Sweet Potato + Cranberry Pierogies

So, I’m finally getting around to posting my Thanksgiving recipes, things have been crazy lately. These should also be great for any December/January holidays as well, so I’ll go right ahead and post ’em anyway. This is kind of a variation on something I make all the time, just with festive twist on the filling. I have made cranberry pierogies before where I added an apple cinnamon topping, but these ones are plenty sweet just as they are!

Ingredients:
*Flour (a cup per about 6 pierogies)
*Water
*Olive oil (a tsp per cup flour)
*1 sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced
*1 TBSP brown sugar
*1 2 tsp cinnamon
*1 tsp nutmeg
*1 tsp allspice
*1/2 tsp cloves
*1/2 tsp salt
*18 dried cranberries
*Canola or vegetable oil for sauteing

Method:
*Bring sweet potatoes or yams in a large pot 1/2 filled with water to a boil
*Reduce to a simmer, then cook until the sweet potatoes or yams are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes
*Drain, then mash together with the salt and spices, set aside
*Mix together the flour, oil and enough water to make a kneedable dough
*Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick
*Cut to 2 1/2 to 3 inch rounds with a drinking glass, cookie cutter or small bowl
*Put about 1 TBSP of the sweet potato mixture off center of each circle
*Fold dough in half, then seal with a fork
*Preheat 1 TBSP canola oil over med heat in a large pan
*Saute pierogies until brown on both sides
*Serve with veggie or mushroom gravy, cranberry sauce or tofu sour cream

saurkraut pierogies

I know I post alot about cabbage, but I can’t help it, I love it. So here goes:

Ingredients:
Dough:
Flour(1 cup per 6)
Olive oil
Water
Salt(1/4 tsp per 6)

Filling:
1 lg russet or 2 small whatever potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. sauerkraut (recipe for fresh kraut in earlier post)

Method:
Mix salt and flour together. Mix in a little water, then splash in a little oil. Add enough more water to make dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch. Cut rounds out with a glass(I used a pint.)
Dice and then boil potatoes for 20 min. Mash with the sauerkraut, 1 1/2 tbps each caraway seed and dill seed. Scoop some filling into each round, then fold those in half and seal with a fork. Saute in about 2 or 3 tbsp olive oil, flipping often, until browned on both sides. In the mean time, super carmelize 1/2 an onion in olive oil. Combine and serve.

Or, alternately, instead of sauteing, deep fry the prepared pierogies until golden brown (as pictured above).