#cookingfromscratch

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The recipe said that it would take about an hour to make. Someone in the comments protested. Said it takes much longer to make than one hour. I had to see who was right. Could I make pierogis in one hour? Let me try. 

I got the dough going right before lunch and long enough before my teaching began that I could knead and have it resting on the counter to return to after the teaching. I also got the potatoes for the filling started, and the beets for the side dish of gingered beets, too. 

Later in the day, I finished making the filling - with potatoes, feta, lots of sauteed onions, s&p and nutmeg - and then started rolling out the dough. I loved this dumpling dough. It was smooth and stretchy. But I could not get enough filling in and it was starting to look like the person in the comments section was correct. This was taking longer than one hour. No matter. I kept at it, rolling and filling. When they were all ready to go and the water was boiling, in stages I lay them in the water until they rose to the top, just as the recipe said they would. They I pan fried them all. 

I loved this meal. We had way more dumplings than I thought we’d have. There’s even enough for lunch tomorrow. They are filling and they go so well with sour cream and gingered beets. I wanted to make a carrot salad to bring back memories of meals at a Georgian (the country) restaurant we used to go to in San Diego. Or the Russian Tea Time restaurant I love in Chicago. But I didn’t have time for the carrot salad. I made a simple green salad instead. And I devoured the pierogis, and so did my family. So satisfying. I could close my eyes and almost be back at Russian Tea Time, eating the black bread and butter and sipping cups, and more cups, of their deep, dark tea. 

Boiling the dumplings:

Pan frying in butter:

AQUAFABA + SMALL MOMENTS - If you’ve made your own chickpeas from scratch or popped open a tin I’m sure you’ve wondered what to do with the excess liquid. Don’t toss it! This sloshy broth is liquid gold my friends.

You can strain your beans and use your leftover liquid: - add to soups, stocks and stews in place of water - use in stir fries or for braising - vegan baking loves aquafaba (results may vary with store bought vs homemade)

Get creative! Make use of all your ingredients to reduce food waste.

When I first started making my own beans from scratch, I was nervous. A seemingly daunting task where the consequences could be gaseous. I held off making my own dried beans for far too long, until I jumped into Closed Loop Cooking. I was amazed how at simple it was. With some salt, a pre-soak, and baking soda I actually made tender chickpeas happen.

This small moment felt like a real win. I felt capable, knowing how to prepare ingredients from scratch. Understanding these basics has been the first step in  empowering my plant-based, low waste kitchen practice. These moments add up. Knowing how to DIY dried beans, how to use up aquafaba, all of these elements contribute to a larger cause. We can build on this knowledge to create a truly sustainable kitchen.