Eastern European vegetarian
Recipe:
Varenyky with cabbage filling (dumplings)
serves:
6
Method:
Filling:
Pour off sauerkraut juice and set aside. Saute onions in oil or butter until golden. Add chopped sauerkraut, cabbage, bouillon cube, and sauerkraut juice. Cook over low heat, uncovered, until liquid evaporates, stirring often. Add pepper, stir, and cool. Chop once or twice in processor, or run through a meat grinder.
Dough:
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, forming a well in the middle. Add butter and milk and mix lightly until flour is absorbed. (Add a little warm water if needed.) Knead until dough sticks together, cover and allow to rest for a few minutes, then knead until smooth. Cover and set aside. (The dough should be somewhat soft, since more flour is added as dough is rolled out.) Or, in processor, combine flour, salt, and butter and stir a few times. With machine running, add liq, uids until a ball forms. Allow to rest a few minutes, then process until smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, tum, and cover for about 30 minutes before rolling out. (It may be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a day or so, brought to room temperature, and then rolled out.)
Place a fourth of the dough on a floured work sur-face; cover remaining dough. Roll into a circle, away from the center, tum over, flour lightly, and roll again to about Vs inch thickness. Run a hand under the bottom to loosen it. With a 3 inch biscuit cutter or wineglass, cut rounds. Place a tablespoon of filling to one side of each round, flip over other half, and press edges together, sealing in filling. Place dumplings on a floured tray; keep dumplings covered with a towel. Gently drop 10 to 15 varenyky in 3 quarts boiling water in a large wide pot or dutch oven. Do not crowd. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in col-ander. Place on lightly oiled tray and shake to coat with a thin film of oil (to prevent sticking). Do not pile dumplings on top of each other, as this distorts their shape. If varenyky are to be frozen, remove with a slotted spoon when they float to the top. Do not overcook. To freeze, place in freezer on an oiled cookie sheet while tepid. When they are rigid, store in tightly sealed plastic bags. To serve: varenyky may be poached, pan-fried, or steamed, served as an accompaniment to meats, or served with sour cream, chopped sauteed onions, or fried bacon
