follows.

In a bowl or large food storage bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the chicken cubes and toss to coat.

Cook the turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat. (You may need to add a little oil or butter substitute to start, since turkey bacon doesn’t render as much fat as regular bacon.) When the bacon is done, transfer it to a plate and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add a little oil or butter substitute to the skillet as needed, and sauté the mushrooms. Set the cooked mushrooms aside.

Increase the heat to high. Add a little oil or butter substitute to the skillet as needed. Add the chicken cubes and garlic clove, and cook until the chicken is browned. (Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan; you want to brown the chicken, not steam it.)

Put all the chicken together into the skillet. Add the wine and broth to the skillet. Increase the heat to high till the liquid is boiling, then lower to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and simmer for about ten minutes.

Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf.

Cook uncovered until reduced by about ¼ to 1/3. Add the flour near the end to thicken the gravy.

When done cooking, cut the bacon into pieces and add to the mixture. Remove the bay leaf.

Now let’s cook our crepes.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat; remove the pan from the heat and melt about 1 tsp of butter substitute. (Be careful with this; too much oil or butter substitute could damage your crepe!) To make an 8” crepe, remove the pan from the heat, add about ¼ cup of the batter, swirl around to cover the surface of the pan, and put it back on the heat.

When the crepe is lightly browned on the bottom and firm enough to be flipped (usually about a minute and a half, but keep an eye on it), turn or flip the crepe and cook on the opposite side (generally for a minute, or even a bit less) till it has the desired brownness. Stack the crepes on a plate, covered with a clean towel to keep from drying out.

Repeat the above steps for each crepe, rebuttering the pan for each.

To serve:

Place a crepe on the plate.

Use a slotted spoon to put filling along the center-line of the crepe.

Fold the crepe over.

Spread a little gravy from the pan on top of the crepe, and sprinkle some of the diced bell pepper to garnish.

Serve hot with a vegetable side dish, and a glass of the chardonnay.

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Chardonnay Chicken Crepes, click HERE.

This savory recipe is, of course, just one example of a dish that takes advantage of the wonders of the crepe. There are countless others, and next week I hope you’ll visit again as we go the other way with a sweet crepe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

 

Sausage and Pepper Fried Rice

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Sausage and Pepper Fried Rice, click HERE. 

By now, nearly everyone is familiar with Fried Rice. Although normally served as an Asian dish, fried rice is made in various forms in many countries and cultures. (I have even seen published reports of a Thai version called “American Fried Rice,” in which the rice is combined with – I swear I’m not making this up – hot dogs, fried chicken, and ketchup. Is that really what the rest of the world thinks American food is?)

The popularity of fried rice is easy to understand; it tastes great, is easy to prepare, can be used as either a main dish or a side dish, and is an ideal use for many kinds of leftovers. This week’s recipe – Sausage and Pepper Fried Rice – is a little unusual without overdoing it.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• Although I’ve prepared this recipe using a skillet, the normal (and usually better) way to prepare fried rice is to use a wok. Many readers may not have a wok, however, and so a skillet became the cookware of choice.

• One of the keys to giving your fried rise the right texture is to use cooked rice at room temperature. The moisture in just-cooked rice will tend to make the rice steam instead of fry.

• To use ingredients most readers will have readily available, I prepared brown rice, and cooked it with chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor.

• The frying oil should be one with a high smoke point. (I used grapeseed oil.)

This recipe makes 2 to 3 main dish portions, or 4 side dish portions

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

4 cups cooked rice, room temperature; oil for pan-frying; 3 egg substitute eggs; 1 Tbsp water; 3/4 cup chopped green onions; 3/4 cup red bell pepper, very fine diced; 3/4 cup green bell pepper, very fine diced; ¾ cup corn kernels (frozen is ok); 10 ounces turkey sausage meat; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; and carrot ribbons for garnish.

To prepare the scrambled eggs:

Heat a little oil in a large pan over low heat, enough to scramble the eggs. Thoroughly mix the egg substitute eggs and the water, and pour into the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

While the eggs are cooking, chop the green onions, and fine-dice the red bell pepper and green bell pepper.

Cook the eggs until done but not dry, then transfer the eggs to a separate dish and set aside.

To cook the vegetables and sausage:

Remove the sausage meat from the casings.

Scrape the egg pan with a wooden spoon. Add a little more oil, increase the heat to medium-high and put the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and the sausage meat in. Cook until done. Season to taste. Transfer to s a separate dish and set aside.

To fry the rice and finish the dish:

Add a little more oil to the pan as needed and increase the heat to high. Add the rice and stir fry for a few minutes, adding the soy sauce part way.

Add the eggs and vegetables, mix thoroughly, and heat through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions.

Garnish with carrot ribbons and serve hot.

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Sausage and Pepper Fried Rice, click HERE. 

Serve with pineapple chunks with toothpicks, and a fortune cookie, and you’re all set!

Please visit again next week for another easy to make, delicious to eat recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to 亲吻厨师.