Pierogis with Cheese And Potato Filling

Pierogis with Cheese And Potato Filling

The most popular pierogi ever, with potato and cheese filling!
Ingredients:

Filling:
6 small potatoes, boiled, peeled, and riced
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup diced onion
1 1/4 cups twarog (or substitute ricotta or cottage cheese)
salt and pepper, to taste

green onion, for garnish
smoked bacon, diced, for garnish

Directions:
Filling:
Place riced potatoes into a large bowl
Sautee onions in butter until light brown
Lightly toss potatoes, with onion, cheese, and seasonings until combined
Dough::
Place the flour on a clean work surface
Add the salt
Make a well in the top of the flour and add the egg.
Work the egg into the flour
Slowly add the water to the flour mixture, mixing it in as you go
Knead dough until smooth
To Assemble:
Brown bacon and reserve
Roll the dough out very thin, approx 1/16 inch
Cut into round circles using a glass or a cookie cutter
Add a spoonful of the filling to the center of each circle, compacting the filling
Fold the dough around the filling, sealing the edges, creating a half circle or crescent shape
When all of the pierogi are filled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pierogi for use a few minutes
Serve with butter and bacon

Smoky Red Wine - Braised Turkey Legs

Smoky Red Wine–Braised Turkey Legs

Dark turkey meat can stand up to red wine. Lean into that by braising turkey legs in a bottle of Pinot Noir. There’s no risk of drying out anything, and you can pretty much finish it all a couple of days ahead. Serve with your favorite mash and side vegetables, or do Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl by stirring three 540-mL (18 oz. each) cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans into the pot when you add the mushrooms.

Ingredients:

4 turkey legs, about 5 lbs (2.27 kg) total, thighs and drumsticks   separated

2 tsp (10 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground allspice

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or grapeseed oil

12 small shallots, peeled, root end intact

1 bottle (750 mL) Pinot Noir

3 cups (750 mL) homemade chicken stock or 30% reduced‑salt 

   chicken broth

2 sprigs rosemary

2 bay leaves

4 oz (115 g) double-smoked bacon, in one piece

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

8 oz (225 g) small cremini mushrooms, trimmed

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).

Add turkey parts to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and allspice.

Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and brown turkey parts all over,  working in batches if necessary, about  12 minutes total per batch. Remove to a plate.

In same pan, brown shallots all over, 6 minutes total. Pour wine and chicken stock overtop, add rosemary, bay leaves and bacon; boil 10 minutes.

Return turkey and juices to pot, cover and place in oven. Cook 1 1/2                                              hours

Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook                                 mushrooms until browned, about 7 minutes.

Remove turkey and shallots to a platter and tent with foil. Discard                           rosemary, bay leaves and bacon.   Set Dutch oven over medium-low                                       heat, add mushrooms and simmer 15 minutes. 

Return turkey and shallots to sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve.                     Serves 6 to 8

Spring Eggs Benny

Spring Eggs Benny

Roughly mashed asparagus and good seed bread turn eggs benny into something new.  Look for thickly cut double-smoked bacon at butcher shops, Eastern European shops, or behind a well-stocked grocer’s deli counter.  The brown butter and sesame hollandaise are a knockout spooned over tops.  

Try the Hide Bread recipe from the Big Sue Bakery offered on Dine With Donna as an alternative to english muffins.  The recipe is on the blog.

Ingredients:

1 lb (455 g) thick-cut double-smoked bacon, sliced
12 tbsp (180 mL) unsalted butter, 1½ sticks
1½ tsp (7 mL) sesame oil
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (455 g) asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar
8 eggs
4 large slices of good-quality seed bread, toasted and halved
2 tsp (10 mL) toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Fry bacon slices in a large skillet until lightly crisped; keep warm in the oven at low temperature.

In a medium pot with a light-coloured bottom, melt butter over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter foams then browns, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sesame oil. Measure and reserve 1 tbsp (15 mL) of mixture separately from the remainder in the pot.

In a blender, pulse to combine egg yolks, lemon juice and water. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in a larger quantity of hot butter mixture through the hole in the lid. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. 

Cook asparagus in salted boiling water until tender enough to mash but still bright green, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, return to warm pot and roughly mash; season with salt and pepper. Stir in reserved 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter mixture. Cover and keep warm.

Fill a medium pot with water to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm). Stir in vinegar and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small ramekin and slip into the water. Cook 4 minutes, in batches, for soft poached. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Divide asparagus mash between toasts; arrange 2 pieces each on 4 small plates. Divide bacon between; top each with an egg. Spoon hollandaise over and sprinkle each with a pinch of sesame seeds.

Serves 4

 

Ale-Braised Cheese Dip With Caramelized Onions And Maple Bacon

Ale-Braised Cheddar Cheese Dip With 

Caramelized Onions And Maple Bacon

If desired, make dip ahead and reheat later on the grill. Leftovers? Spread onto toasted bread and heat until melted under a broiler, or melt spoonfuls over grilled burgers, adding additional green onions, chives or parsley for topping.

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow onions
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or about (7 1/2 oz.)  
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1½ cups Lagered Ale
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup white cheese curds, finely chopped*4 smoked bacon slices, cooked and finely crumbled
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp maple syrup

*If cheese curds are not available in your stores, a suggested replacement is Monterey Jack.

1 Peel onions and cut into ¼-inch slices.

2 Heat oil in a 9-inch cast iron or heavy-bottom skillet on medium heat; add onions, stir to coat in oil, and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are evenly browned and softened. In a large bowl, combine cheddar, flour and cayenne.

3 Add ale and Dijon to onion in skillet, stirring to heat through. Stir half the cheese mixture gradually into the warmed ale; stir until cheese is melted but not boiling. Add remaining cheese mixture and cheese curds; continue stirring until melted, with a few visible chunks of curd remaining. Remove from heat. 

(Recipe can be prepared ahead to this point and reheated on the sturdy upper shelf of a preheated BBQ grill, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes or until just melted.)

To serve, sprinkle top of cheese mixture in skillet with bacon and green onion; drizzle with maple syrup. Place hot skillet onto a large cutting board, along with thick slices of grainy bread, blanched asparagus, broccoli and sweet pepper strips for dipping.

Serves 8 to 10, but recipe halves easily

Bacon Cheddar and Mushroom Squares

Bacon Cheddar and Mushroom Squares

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Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup coarsely grated medium cheddar cheese

*

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons minced shallot

3/4 lb fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

3/4 cup half and half cream

6 sliced cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

2 cups coarsely grated medium-cheddar cheese

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.F.

*

Lightly grease and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.

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For crust, stir flour and sugar to combine. Cut in butter with fingers or a pastry cutter until coarse and crumbly (dough will appear dry). Stir in cheddar cheese and press into prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes and cool to room temperature.

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For filling, Keep oven at 350.F. In a large saute pan over medium heat add oil, shallots and mushrooms. Saute until all liquid has evaporated from mushrooms, about 6 minutes, then stir in garlic and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat to cool.

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In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream. Stir in cooled mushroom mixture, chopped cooked bacon and cheddar cheese. Pour filling onto cooled crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until center of filling no longer jiggles. Cool squares to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing,

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Squares can be served at room temperature or warmed for 10 minutes at 350F. in a baking tray.

Yield: Makes one 8-inch square pan or 25 squares.