Beet Pierogi

Shredded red beets are added to the traditional potato and cheese pierogi recipe creating attractive and delicious red beet pierogi. A great dish to make for any special occasion!

Ingredients --- Makes: 22 to 28 pierogi
~Dough Ingredients~
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt ~ or~ sour cream
1/3 cup water
~Filling Ingredients~
3/4 cup mashed potatoes (approx. 2 potatoes)
3/4 cup cooked beets, shredded (approx. 2 beets)
1 tsp lemon juice ~or~ vinegar
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
~For Serving ~
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup sour cream ~or~ plain Greek yogurt
minced chives (optional)

Instructions
Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour and sea salt. In a medium sized bowl crack the egg, remove any egg shell fragments and then mix the egg well with a fork. Whisk together the egg, the plain yogurt, and the water until combined, and then pour over the flour. Stir together the liquids and the flour with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed.

Knead the dough by hand or by using an electric dough mixer until the dough is very smooth and soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. If the dough seems sticky after a couple minutes of kneading, add a teaspoon of flour at a time until it starts coming together into a smooth ball. Cover and set aside to rest on the counter while you make the filling.

Cook the potatoes and beets. Scrub the potatoes and beets clean; cut off the beet tops and then cut out any sore-looking spots off the potatoes. Place them in a medium sauce pan and add enough purified water to cover the potatoes and beets, then stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to help keep the beets from bleeding.

Cook the whole potatoes and beets over high heat until the water comes to a boil; then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, or when the potatoes and beets are tender and can be pierced by a fork. Remove with a slotted spoon to a medium-large mixing bowl. How long the beets and potatoes take to cook depend on their size. Check the cooking process and remove potatoes when ready while the others continue to cook to avoid becoming too saturated with water.

Sauté the onion. Dice the onion. In a skillet over low heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion. Sauté the onion for 10 to 15 minutes to caramelize the onion, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When the onion is golden brown and sticky it is done, remove from heat.

Prepare the potato mixture. Once the potatoes have cooled enough, remove the peels if desired. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Add the yogurt or sour cream, garlic powder and sea salt, and then stir into the potatoes until well mixed. Next, stir in the caramelized onions and mix well; then set aside.

Prepare the cooked beets and mix together the filling. When the beets have cooled, remove the peels and discard. Shred the cooked beets using a shredder or food processor. Stir the shredded cooked beets into the potato mixture. Next, stir in the shredded cheese, and combine. Taste and add more sea salt if needed.

Prepare the dough. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with flour; and set this near your workplace.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the pierogi dough to 1/8-inch thick. Stop occasionally to lift the dough and make sure it’s not sticking to the work surface; use more flour as needed. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut the dough into rounds. Gather the scraps into a ball, knead and then roll out the scrapes and make as many pierogi rounds as you can with what is left over.

Prepare the pierogi. To shape the pierogi, hold one of the rounds of dough in the palm of your hand and set a 1-inch ball of filling in the middle. Fold the round in half, pinching it closed all the way around to form a half-moon shape. Use a fork along the edges of the sealed portion of the pierogi on both sides to assist sealing it. Make sure the edges of the dough are completely sealed so no filling can get out while boiling. Set the prepared pierogi on the floured baking sheet. Continue to shape pierogi with the remaining rounds of dough. Lay them close together on the baking sheet, but don’t let them touch or they will stick together.

Freeze or boil the pierogi. To freeze the pierogi for another day, place the baking sheet of prepared pierogi in the freezer and freeze until solid. When frozen solid, sprinkle pierogi with a dusting of flour to keep them from sticking together, then transfer the frozen pierogi to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To boil the prepared pierogi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches of about 10 pierogi, transfer to the boiling water and stir gently with a wooden spoon to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook the pierogi until all the pierogi have floated to the surface and then 1 minutes longer to make sure the filling gets cooked; 7 to 9 minutes in total.

Sauté the pierogi. When the pierogi have been cooked, it is time to sauté them. Add cooking oil or butter to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent, very soft, and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Push the onions to the edges of the pan where they will stay warm and continue to caramelize.

Transfer the pierogi to the pan with the onions. Turn the heat to medium. Cook the pierogi without moving until they are golden and crispy on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Once all the pierogi have been boiled and crisped, scrape the onions over the pierogi and serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and fresh cut chives. Enjoy.

Recipe Shared by: J. Marshall from http://nutritionalhealingrecipes.com