Perogy Bites

Every August, I go to the Heritage Festival in Edmonton where there are more than one hundred tents representing cuisines from all over the world.  I am ashamed to admit it, but each year I make a bee-line for the Ukrainian tent so that I can eat pierogies.  Why would I go to such a wonderful event and focus on pierogies, which I can get any day of the year?  Because I feel guilty eating them normally.  Full of white flour, cheese, butter, and potato, they are not exactly the healthiest dumplings on the planet.  I have been searching for a way to make them a bit healthier, and I've finally done it.  The greatest thing about these perogy bites is that they can be an appetizer or a meal, and if you leave off the bacon (or substitute it with coconut bacon), they are even vegan!  But don't worry, they taste just like pierogies - maybe even better - they are a cross between perogies, a baked potato, and chips.  To make this easier, make the cheesy cream a day ahead.

Makes 20 - 24 pierogie bites.

Ingredients:

Cheesy Cream:
1 cup plain, raw cashews (soak in water overnight, or at least 4 hours)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
pinch cayenne pepper

1 long, skinny russet potato
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions
2 green onions
1 rasher of bacon (optional)

Directions:

1. To make the Cheesy Cream, drain and rinse the cashews and then combine them with the water, nutritional yeast, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a blender or bullet.  Blend until a smooth paste results, about 3 - 5 minutes.  Refrigerate until cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Slice the unpeeled potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds.  brush them with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and then bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 30 - 35 minutes, turning over halfway through.

3. Slice the onions into half-moon slices and sauté in the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat until they are caramelized and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

4. Slice the green onions into very thin slices, including the green bits.  If you are using the bacon, slice it into bits, and fry in a small dry pan until it is crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.  Set aside.

5. When the potatoes and onions are ready, assemble the bites.  On top of each potato round, smother about 1 tsp Cheesy Cream, add some caramelized onions, green onion, and bacon pieces, if using.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Russet potatoes are also called baking potatoes.  They are the ones with the scabby skin that look dirty, even when they are not.

2. Nutritional yeast is not yeast, but is a by-product of molasses.  It is an important source of vitamin B12, and it looks like yellow flakes.  See this recipe for a picture.  It smells like the cheese package in KD.  It can usually be found in the organic section of the grocery store, usually in the bulk bin.  Try sprinkling it on your popcorn for a cheesy alternative...

That's it.  Don't be scared by the planning required to make this recipe.  It comes together really easily.  If you can make perogies, you can make this recipe!

Pantry Party Casserole

It's time to admit that there will be a day in the not so distant future where the temperature will be minus 30 before windchill, the snow will be up to your shins, and the last thing you will want to do is leave the house.  This recipe is perfect for that day (and any other winter day when you are feeling lazy).

I first made this recipe when Scott and I were living in England.  We started out with only a hot plate to cook on, but luckily graduated to a gas range (hob) and oven a couple of months after settling in.  I have fond memories of making this dish after a chilly February day of showing my parents around London.  I still think of that day every time I make this dish, which is often, and remember my mom's worried look when I was (god forbid) putting garlic, of all things, in the pot.  This dish was responsible for helping her get over her fear of garlic just like a few of the previous recipes have been responsible for helping her get over her fear of basil.  God only knows what adventures await her next!

I use three pots at once in order to speed up the cooking time.  The first day you eat this, it will be soupy and is great to sop up with crusty bread.  The leftovers will be significantly drier.  Don't get turned off by all the steps, it's a really simple recipe, and after you make it once, you probably won't need to use the recipe again.  It is a good idea to make it when someone else is on clean-up duty, though...

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or organic canola oil
1 small white onion
2-4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 can chickpeas
4-6 medium red potatoes
3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese
salt, pepper
fresh basil (optional)

Directions

1. Put a large, a medium, and a small pot on the stove.  Take out a casserole dish.

2. Chop the onion and garlic and put them in the medium pot with the oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.  Saute on medium heat for about 8 minutes.

3. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.  (You can leave the skins on).  Simmer them in the large pot in salted water until they are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice and the tomato sauce to the onion pot and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thicker.  Add more salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water and put them in the small pot.  Cover them with water and simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft.

6. Preheat the broiler.

7. Drain the artichokes and quickly rinse in water, if you want.  They are okay if they are not rinsed, but they have a briny flavour.  Cut each heart into eighths.  Add to the tomato pot when the potatoes are almost done cooking.

8. Grate the cheese.

9. When the potatoes are finished cooking, drain them and let them sit for a couple of minutes so that all the water is gone.  Put them back into the large pot.

10. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the potato pot.  Pour the tomato/onion/artichoke mixture over the potatoes and chickpeas.  Stir carefully so that everything is mixed together.

11. Pour everything into the casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.

12. Cook under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top is golden brown.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Top with fresh basil, if desired.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Like I said, this is a great pantry recipe, so buy double the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and chickpeas so that you have them on hand the next time you want to whip up something from what you have in the cupboard.

Options:

1. This recipe is very flexible.  It can be made with any kind of cheese except maybe blue cheese.  If you don't have Italian herbs, just use dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, or a combination of what you have.  If you don't have fresh garlic, use garlic powder.  The point of this recipe is to use what you have on-hand, so feel free to experiment.

My method for making this is a bit unconventional because I don't want to wait for it to bake in the oven, and I prefer sautéing the onions instead of putting the into the casserole raw.  It makes for a much better flavour.  If you want to bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees instead of broiling it, you can and it will be less soupy, but I like the sauce - it's great with bread...

World Famous Soup

I don't have a better title for this because it is not your everyday kind of soup.  This is a soup that I invented many years ago that has withstood the test of time.  I have made it in France to rave reviews,  I have made it in England to rave reviews, and I have even made it in Edmonton to rave reviews.  It's not a chowder or a bisque, although it does have milk in it, so I'm left just calling it my "World Famous Soup".  Because it does not have a thickening agent, it is a light version of a broth - and that's what I like about it.

There are many variations to this soup, and if you don't like shrimp, you can leave it out.  I made it without shrimp for several years before thinking about adding it.  Now I add it every time.  My favourite time to eat this soup is after several days of pigging out over the Christmas holidays, but it shows up on the table at least once a month during the fall/winter, which is saying a lot because I hardly ever make the same thing twice...

This soup will serve approximately 6 as a meal.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
4 medium carrots, sliced into crescents
6 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb shrimp (raw, thawed, and peeled), each shrimp cut into three pieces
2 cups milk (not skim)
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in the butter and oil with a bit of salt while you chop the celery and carrots.

2. Add the celery and carrots to the pot while you chop the potatoes.

3. Add the potatoes to the pot and sauté the lot for 3 - 4 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, dried dill, and garlic powder.

5. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

6. In the meantime, peel the shrimp and cut each one into three pieces.

7. When the vegetables are cooked, add the shrimp to the pot and cook until they are pink, about 1 - 2 minutes.

8. Add the milk and heat through, about 1 - 2 minutes.  Do not boil.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste.  You will probably have to add about 2 tsp of salt - it's a big pot of soup and the potatoes will counteract it. Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Although it is slightly more expensive, I buy the loose carrots and celery unless I have another recipe in mind that will use the leftovers.  I find I save more money that way than buying the cheaper stuff and throwing it out.

2. I use red potatoes for this recipe, but white ones or yukon gold are fine as well.  Even baby potatoes work.  Don't use russet potatoes, though, because they are baking potatoes and are too floury.

3. I have tried this recipe with fresh garlic and fresh dill, but it doesn't taste as good.  Usually, I am all about the fresh ingredients, but in soup, the rules are a bit different.  If you want to garnish it with fresh dill as well as the dried, that would be a good idea.


Options:

1. If you don't have time to thaw the shrimp, put them in a colander and run COLD water over them for five to ten minutes.

2. You can add frozen corn to this, or even substitute the corn for the shrimp if you want.

3. If you want a vegetarian soup, you could use vegetable stock instead and omit the shrimp.

4. If you want to add flour to the butter to thicken the broth, you can, but I really enjoy the lightness of it as it is.


Leftovers:
1. This will keep in the fridge for about four days, but it never lasts that long in my house!

If you try it, let me know what you think.  Don't forget the step at the beginning about sautéing the vegetables, though.  It makes a difference to the taste.