Polish Food

1 large cabbage	1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef	1 dash pepper
1 cup cooked rice	1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup milk	1 can Tomato soup (10 3/4 ounce)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion	2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg	1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter	1 teaspoon caraway seed

Place the head of cabbage in a pan with water to cover. Bring to a boil to scald and soften the outer leaves. Take the cabbage out of the water and remove the limp outer leaves. Return the head of cabbage to the boiling water and repeat the process until you have at least a dozen large leaves. The heavy outer rib in the center of the leaves may be thinned with a sharp knife to make it easier to roll the leaf. Take care not to cut through the leaf.

Saute the onions in the butter. Combine the egg, milk, Worchester sauce, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauteed onions, cooked rice and raw ground beef and mix well.

Place 1/4 cup of the mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf nearer the stem end of the leaf. Start by folding the sides of the leaf over the filling. Then roll the leaf up from the stem toward the tip of the leaf to form a tight roll. Place in a rectangular cake pan with the seam of the roll down.

Prepare the sauce by adding 1/2 can of water to the condensed tomato soup and stirring in the lemon juice, brown sugar and caraway seeds. An alternate sauce may be made from cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 can of water and tomato paste.

Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls and bake covered at 350 for 1 1/4 hrs. Makes 12 cabbage rolls, approximately 6 servings.

3 cups flour

3 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups boiling water

This is a recipe for pierogi dough made in an electric mixer with a dough hook. Combine the above ingredients and beat with a dough hook at low speed until mixture forms a ball. Cover and let rest at room temperature, about 45 - 60 minutes Roll dough on a floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut circles about 3 inches in diameter using a glass or round cookie cutter.

Fill circles with any of the fillings listed below. Make sure the edges of your pierogi are well sealed. Do not overstuff. cook the pierogi in slowly boiling salted water for about 5 minutes after they float to the top. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to prevent from sticking. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place in an ovenproof dish. Pierogi can be tossed with melted butter to prevent sticking to one another. Serve immediately with sour cream.

Cooked pierogi can be frozen and later warmed up after thawing in your microwave.

1 small head cabbage

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

Quarter the cabbage and cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop very fine. Saute onion in butter, add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add chopped cabbage to the mushrooms and onion, salt and pepper and cook for another few minutes, until all the flavors have blended well. Add sour cream and let cool. Hot fillings prevent the pierogi dough from sealing properly

1 pound dry cottage cheese or farmers cheese

2 tablespoons (or to taste)

2 egg yolks

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins soaked in milk (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients well. Taste for sweetness. If mixture seems too dry, add another egg yolk or 1 tablespoon sour cream.

3 large potatoes

1/2 pound dry cottage cheese or farmers cheese

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons oil

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

Boil, drain and mash potatoes. Chill. Saute the onion in oil until golden brown. When the potatoes are chilled, mix all ingredients in a bowl. Check seasoning. Stuff pierogi.

These pierogi-like delicacies (called little ears) are a must for Christmas Eve dinner (Wigilia) to go with the barszcz. The filling is best if prepared a day ahead.

2 cups flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Work the egg and oil into the flour gently with a knife. Knead slightly. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling. Roll very thin onto a floured board and cut into 2 inch squares. Place 1/2 teaspoon filling on each square. Pinch edges together to form a triangle. Then pinch together two corners of the triangle to form a ring at the base of the triangle.

Drop into rapidly boiling salted water. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until dumplings float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. Toss lightly in melted butter. To serve, place 4 or 5 uszka in a soup bowl and cover with hot barszcz.

1/2 pound mushrooms

2 ounces dried Polish mushrooms (optional)

1 onion, minced

1-1/2 tablespoon bread crumbs

1 tablespoon water

salt and pepper to taste

Wash mushrooms and chop finely in a blender or food processor. Saute the onion in oil until tender. Add mushrooms and continue sauteeing until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients. Saute 5 minutes longer. Cool mixture before filling dumplings.

Optional: for a wonderful taste treat, add to filling 2 ounces dried mushrooms which have been soaked overnight in water. Drain and squeeze before adding to blender with the rest of the mushrooms.

The Polish Heritage Society of Nebraska

Culture - Polish Food