Pirohi

Also known as pierogi, can come in several varieties such as prune, cheese, cabbage, sauerkraut and pretty much whatever you can dream up and stuff inside. With spring approaching, we are preparing to enter the Lenten season. This means abstinence from any meat products on Fridays each week.


I used to think of this as such a big, huge, sucky deal. Now that we have one meatless meal per week in our menu, it's just a matter of rotating the days and having meatless Fridays instead. It has actually become - dare I say it, fun - to look for and cook meatless recipes. The stigma that I used to hold for such types of meals has been absolutely blown out of the water and you definitely can have a very filling meal that contains no meat. 


I have always loved pierogi. It wasn't until college that I learned how to properly make them. Have you ever had a boiled pierogi? Ick. When I moved home, I brought my new cooking method with me and it spread like wildfire in my family. This is my first attempt at homemade. I attempted the potato variety. I added caramelized onion and cheddar cheese to the potato and filled each shell. It was surprisingly easier than I expected. 


Ingredients
2 c flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c of warm water
1 tbsp butter
1 potato, mashed
1 small onion, diced
handful of cheddar cheese


Directions
Mix flour, eggs, and salt. Add enough warm water to make medium soft dough. Knead until blisters appear. Divide into two portions. Roll out one portion on a floured board. Cut into two inch circles or squares.


In a small pan, melt butter and add onion. Allow to cook until caramelized. Add 1/4 tsp salt, potato, and cheese to onion. Heat through until cheese melts. Take off of heat.


Place teaspoon of filling in each. Fold in half. Pinch edges to keep filling from escaping which can be done with the tines of a fork. Drop into boiling water until pirohi comes to top, about 10 minutes. After they are boiled and drained, crisp dough with a tablespoon of butter.


Source: Culinary Delights, St. Maurice Parish and Friends