So you’ve decided you’d like to be Polish

Pierogi

Make a pot of mashed potatoes (peeled and using about 8 medium sized) and add 2 cups of cheddar cheese. (preference is sharp.)

Make your dough:
1 egg
¾ C water
1 tsp salt
3 ½ - 4 C flour

Mix (I use a kitchenaid with a dough hook). Roll out THIN (a pasta maker works wonders here. Make long strips of dough, 5 inches high. Emulating how you would fill ravioli, go down each and add a nice spoonful of mashed potato. Cut and fold each pierogi, sealing edges with a fork. Boil in a hot pot of water a few at a time until they float.

In a frying pan, melt 2 sticks of butter (margarine is okay) with a diced yellow or white onion. Add 16 oz of cottage cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over boiled pierogi.

This is THE Polish-Czech dish of my growing up. I love my Halupki and cabbage and sauerkraut. But nothing marks my unique cooking upbringing more than this dish. It takes time. It’s completely undiet friendly. But my dad taught me how to make this, we made it together, this IS one of my favorite memories. Enjoy.

This isn’t a Diet Salad

Aunt Ruthie’s Blue Cheese Dressing

Mix together and refrigerate:
3 oz of cream cheese
1/3 C of Roquefort cheese, crumbled
½ C Sour Cream
½ C mayo
1/4 T salt
1/8 T garlic powder
¼ T mustard
1 T lemon juice

I’m not kidding. This stuff is thick. It’s sinful. It’s even good as a dip for a stealthy kettle chip. It’s also great on burgers, along side buffalo wings (or a more healthy buffalo chicken sandwich – if you want to forget the “healthy” tag)…

Food is Love

Love Dip

(adapted from the Houston Chronicle)
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup tomato salsa
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon or 2 leaves fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:
Throw all the ingredients except lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste.

Warning: This stuff is addicting. You will have garlic breath. I highly recommend it as a sandwich spread! It’s pretty darn fantastic!

Naysayers Unite: Diet Dish….with Bacon?

Macaroni with Bacon and Tomato Sauce

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 onion, chopped coarsely

1 yellow pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes

4 cups of cooked macaroni

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown bacon in pan until halfway cooked, adding in onion and yellow pepper until cooked through.

Season with garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for another two minutes.

Pour in some juice from tomato sauce, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. Add rest of tomatoes. Cook through. Stir in pasta.

This runs about 350 calories per serving and it serves four. I couldn’t help myself! :)

Here Fishy Fishy….

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon with Asian Spaghetti

1.5 lbs Salmon Steak, halved
3 Tbsp soy
1 Tbsp honey
Salt & pepper
2 bunches of spinach, torn
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into quarter rings
1 red bell pepper, sliced into quarter rings
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp oil
1 "quarter sized round" of spaghetti noodles, cooked

Mix soy, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. On a low broiler setting, grease a pan and lay salmon skin side down. Broil for 5 minutes. Remove and brush with soy suace mixture. Broil until done - another 10 minutes.

Saute vegetables in oil until spinach is wilted. Add noodles and seeds. Stir to combine. Serve with salmon.

The sauce does not “stay on” as much as you’d like. But it’s worth doing the first round of broiling, taking it out while you finish up the spinach and then completing the fish while you mix the side together. Meanwhile, let the fish side cut side down the sauce – works much better.

Something Simple

Spicy Pulled Pork

28 oz can of diced tomatoes
14 oz can of mexican stewed tomatoes
Small can of chipotles in adobo sauce
4 lbs - pork for carnitas
1 onion, chopped coarse
3 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

Place all of these ingredients in a crock pot. Turn on high for 3-4 hours.

This is great served with corn bread and black beans. Also done will as taco meat on tortillas.

Next day, remove meat and pulse a hand blender around the rest of the ingredients. Spice it up with a little bbq sauce. Hand shred the meat, fantastic alternative to bbq sandwiches!

Woof Woof!

Paw-Print Pet Treats
Makes about 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brewer's yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Combine flour, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Place canola oil in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to oil in 3 additions, alternating with 1 cup stock; mix until combined.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch fluted cutter (bakedeco.com). Transfer to baking sheets. Make an indentation toward the bottom of 1 circle using your thumb, then press dough to make an arch of 4 small circles on top of the thumbprint using the tip of your pinky. Repeat with remaining rounds. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets and lightly brushing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock halfway through. Turn oven off, and let stand in oven for 40 minutes.

Dog treats can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month.