Blueberry Pierogi (Pierogi z Jagodami)

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Pierogi with fruit fillings are very popular in Poland, Ukraine, Belarus…that whole region. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, sour cherries, and plums are common because those grow so well in the region.

Try to make these when blueberries are in season, usually late spring through summer, because they ARE the filling. Out of season, blueberries tend to be, but are not always…flavorless. If you have a craving you can’t beat, you can use frozen blueberries and thaw them before use. 

Once pierogi are assembled, your can refrigerate them and cook them the next day, or you can freeze them for a few weeks.

This make about 3-4 dozen pierogi.

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Łazanki (Noodles with Cabbage and Onion)

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Łazanki is Polish recipe that typically combines wide flat noodles with cabbage (or sauerkraut), onion, and sometimes meat and/or mushrooms. Łazanki also refers specifically to the wide noodle used. If Wikipedia is to be believed, then łazanki came to Poland and the region in the 16th century when the Italian born Queen Bona Sforza introduced a multitude of new foods, including lasagna-type noodles. I believe it! Bona Sforza brought all sorts of vegetables up north-east with her and the Polish names of some of these foods sound like their Italian counterparts, like tomatoes (pomidori-pomidory).

This recipe is vegetarian, but you can add kiełbasa or bacon and use melted pork or chicken fat as well. Łazanki noodles are difficult to find outside of Polish delis, so you can use wide egg noodles, or even break up lasagna noodles instead. It is important that you give the onions and cabbage enough time to cook down and naturally sweeten.

Smacznego!

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Red Barszcz (Czerwony Barszcz Wigilijny)

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Barszcz, borscht, borshch, are all names for beautiful beet-based soups of Eastern European origin. Beyond beets, there are few similarities between barszcz recipes from country to country, region to region and family to family. Many people typically think of a Ukrainian variety (barszcz ukraiński), filled with chunks of vegetables, and some with meat. There’s also chłodnik, a refreshing cold beet summer soup that is served with sour cream or buttermilk.

This barszcz is more of a broth, with small bits of grated beets on the bottom and is the variety that is always served for Wigilia, or Christmas Eve. This soup is usually paired with small mushroom dumplings.

Many other Christmas Eve barszcz recipes yield a sweet flavor. I don’t know if this is a regional variation or simply a family variation, but I did not grow up eating barszcz with any sugar or sweetness beyond what came from the beets themselves. To each their own! Continue reading →

Lentil Soup

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Have you ever neglected to go grocery shopping for a while, looked in your kitchen and wondered what on earth you were going to cook? Well if that happens, chances are that you have at least 75% of the ingredients necessary to make this dish.

Flavorful, economical, and easy, this is a great soup to make on a Sunday and bring to work, or have ready for dinner for a few days when your day is over. If you don’t have all of the spices, don’t worry! Soups are rarely a perfect science, so just omit it if you don’t have it! Continue reading →

Savory Sweet Potato and Harissa Waffles

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This is a breeze to put together and is a good waffle to throw into the rotation if you like savory options. The harissa I have has red bell pepper in it so it is not as spicy as other varieties I’ve had. If you have one that’s all/mostly chili pepper, cut the harissa down to 1 tbsp to adjust the heat level. Continue reading →

Cheese Burek (Cheese Pies)

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Ingredients:

  • 12 oz feta cheese block
  • 5 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion/scallion
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 egg
  • 2 packages (4 sheets total) puff pastry dough
  • *Optional sesame or poppy for topping*

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Zebbug Mimli (Maltese Stuffed Olives)

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This recipe takes us south to the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. In an effort to dabble in the culinary traditions of the other half beyond pastizzi, a delicious Maltese cheese pastry, I present a version of zebbug memli. If you can’t be anywhere near the turquoise blue Maltese water, then have some of these tuna stuffed green olives, close your eyes, and just pretend. Continue reading →

Crispy Roasted Broccoli

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With just 3 ingredients, this recipe clearly isn’t about what you add to a dish, the focus is how you cook it! Spreading vegetables like broccoli or green beans on a sheet pan and baking them at a high temperature maximizes flavor and is as simple as it gets. Continue reading →

Leek and Cabbage Patties

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Ingredients:

  • 2 medium leeks
  • 1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 medium-large head
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp goat cheese
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • salt
  • fresh herbs (green onion, parsley, or dill) for garnish
  • 1/3 cup oil (olive, sunflower, vegetable, etc.)

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Pierogi with Sauerkraut and Mushroom (Pierogi z Kapustą i Pieczarkami)

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I gave the spiel on pierogi in my potato and cheese potato and cheese filling post. This recipe is for the popular sauerkraut and mushroom filling. If you are having trouble finding dried mushrooms or if they are too expensive in stores near you, just use fresh mushrooms! Some recipes call for 1 shredded and sautéed carrot…that would be a great addition if you’d like.

Pssst…you can make this recipe vegan if make a dough with flour, water, and salt (start 3:1 ratio flour to water) and adjust as necessary).***

Reminder that once pierogi are assembled, you can refrigerate them and cook them the next day, or you can freeze them for a few weeks.

This make about 3-4 dozen pierogi. Continue reading →