[Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi] Polish dumplings with delicious meatless filling

It seems each country has a traditional dumpling dish either with or without filling. Out of all the national dumplings, the most popular dumplings with filling would be ravioli and tortellini from Italy, jiaozi (English: potstickers) from China, samosa from India, and pierogi from Poland. I like all of them! :)

You can see my dumpling recipes here:

 + Pittsburgh style pierogi with potato and cheese filling

+ Chinese potsticker

Pierogi is a very versatile food since you can make it with many different kinds of filling you want, from sweet to savory. I made sweet pierogi for the first time last summer. (I'll post blueberry pierogi soon.) As I got an easier way to make pierogi dough, I made quite a few times this year. Once you have pieorgi dough ready and handy, pierogi making becomes a piece of cake :) 


Out of all the pierogi, my favorite would be sauerkraut and mushroom filling, and with lots of sour cream. The chemistry(?) between sauerkraut and wild mushroom is something exceptional. And this sauerkraut & mushroom filling doesn't fill your stomach as much as potato filling or meat filling~ So, of course, you can eat a couple more pierogi, only if you want. :)  Pierogi is popular both in Canada and the States due to, or rather thanks to the immigrants from East Europe. You can easily find mass-marketed pierogi at frozen food section of supermarkets as well. But, of course, frozen dumpling can't beat freshly made pierogi. I got this recipe from Iwona, an ex-colleague whose mother made wonderful pierogi.

Here goes the recipe for Saerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi

(dough recipe: adapted from tastingPoland)

Ingredients

For dough

3 cups of the all-purpose flour

1 cup of (almost) boiling water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil

For filling

10 oz (or 300g) mushroom of your choice

2 cups sauerkraut

1/2 - 1 onion

4 tablespoons of butter

salt

1 cupSour cream

Directions

1. Saute chopped anion in 1 tablespoon butter. Put aside.

2. Chop and saute mushroom in 1 tablespoon butter.

3. Drain, chop, and saute the sauerkraut in 2 tablespoons of butter.

4. Add sauteed mushroom and onion and mix well.

5. Let it cool down.

6. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add flour and salt. 



Pulse few times and then start adding water very slowly, watching the dough. 

7. When the dough forms a shape of a big ball in the food processor you don't need any more water. Dough should be soft and easy to work with.

8. Let the food processor process the dough for another minute.

9. Roll out workable portions of dough thin on a floured surface.

10. Using a glass with a thin lip, and cut circles out of the dough. (size may be between 3+1/2" and 4")


11. Place about 1 tablespoon  filling in the center of each dough circle.


12. Seal edges by pinching with fingers and then, pressing with the back of a fork.
13. Bring heavily salted water to a boil.



14. Cook pierogi in boiling water, stirring occasionally if necessary, until pierogi float to the surface (about 5 minutes).


15. Pan fry them in butter, over medium heat, until lightly browned.

Serve with sour cream!

Hope you like it as much as our family does. More pierogi recipes will follow. :)

Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi

[Pot sticker-dumpling] Easy Dumpling with leftover turkey

I used up leftover turkey from Christmas! Yay.

I made at least 5 different meals with turkey.

Well, it actually is my goal each time I roast a turkey: to eat every bit of turkey.

I've saved turkey bones too. I make a very tasty soup with it. I'll post a soup recipe soon.

After a big Christmas luncheon, I  got too lazy to make pierogie dough, and yes, that is why I ended up using dumpling skin that was sleeping in the freezer instead.

If you are willing to make pierogie dough, by all means, go for it.
I would say that it is a great idea. :)

You can see the pierogie dough recipe here:

 http://heavenlypalate.blogspot.com/2011/10/pierogies-potato-cheese-pierogies.html

However, if you don't have time or energy, it is also okay.

You can substitute it with round dumpling skin.

Normally, when you make dumplings the ingredients of the filling is to hold together, aren't they?

It's probably thanks to the raw ground meat that is kind of sticky.

So, this turkey dumpling is not an usual case, because once-roasted turkey doesn't hold together.

Don't worry. Where there is a will, there's a way. Or, in other words, if you have a will to make pot stickers with non-sticky.

Are you wondering how?

The secret(?) ingredient to hold turkey is "mashed potato"

Here goes a very easy "leftover turkey dumpling" recipe.

Ingredients

300g (10 oz) roasted turkey (leftover)
1 cup mashed potato (leftover)
1 package round dumpling skins
1/2 zucchini
1 small onion
2-3 Tablespoon fresh chives or scallion, chopped
salt
vinegar
for sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce + 1/4 cup white vinegar

How to make:

1. Chop turkey, and chop onion and chives.

2. In a large bowl, mix together turkey, scallions, onion, and mashed potato until well combined. Season with salt.

3. Use finger to moisten edge of dumpling skin with water.

4. Place about 1-2 teaspoons filling in the center of a dumpling skin.

5. Fold skin over filling to form a half-moon shape.

Press edges to seal.

 6. Place on prepared plates.

Repeat with remaining filling and dumpling skins.

7. Boil the pot stickers in a large pot of water. Don't overcrowd the pot.

They are done when they float to the top (about 2-3 minutes).

8. Fry pot stickers in a lightly oiled pan, until lightly crispy.

9. Now pot stickers are ready to be eaten :)

Make dipping sauce. Mix soy sauce with white vinegar according to your palate.

  Serve warm pot stickers with sauce.

 It's very easy to make.

Bon Appétit!

Easy Dumpling with Leftover Turkey

[Pierogies] Potato & cheese pierogies

There are varieties of pierogies.

However, 

I believe two fillings, potato & cheese & onion fillings 

and sauerkraut & mushroom fillings are the two most popular ones.

Remi and Pablo love potato & cheese pierogies

while Mr. D and I love sauerkraut & mushroom pierogies.

I post potato & cheese pierogies today,

but I'll post sauerkraut & mushroom pierogi recipe in a near future.

Any of my polish colleagues didn't give me their pierogi recipes,:(

I adapted the pierogi dough recipe from TastingPoland.com.

 There are a few countires that claim pierogi as their traditional dish.

However,

as pierogi is a polish word, I consider it as a polish food.

Making pierogi takes time,

but it's not as bad as you think.

Here goes the recipe for pierogies :)

Ingredients:

For dough

3 cups of the all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of boiling water

1/4 cup of cold water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil

For filling

3-4 potatoes

150 g cheddar cheese

1 onion

salt

3 tablespoons of butter

How to make:

1. Sift flour through a sieve to make the dough more plump and softer.

2. Pour 3/4 cup of boiling water while quickly stirring with the fork.

3. Cover the bowl with the cotton cloth and put aside for five minutes.

4. Pour a 1/4 cup of cold water, mash dough with the fork  

5.  and cover the bowl with a tea towl.

Put pierogi dough aside for 15 minutes.

add half a teaspoon of oil 

and knead the dough until it's smooth, or for 10 minutes.

I kneaded with a stand mixer. But, of course, you don't need to! :)

6. Roll it up to a log on the table or pastry board.

You can roll and flatten the dough,

but I found my method is easier and not wasting any dough leftover.

7. Cut into about 5 mm disk and roll it out until the thickness of 2-3 mm.

By this time, start to boil a pot of water.

8. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the middle of each dough round.

(See below for the potato filling recipe)

Then, fold each pierogi to make the shape of semi-circle.

9. Press the edges with the tines of the fork.

10. Boil the perogies in a large pot of water. Don't overcrowd the pot.

They are done when they float to the top (about 4-6 minutes). 

Rinse in cool water and let dry.

11. Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft.

 Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. 

 

Serve warm, with sour cream if you want.

Potato & cheddar cheese filling

1. Peel and boil potatoes until soft.

2. Meanwhile, chop an onion finely and saute in butter.

until translucent.

3. Mash the cooked potatoes with the sauted onions

and grated cheddar cheese.

Season with salt.

Now the potato & cheese filling is ready to be used!

It's not difficult at all, is it?

I love pierogies.

Hope you enjoy the recipe :)

Potato & Cheese Pierogies