We are waiting for our next paycheck at this point, so for the next few days we're going to be surviving off what we've got. Right now, that means kitchen staples: potatoes, flour, cheese, and onions. Tonight we used them, along with a little bit of leftover sour cream, to make pierogi, deliciously fatty polish dumplings. These were much more flavorful than the frozen kind you get at the store, but they were a whole lot of work and mess, as making fresh stuffed pasta always is. If you're going to make them, I reccomend making a really big batch at once and then freezing the leftovers, like we did. If you want to only make 3 - 4 servings, make a half recipe.
Potato-Cheddar Pierogi
3 medium red potatoes
1/2 small block of cheddar, grated
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sour cream
1/2 cup+ lukewarm water
1 medium onion, diced
Lots and lots of butter
For the filling:
Peel, dice, and boil your potatoes. Mash them with the sour cream and stir in the cheese, salt and pepper.
For the dough:
Make a mound of the flour on a flat, clean surface and press a dent into the center (like a big ant hill). Add the egg, salt, sour cream, and water into the dent and mix in gradually with your hands. Add more water until the dough is sticky, on the wet side but not so much that it sticks to the counter and won't hold together. Knead just a little until incorporated but not totally smooth. Cover it with an upside-down bowl and let it rest for a half hour.
Divide the dough into four parts. Roll one out with plenty of flour until very thin but not so much that it is translucent and at high risk for ripping. Cut into circles with a SMALL circular thing, preferably with a sharp edge (we made the mistake of using a pretty wide glass and then rolling the circles out even more - the pierogi looked a good side uncooked, but we forgot that they expand when cooked, so they ended up enormous and prone to folding and ripping because of it).
Follow the guide below for filling and sealing your pierogi.
Layer your pierogi with lots of flour on plate as you go. If you end up with more than you want to cook at the moment, put them in a plastic bag with lots and lots of flour and freeze them.
To cook your pierogi, drop them into boiling water and cook for about ten minutes. Drain them and spread them out on paper towel to dry. Meanwhile, sautee your onions in some butter with salt and pepper until they are nice and browned. Remove the onions from the frying pan and add the pierogi in a single layer with more butter, salt, and pepper. Flip halfway through cooking so that they're browned on both sides.
Maple Braised Brussel Sprouts
20 brussels sprouts, peeled and halved
1/2 c water
3 tbs balsamic vinegar (we only had red wine - worked fine)
3 tbs maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Braising is a new technique for us which involves quickly browning vegies with little or no oil and then slowly cooking them through with liquid. To make the brussels sprouts, toss them in a hot pan with no oil if it's non stick of a tablespoon of oil if it's not and cook them, stiring frequently, until they're lightly browned all over. Add the water, vinegar, maple syrup, and salt and pepper, cover, and steam them until almost tender. Cook another few minutes, stirring frequently, to glaze them. If you have no concern for your health, like us, top with some butter.
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