Foodie Friday: Pierogi with Greens & Mushrooms

Pierogi with Greens & Mushrooms c2012

As all of you know from my last food post on mashed potatoes I have lived in fear of the spud for most of my adult life. This is why I feel that my embrace of the pierogi is a triumph on my road to fully coming to terms with the potato. Pierogis are a Polish specially, a half moon dumpling filled with different ingredients: potato, meat, onions, and cottage cheese are the most common fillings. The way I relate to pierogis is that they are kinda of like an Italian ravioli with out the ricotta cheese. 

The following recipe I have adapted from the way I usually cook greens with pasta. When I say greens I am referring to whatever dark leafy vegetable happens to look good in the produce section the day you go shopping. I used Lacinato Kale that I found in a green market in this recipe, but spinach, escarole and Swiss chard would work just as well. I also used all potato pierogi this time, though I think cheese pierogis would work well too. 

Because I am making this dish for “Meatless Monday” I’ve added mushrooms. This time I used Chanterelles, but you can use any kind of mushroom: Crimini would be a nice mushroom for this dish. Mushrooms are a great substitute for meat because their flavor and texture are very similar to meat.  Mushrooms are quite a fascinating  species. Did you know that mushrooms are neither vegetables nor meat? They are fungi, an unique classification. Enough musing about mushrooms, sausage works very well for this recipe also. Sausage, especially pork sausage, makes this a richer even more flavorful dish, that is, of course, not quite as healthy.

Pierogi with Dark Greens and Mushrooms

serves: 8 prep: 30 minutes

5 - 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion or large shallot

1 cup of mushrooms rinsed, chopped, with hard stems removed.

1/2 cup white wine

1 bunch of dark greens chopped

Dash nutmeg

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

24 Pierogi 

1/2 cup water

Grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

 Put 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions until they wilt and the mushrooms until they start to brown.

Add wine and spices. Bring them to a boil, continually stir ingredients until the wine reduces in about 5 minutes.

Add greens, salt them, and sauté on medium heat until they wilt.

Remove everything from the pan. Put the contents in a metal or ceramic bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat on medium. 

Add pierogis and water. Cover with a lid and flip in about 4 minutes.

If the pierogis stick, add more water. Cook on opposite side, covered for about 4 more minutes.

Return greens and onion mixture to the pan.

Serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

copyright 2012
vegetarian