I must admit that I never had the pleasure of eating pierogies until our May trip to Seattle. While enjoying the wonders of the Public Market, JA recommended that we grab a bite to eat at the Russian bakery- Piroshky Piroshky. I am a huge fan of all foods that involve stuffing tasty fillings into vessels of dough (samosas, fried pies, empanadas, etc.), so it's really a wonder that pierogies had never crossed my path before.
Despite my best intentions to get started early this month, I waited until the last possible minute for my experimentation. I decided on the Russian-style dough (flour, egg, and water as opposed to the cream/milk based-dough), mixing it up by incorporating half whole wheat flour and a few tablespoons of ground flax seed. The filling consisted of ground turkey (sauteed with onion, fennel seed, and cracked red pepper) and mashed red potatoes. Feeling a bit lazy, my pierogies were somewhat over-sized (less stuffing involved). I followed the traditional boil-and-pan-fry method for most, but also baked a few to compare textures. Not the prettiest pierogies ever, but delish! I served them with a green salad and sauteed kale from the garden.
