Recipes

Makes 20 pierogies

Ingredients

For the dough (should be made at least an hour in advance)

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup water

For the filling

3 russet potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

For the Bacon Fried Onions & Chive Sour Cream

Oil
3 slices bacon
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced
1½ cups sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Directions

For the dough

In a large mixture bowl combine all ingredients and mix until a stick dough forms, using your hands to bind and mix, adding more water or flour as needed. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for about an hour before using.

For the filling

Mix together all filling ingredients until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Bacon Fried Onions & Chive Sour Cream

In a hot cast iron skillet with a small amount of oil, cook the bacon until crisp and drain on a paper towel. In the same pan on medium heat, cook the red onions until caramelized, about 12 minutes. Drain onions on paper towels. In a small mixing bowl combine the sour cream and chives. Crumble in the cooked bacon, mix well and set aside.

Roll out the peirogi dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out either circles or squares that are approximately 4-5 inches in diameter. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each shape and fold the dough over the filling. Seal the sides carefully and well, making sure to use damp fingers. When all the pierogies are made, heat a large skillet with a little oil on a medium high heat. Sear the pierogies on each side until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with a dollop of the Bacon Fried Onions & Chive Sour Cream and a few onions.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 medium red onion, chopped small
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips, lightly dusted with whole wheat flour
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped small
2 medium carrots, chopped small
1 medium turnip, cubed small
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cracked pepper
¹⁄₃ cup white wine (use wine chosen for wine pairing)
3 cups light herbal onion stock
1 cup of the following herbs de-stemmed and chopped: parsley, thyme, marjoram, chives
2 fresh bay leaves
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup fresh spinach
Herb Dumplings, recipe follows

Directions

In a large heavy bottom stew skillet, heat olive and butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onions for a few minutes until translucent. Add chicken and green onions and sauté until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Add celery, carrots, turnips and salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine and add light herbal onion stock and herbs, including bay leaves. Bring to a boil and turn to low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile prepare dumplings, see recipe that follows. Add the cream, cayenne, nutmeg and spinach. Drop spoonfuls of the Herb Dumpling dough over the top of the soup and let cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, uncovered and not stirring until the dumplings are cooked through.

Herb Dumplings

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed very small
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped fine

Directions

In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir well. Add butter and using fingers make a crumbly mixture. Add milk, cayenne and herbs and mix well, adding more flour if needed in order to make a slightly sticky but manageable dough.

Ingredients

1½ lbs red or yellow potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 green chilies, minced
1 tablespoon cumin powder
½ tablespoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt to taste
½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 package square wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Oil for frying

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, add warm potatoes, lemon juice, green chilies, cumin, Garam Masala, cayenne pepper, sugar, oil, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add peas to mixture and combine. Add one tablespoon of mixture into the center of wonton wrapper from one corner to the other in a triangle shape, brush edges with egg wash and seal shut by placing another wonton wrapper on top. Make sure all sides are sealed. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry samosas a few at a time, until golden brown on each side. Take care not to overcrowd the oil. Serve with the Mint Chutney.

© Recipe by Palek Patel

Mint Chutney

Makes 1½ cups chutney

Ingredients

2 cups fresh mint leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup water
½ tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice, with pulp
2 tablespoons grape seed oil or vegetable oil
½ tablespoon black mustard seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste

Directions

Mix together all ingredients thoroughly and gently. Let stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve cool, but not cold over Green Chili Samosa Bites.

©Recipe by Nissa Pierson

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed very small
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped fine

Directions

In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir well. Add butter and using fingers make a crumbly mixture. Add milk, cayenne and herbs and mix well, adding more flour if needed in order to make a slightly sticky but manageable dough.

Makes 1½ cups chutney

Ingredients

2 cups fresh mint leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup water
½ tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice, with pulp
2 tablespoons grape seed oil or vegetable oil
½ tablespoon black mustard seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste

Directions

Mix together all ingredients thoroughly and gently. Let stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve cool, but not cold over Green Chili Samosa Bites.

©Recipe by Nissa Pierson

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped superfine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped superfine
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup yuzo rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ tamari
¼ cup miso paste

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until emulsified and well mixed.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Oil for frying
3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
½ pound ground beef, cooked (sautéed with ½ white onion, chopped fine, 1 teaspoon smoked paparika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped)
½ cup black olives, chopped
Peruvian Cilantro Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

Mix together in a medium bowl potatoes, butter, eggs, milk, flour, cilantro, salt and pepper until well mixed and a potato dough is created, consistency should be between mashed potatoes and a gnocchi. Heat oil in a large skillet about 1 inch deep to a medium high heat. Take about ½ cup of dough and with your hands form it into flat disc about the size of your hand or slightly bigger and place on piece of wax paper. In center of disc, place ¼ of a hardboiled egg, a tablespoon of ground beef mixture and a few chopped olives. Wrap the potato dough around the filling and shape it into a ball or disc or any round shape, making sure no filling is exposed. Continue to form all rellenos. Fry each relleno until golden brown, turning only once and cooking approximately 3 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels and serve with Peruvian Cilantro Sauce.

Spicy Peruvian Cilantro Sauce

Makes 2-3 cups

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ small white onion
¼ cup avocado oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup hot water (more as needed)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more hot water until desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more hot water until desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Makes about 20 pot stickers

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped superfine
2 teaspoons ginger, chopped superfine
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped superfine
1 cup shredded red cabbage
¼ cup mung bean sprouts or sprouted mung beans
2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil, chopped superfine
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped superfine
3 tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
Pot sticker wrappers
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Miso Citrus Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together except the sesame and coconut oil, pot sticker wrappers and dipping sauce. Let stand for about 20 minutes. Take a spoon full of the mixture and place in the center of each pot sticker wrapper. Close the wrappers by making gathers on one side and then pinching together both sides, sealing well with wet fingers to make a kind of glue (round pot stickers are easier than square ones!) Heat a large frying pan with the sesame and coconut oil on high and fry the dumplings for 1-2 minutes, flipping once to make a slightly seared brown coating on each side. After the dumplings are coated and seared, place a bit of water in the pan and steam with the lid off for about 1-2 minutes. Serve with Miso Citrus Dipping Sauce.

Miso Citrus Dipping Sauce

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped superfine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped superfine
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup yuzo rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ tamari
¼ cup miso paste

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until emulsified and well mixed.

Makes 2-3 cups

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ small white onion
¼ cup avocado oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup hot water (more as needed)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more hot water until desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.