Pierogies

Pierogies are a popular dish in Eastern Europe on a cold winter night. Whilst it's summer here, I've been meaning to make some for a while. You could use any vegetables really, silver beet and spinach would work really well, and I'd be keen to add some diced vegan bratwurst next time. They'd also be a fantastic way to use up leftover baked vegetables.

Ingredients
Dough:

• 3 cups of wheat flour (all-purpose)
• half a teaspoon of salt
• 2/3 cup of boiling water
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• half a teaspoon of olive oil

Filling 1

• 2 tablespoon onion jam
• 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast mixed with 1/2 cup hot water (or 1 veggie stock cube)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Filling 2

• 1 cup mushrooms, diced in small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 cup cabbage, diced finely
• 1 tablespoon onion jam
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

                           

Pastry

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl
2. Pour  boiling water into the bowl, while vigorously stirring the mixture with a fork or wooden spoon.
3. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 min, add a quarter of a cup of cold water, give it a stir, and crumble down the lumps (if any). 
5.  Once again cover the pierogi dough with a tea towel and set is aside for 15 minutes.
6. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it becomes a smooth and pliable.
7. Flour a chopping board and roll out the dough until it becames as thin as possible without holes. Half a centimetre or less is ideal. 
8. Roll out the dough and cut out circles for pierogies using a large glass

                                 

9. Put some of the filling onto the dough circle and fold it in half.

                                 
10. Close it with your fingers and some water around the edges to seal

Now it's time to cook your pierogies. I like mine boiled and then lightly fried. You could no doubt try baking them also.

To boil

1. Bring a litres of salted water to the boil
2. Add pierogies and once they rise to the top, boil for 4 minutes. Remove carefully with a spatula.

To fry
Warm some olive oil or dairy free spread and cook on both sides until brown

                         


Once browned, removed from the pan and serve with salad, soy sour cream and a shot of your favourite vodka. 

Variations: grated pumpkin, sweet corn, brocoli and soy mince also work well as fillings.