Polish Halushki with Potato Dumplings

Posted by jerseyjan 7/17/01 10:47:14
am

One of my family’s favorites.
Very rich and fattening but worth
it.
My Mom taught my Dad and Dad taught me.
My brother and I grew
up on this.

Potato Dumplings
4 peeled and grated Idaho potatoes
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
About 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Grate potatoes, add salt, eggs and flour.
Add a little water
(about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) if dough is too stiff.
Drop small portions
from tip of spoon into boiling water.
Cook 5-8 minutes.
Drain well.
Keep warm.

Fry 1 pound bacon and crumble into pieces.

Fry 1 medium head (core removed) of chopped cabbage and 3 medium
diced onions in butter till slightly browned.
Season with salt and
pepper.

Combine cooked potato dumplings, crumbled bacon, browned cabbage
and onions.
Add a little more butter, if needed, if it appears too
dry.
Season to taste.

Best if served immediately.

* NOTE: To raw potato dumplings mixture I sometimes add 1
tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and 2 cloves minced fresh
garlic.

Polish Pierogi

Posted by bettyboop50 May 3, 2001

I am always making pierogi for my family.
When I make these,
it’s like my children have radar and flock to the house.
They don’t
last long - everything goes in one sitting.
This makes a lot.
What
you can do is prepare the pierogi and then place them on baking
sheets and freeze them, then place them in a zip lock bag or vacuum
seal them and use them as needed.

Dough
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups water

Filling
2 to 3 medium onions chopped
1/2 to 1 cup (1 to 2 sticks) butter
6 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled
and mashed or put through a ricer
1 (8 ounce) package farmers cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the flour and salt in a food processor add the eggs, butter
and water ( starting with 3/4 cups if the dough is dry, adding 1
tablespoon at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding
up to an additional 3/4 cups if needed) pulsing until kneaded by
machine and a ball is formed, or you can use a mixer to do this
processor, I find a food processor works well.
Remove dough from
bowl and let sit in a warm place for about 15 to 30 minutes.

Melt butter in a large fry pan and add onions sauté
until onions are lightly browned, set aside.

Combine potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and as much of the
sautéed onions as you like, reserving the rest to toss
with cooked pierogi.
Mixing well to combine.
Taste for seasoning.
Set aside.

Divide dough into 3 to 4 equal portions.
On a lightly floured
surface, roll one portion of dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness.
Cut a 3-inch round circle with biscuit cutter.
Place one tablespoon
of filling on one side of each round.
Using your finger, moisten
one side of dough with some water.
Pick up the circle and fold
dough over filling and pinch edges together to firmly seal the
filling.
( this is very critical, if you don’t pinch the dough
together tightly, you will have gaps and when you boil the pierogi,
the filling will come out).

Place the filled pierogi onto a lightly floured baking pan,
cover until you finish with remaining dough and filling.

In a large wide pot, fill with water and bring to a boil over
medium to high heat, when water is at a rolling boil, drop 5 to 6
pierogi and cook while stirring gently with a wooden spoon until
they float to the top of pot.
Cook a couple minutes longer.
Remove
with a slotted spoon into a warmed deep glass bowl, soon with
sautéed onions and butter.
Serve warm with some sour
cream on the side.

NOTES: These are delicious fried and served with sour cream.
I
also make these filled with fresh blueberries mixed with sugar when
blueberries are at their peak and Polish kapusta.

Runzas

Posted by bettyboop50 May 28, 2001

This is one I grew up eating and still is wonderful today.

1 package dry onion soup mix
2 pounds hamburger
4 pounds cabbage
3 large onions
1 box hot roll mix

Brown hamburger in the fry pan, drain grease.
Chop the onions
fine,and chop the cabbage into small squares.
Put into a large
kettle and boil for 20-30 minutes on medium-high heat until done.
(cabbage is soft and onion is cooked).

Then combine the cabbage-onion mixture with the hamburger and
the dry soup mix in a kettle and simmer for 10-20 minutes.

Drain off juices into a strainer over a pan.
While draining,
make the dough.
Take the box of hot roll mix and follow directions.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

After dough is done, roll it out thin as you can get it without
tearing or putting holes in it.
Cut into squares as big as you want
your Runzas.
Take the squares and put filling in the middle (much
as you want) fold over and seal.
Put in a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-15 minutes until light brown.

When you take them out, brush butter over top of Runzas.
These
are also excellent if you put a slice of cheese in with the mixture
before you seal them.
We use Velveeta for this and it is great.
These freeze very well.

NOTE: You can use frozen bread dough for this.
I have always
used the box, but it sure can’t hurt to use frozen.

Zupa Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Soup)

Posted by Olga 3/28/02 8:34:13 am

This is a hearty creamy soup is simple, but has a surprisingly
rich flavor.
Instead of the sour cream, milk can be used, but sour
cream tastes much better.

7 medium potatoes (2 3/4 pounds), peeled
and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium carrots (9 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
3 celery stalks (3 1/2 ounces), thinly sliced
1 large onion (12 ounces), peeled and chopped
1 1/2 quarts (48 ounces) water
2 cups (16 ounces) broth (chicken, beef or pork)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup (9 ounces) sour cream or 1 (8 ounce) container

Place the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion into a large pot.
Add the water and broth, and cover the pot with a tight-fitting
lid.
Cook the soup over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the
vegetables are tender.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Stir in the flour, salt,
and pepper.
Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring
constantly, until it bubbles.
Add 1/4 cup of the sour cream,
stirring till smooth, then add the remaining sour cream and bring
the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Stir the sour cream
into the soup.
Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the
heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped parsley, chives, or
scallions, if desired.

Yield: about 14 cups, 9 to 10 generous servings.

Kolaches

6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound butter
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 can Solo filling, your choice

Cream butter and cheese.
Add flour and baking powder and mix
well.
Roll out and cut with a cutter.
Put 1/2 teaspoon filling on
top of each.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle
confectioners’ sugar over Kolaches as soon as you remove them from
the oven.

Kolaches

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 pound butter or margarine
8 ounces cream cheese

Combine butter with cream cheese and add sugar, flour and baking
powder.
Roll into a 1/4 inch thick roll.
Wrap in wax paper and
chill until firm.

Cut into 1-inch circles.
Press down center of circle with thumb
and fill with 3/4 teaspoon of jam or jelly.
Bake on an ungreased
cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Cool and sprinkle
with confectioners’ sugar.