Vegging at the Shore
By Marci Lutsky
Something remarkable has been happening in home kitchens across the world for the past two months. People are cooking more and learning to be creative with what they have on hand in the absence of frequent trips to the supermarket. I have heard from friends near and far about all the cooking they are doing and one theme keeps coming up. People are discovering that they enjoy certain foods from their kitchen more than what they buy in the supermarket and are vowing to never buy certain things again. Okay, so maybe this sounds a little dramatic but some really amazing things are happening when it comes to home cooking.
I’ve always preferred cooking from scratch when possible but I’ve been doing even more of that while sheltering in place. There are two foods in particular that I’ve learned to make that I will no longer be buying again. One is cashew butter. Pre-pandemic, I would buy fancy nut butters at a price tag I’m embarrassed to admit (some that I had delivered). I’ve always heard about how easy nut butter is to make but it wasn’t until I tried it that I became a believer. After roasting the nuts for 15 minutes and letting them cool, you add them to a food processor or blender and turn it on for about 10 minutes, scraping down the sides periodically. Towards the end I add honey and lavender for the creamiest and most heavenly tasting nut butter ever. I’ve also been making pierogies with the help of my 9 year-old twins. We like to fill ours with mashed potatoes or mushrooms and they are better than any pierogies you can buy frozen in the supermarket.
So what else is being made on repeat in other home kitchens? I’ve heard from numerous people who are making their own granola. Did you know how easy it is to make? I’ve even made it in my slow cooker. It’s so much healthier when you make your own and can control the ingredients. I have several granola recipes on my blog including a pumpkin granola that I make all year round. I’ve also heard from friends who have been making their own flour tortillas. Do you know how many ingredients are in homemade tortillas? The answer is four. Flour, water, salt and olive oil. Do you know how many ingredients are in store-bought tortillas? Way more than four. The other most searched cooking topic during quarantine has been bread making. I know this can be a very intimidating subject for some people but look for an easy recipe and give it a try if you can get your hands on yeast.
I would never choose for our world to be the way it is right now, but I have enjoyed staying connected to other people who love to cook. On a daily basis people have been sending me pictures of their triumphs in the kitchen and I love seeing every one of them. We are all in this together and that means supporting one another. I would love to hear about what you have been cooking during this time and if you have mastered new recipes. Stay safe and keep cooking!
MUSHROOM AND POTATO PIEROGIES
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Mushroom filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- salt and pepper to taste
Potato filling:
- 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup milk (plus more as needed)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Onion topping:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Optional topping: sour cream
Instructions
To make the dough, mix together the flour and salt (I used a stand mixer). Add the egg and combine. The dough will be clumpy. Add the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together. It will be sticky. Using your fingertips, knead the dough and fold it without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to 48 hours.
To make the mushroom filling, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and onions until softened and liquid evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
To make the potato filling, add potatoes to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Add butter, milk and cheese. Mash, adding more milk if too dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the caramelized onions, heat oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up bottom. When the onions are browned and soft, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Cook for an additional few minutes.
To assemble pierogies. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface until thin but not too thin that you can see through it. Using something round, about 2-3 inches in length, cut out circles. I find that a lid of a 16 oz mason jar works best. Add 1 tablespoon of mushroom or potato filling to bottom half of dough circle. Fold over top half and use a fork to pinch ends together. Place on a baking sheet until finished assembling all the pierogies, half filled with mushroom mixture and half filled with potato mixture. When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and heat a nonstick skillet covered in cooking spray. Boil about 8 at a time until they float, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove them and place in a colander to drain for a minute. Then add them to the heated skillet. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes until lightly browned. Repeat with rest of pierogies. To serve, top with caramelized onions and sour cream.
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
