Pierogies

With both of us home on a Sunday, we opted for a more time-consuming dish and decided to make pierogies.  (Not to mention Sean's Ukrainian heritage...)  It was well worth the time and effort, and we had the help from our friend RJ.  We chose two different fillings, one potato based, and the other with sour kraut.  Both had fried onions and bits of bacon mixed in to make them extra tasty.  The dough was simple, but filling the pierogies does take time and focus.  Finally, they are boiled and then fried in bacon fat for a little browning.  The final product is served with sour cream and more onions.  It was the perfect comfort food for our Sunday dinner!

Ingredients

Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
1 large egg
1/2 t salt
2 t vegetable oil

Potato Filling:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 oz cream cheese (a fourth of a package)
4 oz shredded cheddar
2 strips of cooked crumbled bacon
a couple spoonfuls of the fried onion
salt and pepper

Sour Kraut Filling:
1 package of sour kraut, drained well (about 2 cups)
2 strips of cooked crumbled bacon
a couple spoonfuls of fried onion

Toppings:
sour cream
extra fried onions (we ended up using one large onion for the whole dish)
green onions
crumbled bacon (optional, but definitely have as a topping if you choose to exclude it from the pierogi filling)

Directions:
Begin by making the dough.  It has to rest for one hour before rolling.  (we couldn't wait quite that long) In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.  Make a well in the middle and pour in the water and oil, and add the egg.  Scramble the egg into the water, and begin to incorporate the flour from the edges until it is all mixed in.  Take the dough to a kneading surface with extra flour and knead for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and stretchy.

Cover the dough with a clean dish towel to let it rest. Next, begin the potato filling.  Cover the potatoes in a pot with water and salt, and bring to a boil.  Boil them until tender, about 15 minutes (depending on the exact size of your potatoes).  Meanwhile, fry the four pieces of bacon (or more), reserving bacon fat for the onions and cooked pierogies.  Leave about 2 T bacon in the pan for the onion.  Slice the onion and fry it over medium heat in the bacon fat, added a bit of extra salt if needed.  Let them cook until they are browned and soft, but not mushy.  Remove from heat.

After the potatoes have drained, return to the pot and and mash.  Then, add the cream cheese and stir to combine.  Finally, add the grated cheddar cheese.  The mixture should be dry... don't add water or milk like you might do for mashed potatoes, because you want the pierogi filling to be firm.  Then, add the about half of the crumbled bacon and a few spoonfuls of the fried onion.

For the sour kraut filling, mix the drained sour kraut with the rest of the bacon and a few spoonfuls of onion.  

Now that the fillings are ready to go, begin to prepare the dough.  This amount of dough is enough to make 48 pierogies.  Start by cutting the dough in half.  Keep one half under the towel so it doesn't dry out, while you use the other half.  Cut the dough into 24 even pieces.  They will seem pretty small when you are done, but they are rolled thin so it works out.  Sprinkle some flour on your rolling surface, and also have flour available to coat the rolling pin as needed so it won't stick.  Start to roll out the pieces of dough, and they will be about 3 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick when ready to be filled.

To fill the pierogies, place a heaping teaspoon of filling on one side of the dough circle, but not too close to the edges.  Have a small bowl of water nearby to dip your finger in to wet the edges of the dough. Then, fold it over and press edges to seal.  Continue filling, and prepare for the next step - boiling.  Having people to help and setting up an assembly line makes it much easier!

Boil some water in a large pot, and boil the pierogies for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until they come to a float.  Don't over-crowd the pot... we didn't do more than 5 or 6 at a time. Drain them when they are done boiling, and prepare for the final step which is to brown them in a skillet with bacon fat.  Heat the bacon fat over medium and place the pierogies in the pan.  After about 2 minutes or until crisping, flip and cook one minute longer.  Remove and continue doing this one batch at a time.

After all of your hard work, you will be rewarded with a beautiful plateful of pierogies!  If you are serving this for a meal, we all ate 9 each as a serving size estimate.

Top with sour cream, extra fried onions, and green onions.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This tasty hot dip is great for parties because it is made in a crock-pot and very easy to make a large batch. All of the flavors blend together as it heats for several hours while you can work on other things before the party starts. We've started making our own pita chips to go with it which is a big money saver.

Ingredients:

2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach

2 cans of artichoke hearts (don't have to be the marinated kind... you will find these with the other canned vegetables)

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh red pepper, diced, OR a roasted red pepper diced
1 cup sour cream
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Parmesan
1 cup shredded cheddar
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Thaw spinach, and squeeze the water out of it until it is as dry as possible.  Also, drain the artichokes and give them a rough dice.  Gather the diced onion and pepper, and garlic.

Combine all of the vegetables together into the bowl of the crock pot and mix well.  Then, add the sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise and stir until well blended.  Finally, add one cup of Parmesan cheese, teaspoon of salt and some black pepper.  Mix and then even out the surface before putting the remaining cheese on top.  The colors are great for Christmas!

Lastly, put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Keep on warm while serving.  This can also be made in the oven.  Just put the dip in a casserole dish, cover and bake at 350 for about one hour or until bubbly.

Pita Chips:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Take your store bought pitas, and slice them into strips or triangles. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and mix until they are all coated.  Spread them out onto a baking sheet or stone and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.  Check occasionally to see if you need to mix them up for even cooking.

Store in an air tight container or zip lock bag until ready to serve.

Cheese Ball with Cumin, Mint, & Pumpkin Seeds

We served this as a Thanksgiving appetizer, and it's really a great item to feed a lot of people at any fall or winter gathering.  The creaminess of the cheese mixed with the acidity of the lemon, freshness of the mint, and spiciness of the cumin all blend together and go great on crackers.  And the ball is coated in toasted pumpkin seeds to make a beautiful presentation.  Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (one package)
6 oz goat cheese
zest of one lemon
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Gouda cheese
1 t coriander
2 t cumin
1/2 cup finely sliced or chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
fresh ground black pepper & kosher salt
1/2 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped
Crackers for serving

Directions:
Mix cream cheese and goat cheese together until blended and creamy. Next, add the lemon juice and zest. Then fold in the two grated cheeses and mix until combined.

Next, add in the spices, celery, mint and salt and pepper to taste.  I did at least 1/4 t of pepper and 1 t salt.

fresh mint

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, scoop the ball onto some plastic wrap, form into a circle, and wrap it up and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, prepare your pumpkin seeds if you didn't buy them pre-toasted. (Note: the seeds you get from a pumpkin have the shells on them... You only want to use the actual seed in this recipe so I suggest buying them husked.  Other types of nuts would work fine as well if you can't find them) I heated ours in a cast iron skillet with olive oil and salt for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until turning golden brown.  Then I coarsely chopped them once they had cooled slightly.  When the cheese ball is done chilling remove it from the fridge, and start rolling it in the pumpkin seeds which should be placed in a shallow bowl.

Refrigerate until 30 minutes before you are ready to use.  Serve with plain crackers or pita chips. 

Turkey Tortilla Soup

With all of our turkey leftovers, we had to search for more ideas of ways to use it creatively. The Thanksgiving Pizza we made was delicious, but for this next dish we wanted something a little more spicy that deviated further from tasting like Thanksgiving. So when I came across this Turkey Torilla Soup recipe from Serious Eats, I knew it would hit the spot.  We made a couple minor changes and the end result was warm and savory.  A great option whenever you have leftover shredded turkey or chicken, at any time of the year. 

Ingredients:
- 6 corn tortillas, cut in half, then sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips 
- Kosher Salt, Pepper, & Olive Oil

- 3 ancho chilies (I could only find them dried and it was fine) 

- 2 whole chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon sauce 

- 2 quarts low sodium chicken or turkey broth (tip: make broth from your leftover turkey carcass and use it for this soup!) 

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 large onion, finely diced 

- 2 whole poblano peppers, seeds and stem removed, finely diced 

- 5 fresh tomatillos (about a pound) husks removed, washed, cored and diced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced 

- 2 teaspoons ground cumin 

- about 2 cups leftover turkey meat, shredded into bite-size pieces 

- sliced scallions, crema or sour cream, and lime wedges for serving

Poblano Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (preheat your baking instrument too- we use a pizza stone for even browning of the chips) In a bowl, mix the tortilla strips with about 2 T olive oil (just drizzle some in there), a teaspoon of salt, and some ground pepper.  Mix it up with your hands and place them on the baking sheet or stone once the oven is heated.  Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until the chips are golden brown. You may need to mix them up if it looks like they are cooking unevenly. When done, put them in a bowl and place aside until the soup is ready.  You can save any uneaten chips in a zip-lock bag.

Before

After

While the chips are baking, begin the soup.  Place half of the broth in a large pot along with the ancho chiles, and the two chipotles in adobo with their sauce.  Bring to a simmer, and let this cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the anchos are completely soft. 

While you are waiting for the chiles to simmer, begin to saute the onion poblanos, and tomatillos in vegetable oil. Add a teaspoon of salt. When they are soft, add the garlic and cumin.  Stir until fragrant, and then add the remaining broth to the pot.

tomatillos

By this time, the chiles will probably be done simmering.  Put them, with the broth, into a blender and blend until smooth.  Then, add this to the rest of the soup.

Bring the soup to a a boil over high heat and add the turkey.

Turkey posing with Sean's "Rocket Tomatillo"

Continue to simmer the soup for 10-15 more minutes.  Taste it for salt and pepper and add more to taste.
Serve with a dollop of crema or sour cream, chopped green onion, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. And of course, sprinkle your tortilla chips on top to let them soak up the flavor. This soup has the perfect amount of spice to make it warm without your mouth being on fire. If you want to eliminate some spice I'd recommend eliminating one of the chipotles, because it is the hottest chile out of the three in this recipe. Enjoy!