Potato and Cheese Pierogis
Filling
1 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup cottage cheese
Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons oil
3/4 cup warm water
Place potato pieces into a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Mash with cheeses and salt while still hot. Set aside to cool.
Mix the flour with the salt in a deep bowl. Add the egg, oil and water to make a medium soft dough.
Knead on a floured board until the dough is just smooth; too much kneading will toughen the dough.
Divide into 2 parts. Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes.
Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board. Cut rounds with the open end of a glass.
Put the round in the palm of your hand. Place a spoonful of filling in it, fold over to form a half circle and press the edges together with the fingers. The edges should be free of filling. Be sure the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out.
Place the pierogi on a dish towel and then cover with another towel to prevent them from drying out.
Drop a few pierogies into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water.
Stir gently with a wooden spoon to separate them and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes. Pierogies will be ready when they are puffed.
Remove them with a perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and drain thoroughly.
Place in a dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter to prevent them from sticking. (For mare advanced chefs, you can also sauté them in butter once done, giving the outside a crunchy crust.)
Creamed Pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 15oz can pumpkin (make sure it is NOT pie filling)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add pumpkin, coating with butter. Stir in water, salt and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered 5 minutes.
Fork blend flour into sour cream. Add to pumpkin, stirring gently. Simmer a few minutes until thickened and raw flour taste has cooked out. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
FUN FACTS:
Poland was a communist country from 1945 to 1989.
Polish born astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was the first person to propose that the earth was not the center of the universe.
In Poland, bananas are peeled from the blossom end, not from the stem end.