Homemade Golabki and Potato Cheese Pierogi

Well, I'm Asian, but was adopted and raised Polish. Growing up there wasn't any kimchee, just fresh kielbasa, pierogi, sauerkraut, golabki, whitefish dip, dill pickle soup and lots of horseradish.
 
My dad jokes a lot when I made my homemade Polish dishes that he raised a good ole' Polish girl.  It also usually throws a lot of people off when they see my last name as Zasadny and then I walk through the door.
 
I make both of these dishes a little different than the original but my good ole' Polish dad has never seemed to mind :)
 
Golabki aka Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 head green cabbage
• 1lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1 cup Long grain rice, dry
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 can Tomato Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce (optional, but I'm Asian, so you know)
• 1 tsp EVOO

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a big pot of water to boil and cut the core out of the cabbage. Place the cabbage in the water and let boil for about 15 minutes, until tender. You'll then be able to peel the leaves easily off of the cabbage while in the water. Set them aside to drain.
• Cook your long grain rice. (I use my rice cooker and use 1 cup of beef broth toward the liquid needed - I think it gives more flavor to the rice)
• Heat EVOO on skillet on medium high heat, add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and add to a bowl.
• Add the beef to the skillet and cook until browned. Drain the fat and add it to the bowl of onion mixture.
• Once rice is done, add to the bowl as well and mix to thoroughly combine the mixture.
• **** Note **** some people add egg to help bind the mixture a bit, but I choose not to.
• Take your cabbage leaves, cut the hard vein out, add 3 Tbsp of the meat mixture and then roll over, fold in sides and continue to roll. Repeat until all of the meat mixture/cabbage leaves are gone.
• Take the tomato sauce and mix in the sriracha sauce. Add a few Tbsp on the bottom of a dutch oven, then lay in the cabbage rolls, top with more tomato sauce, then another layer of cabbage roll, then more tomato sauce.
• Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Homemade Potato Pierogi

Ingredients for Pierogi dough:

• 3 cups All purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup hot/boiling water
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

Directions for Pierogi dough:

• In a large bowl add the flour and the salt. Sift to combine and aerate.
• Add the hot water and mix, then add the cold water and mix, then add the vegetable oil.
• Kneed the dough until combined and then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Potato cheese filling:

• 6 small/medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 small container ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp EVOO

Directions for Potato cheese filling:

• Heat EVOO on skillet on medium high heat, add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and add to a bowl.  (*** I just did this together when making the same for the stuffed cabbage and then divided***)
• Boil potatoes until tender, then drain and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.
• Add the ricotta and then mash the potatoes until desired consistency. (*** I like mine with a few lumps***)
• Add the Colby jack chees and optional parsley and mix until thoroughly combined.

Directions for making the final Pierogi:
*** There are many ways to do this, but I found that this is the easiest for me***

• Tear off an inch sized ball of dough and roll out to make a circle, fill with about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the potato cheese filling then seal and use a fork to crimp the edges.
• Repeat till dough/filling is gone.
• Bring a big pot of water to boil and add some salt.
• Depending on the size of the pot add 10-12 pierogi. Make sure to carefully stir the pot to ensure that none of the pierogi have stuck to the bottom. Once they float, boil for another 1-2 minutes, then remove and drain. Repeat until all your pierogi are done.
• In a large skillet, melt 1Tbsp butter and brown the pierogi on each side then remove. ***If you're making a lot you'll need to keep adding more butter***

Serve your pierogi with sour cream or apple sauce or whatever else you might like.

Enjoy!

Filet Mignon w/Sautéed Onions and Baby Bellas on top of Shredded Brussel Sprouts w/Bacon

So I was out of town the last few days and missing the kitchen, plus I figured I’d make something special for Scott. He usually only eats frozen pizza and power bars when I’m not home. He loves steak and filet was on sale so I figured why not :) this makes enough for two people.

Ingredients:

• 2 8oz filets
• Approximately 15 brussel sprouts; ends trimmed, cut in half and shredded
• 3 slices of bacon, diced
• 8oz package of baby bella mushrooms; sliced
• ½ medium white onion, sliced pole to pole
• 4 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Salt pepper

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a cold pan, place bacon and set to medium low heat.
• In another pan, add 2 Tbsp EVOO and heat on medium high heat.
• In a last pan, add sliced mushrooms and onions and the add the other 2 Tbsp of EVOO.
• Cook bacon until crisp and remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon then add shredded brussel sprouts to the pan.
• Season filets with salt and pepper then add to last pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove from stove and cook in oven for 8 minutes for medium to rare.
• Season mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper and let brown. Finish with 1Tbsp of butter.
• Continue sautéing brussel sprouts until crisp and then add pepper and bacon.
• Remove filets, add ½ Tbsp on top of each filet and let rest 5 minutes.
• Arrange brussel sprout mixture on the bottom, top with filet and then add mushroom mixture on top.

 Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Burritos

Two favorites combined: Mexican and Wings!

Ingredients:

• 1 Roasted Chicken (Pre-cooked a the store, save A LOT of time)
• 4 green onions, sliced thin on the bias
• ¾ cup gorgonzola cheese
• 6 burrito sized tortillas
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used Colby jack)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 1 cup frank’s red hot buffalo style sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Take apart the roasted chicken and shred all the meat. Make sure to take off the skin and drain on paper towel so the chicken doesn’t have the unnecessary grease. 
• In a bowl combine the enchilada sauce and hot sauce.
• Coat a 9x11 baking dish with about ¼ cup of the enchilada/hot sauce mixture.
• Mix 1 cup of the enchilada/hot sauce mixture with 1 cup shredded cheese and shredded chicken.
• For each tortilla, place chicken mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Fold in both ends and then roll, leaving the seam side down. Place each in the baking dish. Should fit 6.
• Top the enchiladas with the rest of the enchilada/hot sauce mixture and then top with remaining ½ cup shredded cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with gorgonzola cheese, let sit for 5 minutes.
• Serve with green onions on top.

General Tso Chicken

So, second to Mexican our next favorite cuisine is Asian. I usually stick with a stir fry or noodle dish, but I’ve been wanting to try a General Tso variation. I love General Tso, but I hate how it’s so bready at the restaurants. Below is my take that Scott and I devoured in seconds, well maybe minutes, we were using chopsticks and all. By now you’ve realized, we like big portions, so this makes about four or maybe only three. HAH!

Ingredients:

• 1lb raw chicken, cut bite size (I used chicken tenders because that’s all I had, since I mistakenly bought tenders instead of breasts at Costco, fail)
• 2 egg whites
• Salt and pepper
• 1 ½ cups snow peas, ends trimmed and cut in half
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced, pole to pole
• ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced, pole to pole
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (use more or less for the heat that you want, I used more than 1 tsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp. cornstarch
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 2 cups Jasmine rice, dry

Directions:

• Cook rice as directed.
• Mix water and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch until incorporated. Add garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper and then all veggies. Mix and set aside.
• Heat EVOO in large pan (I used a large wok style pan) on medium high heat. 
• Mix remaining cornstarch, egg whites, salt and pepper until smooth. Add chicken and mix to coat.
• When oil is heated, drain chicken and add to pan. Make sure to keep the chicken separated or all the breading will stick together and be one big piece of chicken. Cook until browned and crispy, about 8 minutes total. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Change heat to just high. Give veggie mix a good toss and then add to hot pan. Cook constantly stirring for about 3 minutes just cooking the veggies and thickening the sauce. 
• Remove from heat and add chicken. Carefully stir to coat chicken and veggies evenly.
• Serve over white rice or whatever rice you chose to use.

Skinny Chicken Alfredo with Fresh Garlic Bread and Caprese Skewers

So it was my work husband’s birthday and I wanted to make dinner for us and a few co-workers. Work husband another one that loves whenever I cook for him. I’ve gone to hang out countless times and whipped something up with whatever he had in the fridge, but since it was his birthday, I figured I’d make something he requested. I chose a “skinny” version so it wouldn’t be so heavy with our after dinner “partying”. This makes about enough for six to eight people, depending on their appetites. For us, it barely served 6 because they were all hungry guys who normally don’t get a home cooked meal.

Caprese Skewers 

Ingredients: 

• 48 Cherry tomatoes
• 48 Basil leaves
• 2 Balls Fresh mozzarella, diced to similar size as tomatoes
• ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• ¼ cup EVOO
• 48 Toothpicks

Directions:

• Mix balsamic vinegar, garlic and EVOO in bowl and set aside.
• Skewer mozzarella then one basil leaf then tomato onto each toothpick.
• Drizzle balsamic dressing over all the skewers.

Fresh Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 Fresh French loaf 
• 1 Roasted garlic bulb (Cut the top off of the garlic bulb, drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 450 degree toaster oven for 30 minutes)
• 6 Tbsp. Butter (use butter that is room temperature so it’s easily mixable)
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. EVOO

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice French loaf on the bias for ¼ to ½ inch slices.
• Place on cookie sheet and place in oven for approximately 5-8 minutes, until slightly crispy.
• Mix roasted garlic, butter, parsley, parmesan cheese and EVOO until thoroughly combined.
• After bread is toasted, remove from oven and spread butter mixture on each piece then serve.

Skinny Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 1 ½lbs Fettuccine pasta (If I had been cooking at my house I would’ve used fresh, but sometimes boxed dried pasta is just too convenient)
• 4 Chicken Breasts (I butterfly them so they’ll cook quicker, plus they’ll be sliced anyways)
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, julienned 
• 2 Tbsp. Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Chives (Have at room temperature)
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1½ cup Skim Milk
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO

Directions:

• Heat EVOO in large pan on medium high heat.
• Heat a large pot of water to bring to boil.
• After butterflying, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
• Cook until cooked, approximately 4 minutes per side, remove from heat and keep in foil until later.
• Add pasta to water.
• In same pan as the chicken was cooked, add butter and melt.
• Next add the cream cheese until melted and incorporated.
• Add milk and bring to simmer then add parmesan cheese.
• Let simmer for 5 minutes and slice chicken. Add chicken and sun dried tomatoes to the sauce.
• Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss to coat.
• Top with green onions and serve.

The nice thing about this “skinny” version is that it cuts out the heavy whipping cream, but the cream cheese adds the creaminess that any Alfredo sauce needs and a slight zing-y flavor.