Polish Pierogis (Polish Style Dumplings)

Peirogis are Polish style dumplings. They can be served as a main meal with many fillings such as potatoes, potatoes/cheese, steamed cabbages, ground meat/onion and so on. With fillings like fruit jams, they become dessert. They can be boiled or deep fried (just like Chinese dumplings, but definitely different in texture and taste!!)

Ingredients for the dough (makes 5 dozen)

· 1 large egg, lightly whisked

· 2 tbsp sour cream

· 1 cup whole milk

· 1 cup water

· 5 cups flour, plus more for dusting and surface

· yellow cornmeal for dusting

Direction:

1. Whisk egg and sour cream together in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk and water.

2. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time and knead until dough will be loose and sticky

3. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed until elastic and no longer sticky (about 8-10 min, but do not add too much flour-->toughen the dough too much)

4. Cover with an inverted bowl and let rest for 1 hour.

5. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a baking sheet a linen towel and dust generously with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Cover the dough with another linen towel to prevent from drying.

6. Roll out 1piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick round. Cut out circles very close together using a 3 inch cutter or glass.

7. Fill pierogis: place filling** in center of each dough circle.

8. Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges forming a well-sealed crescent. Press edges with a fork to secure the sealed edges.

9. Place pierogis to a cornmeal dusted towel and loosely cover with another towel until cooking.

10. Bring a large pot of water with a generous amount of salt to a boil

11. Transfer pierogis to boiling water in batches. Once they rise to the top surface of water, cook for another 2 min and then transfer them to a platter.

12. Drizzle tops with some melted butter and serve.

**Potato Filling:

· 5 lbs (about 12 medium) peeled and quartered baking potatos

· 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

· 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water and some coarse salt.

2. Bring to a boil, cook until fork-tender. Drain and pass through a ricer.

3. Stir in cream cheese and unsalted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Form the filling mixture into 1inch rounds (about 1tbsp each)

Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 12 med-large shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined)
• shrimp marinade (1 tsp salt, 1tbsp sake, 1tsp pepper)
• 1 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
• 1/2 tbsp hot pepper paste 豆板醤
• Sauce: (1cup chicken soup, 4 tbsp ketchup, 1tbsp sugar, 2tbsp sake, 1/2tsp salt
• 1tbsp Mirin, 1tbsp corn starch, 1tsp soy sauce)

Direction:

1) put together all the ingredients for shrimp marinade (except for corn starch) in a bowl and mix until it has a whipped cream texture. Mix in corn starch and shrimp and lightly mix

2) heat 1/4 cup of oil until very hot and stir fry shrimp. set them aside

3) Clean the wok/frying pan and heat 1 tbsp of oil. put in ginger, garlic and hot pepper paste and stir them well. Then add sauce mixture into the pan and check the taste.

4) put the shrimp back in the wok/pan and lightly coat the shrimp with the sauce.

5) when the shrimp is all coated with the sauce, add corn starch/water mixture and boil to thicken the sauce

Teriyaki Rock/Cod Fish

It is almost a mission for me to find a right fish recipe for my family. This recipe was really a last minute creation and it rocked!! By dusting a fish with cornstarch, it later worked as a thickning agent to a sauce. My husband raved this dish as "fish recipe I will go for a second without any doubt!" So try and let me know how you like it!!

Ingredients (2 servings):

· 1 lb rock fish or cod fish fillet

· salt and pepper

· 4-5 tbsp corn starch

· 1 tbsp vegetable oil

· 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce **

Direction:

1. Cut fish into small to medium pieces

2. lightly salt and pepper the fish and dust with a corn starch

3. heat vegetable oil in a medium pan and saute the fish until lightly brown forming a crust on each side

4. pour in a teriyaki sauce and let it cook turning the fish once

5. once the sauce is thicken, turn the stove off and serve it over a cooked rice

** home made teriyaki sauce

Ingredients (makes 2 cups)

· 1 cup store bought teriyaki sauce (I prefer Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce)

· 1 cup orange juice

· 5 tbsp honey

Mix all the ingredients and stir it well.

Store in a refrigerator in a bottle or sealed container and it will last for up to 2 weeks.

Vegetable Chowmein

This chowmein could be a good side dish to any chinese food as supposed to an usual "rice". You can make it vegan, vegetarian or with meat to make many variations.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 pkg Chuka Soba (find in the Asian section of any grocery store, see the pic below)
• 1 pkg Tofu Cutlet (find in refrigerated vegetarian/tofu section of any grocery store) sliced
• ½ pkg shredded carrot (OR 2 carrots julienned)
• 4 celery stalks julienned
• vegetable oil
• 3-4 tbsp soy sauce
• salt&pepper
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
• sesame oil (optioinal)

Directions:

1. Cook Chuka Soba according to the package (boil for approx. 3-4min), drain and set aside.(hint: pour some vegetable oil over drained noodle and mix it in. This will prevent noodles from sticking in the pan later!)
2. Stir fry the vegetables and tofu in a little oil. Salt and pepper to the taste.
3. Add cooked noodles and stir all the ingredients together.
4. Flavor with soy sauce(approx 3-4 tbsp), oyster sauce(approx 1tbsp) and a dash of the sesame oil (optional for added flavor)

***Also enjoy your own version of the recipe by adding any type of ingredients, such as back choys, cabbage, pepper, etc.. Also make it with chicken, beef, or ham!

Easy Orange Chicken

My two boys love Orange Chicken and often asks for it. I've tried a packaged sauce that came in a frozen "orange chicken" meal....but it wasn't quite right. I wanted to make this sauce without any preservatives too. I sure still use precooked frozen chickens for a quick meal but the result is so much better with this home made sauce. I've also listed a recipe for a healthier version, with a sauteed chicken (as supposed to a deep fried). For vegetarians, I recommend using fried tofu for a texture and it also goes well with the sauce.

Ingredients (6 servings):

· 2 tbsp oil

· 2 tbsp ginger root, minced

· 2 tsp garlic, minced

· 1 tsp crushed red chili pepper (or eliminate this for children)

· 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

· 2 tbsp rice wine

· 1/2 cup water

· 1 tsp sesame oil

*3 tbsp soy sauce

*3 tbsp water

*10 tbsp sugar

Premix these in a cup--> *10 tbsp rice OR white vinegar

*1 1/2 zest of orange

*2tbsp cornstarch

Direction:

1. Add 1 tbsp oil and heat a wok/frying pan

2. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant (10 seconds)

3. Add and stir fry crushed chilies and green onions

4. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds

5. Add Orange sauce* and bring to boil

6. Add chicken**, stirring gently until the sauce is well coated.

7. Mix corn starch and water until smooth and add to chicken

8. Gently toss the chicken with the sauce until thickened

9. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest

**Chickens for Orange Chicken

Either use 1 bag (about 22 oz) of frozen Orange chicken (without sauce) Heated in the oven according to the direction on package.

OR

To prepare non-buttered sautéed chicken for a healthier choice:

· 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces

· 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

· oil (for frying)

· 1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced

· 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

· cornstarch for dusting

Direction:

1. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and stir in egg, salt, pepper, gingerroot, garlic and 1 tbsp oil and mix well.

2. Let it marinate for 20-30 min.

3. Heat up a wok or sauté pan with some oil.

4. Add chicken, small batches at a time and sauté until lightly brown

5. When cooked, remove chicken and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.

Whipped Cream Cheese with Shrimp and Dills on Wheat Baguettes

Looking for a quick and easy appetizer

or planning a romantic evening with your loved one?
This easy appetizer can be made in a few minutes with all the usual ingredients in your refrigerator/freezer.
This is a must have at your next social gathering!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs cooked shrimp
• 2 cups whipped cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh/dried dill
• 1 wheat baguettes sliced 1/2 inches thick each

Garnish suggestions:

Instead of putting a small amount of cream cheese mixture
on baguette slices, you can use around sour dough bread
(just like the "soup in a bread bowl" style, only choose a
bread a bit bigger than the size. Hollow out the inside and
pour in the mixture, arrange slices of baguettes/
bread for a larger cloud!)


Direction:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like.
3. Try with smoked salmon or roasted peppers! Bon Appetit!