Happy Monday! I am delighted to have a few recipes to share with you all in the next coming days. I’ve been cooking quite a bit, have a lot of healthy recipes on deck, and have been inspired to make even more stuff.

Let’s start with this week. One exciting thing happening os the Full Moon on Friday, and how the moon will be in LIBRA. I, as a Libra, adore this. Why, you ask? I didn’t think i actually knew — I just knew that my little lunar astrological planner (visit www.magicofi.com if you want one!), I saw that Friday was a special Full Moon and I immediately got excited.

Well, here’s why that was. So, what officially is this particular moon? We are in Pisces, and this is a Full Moon positioned at 29 degrees, putting it in Libra. I know i’ve been itching for change. This has also really brought to light any emotional or supportive imbalances in relationships, so this particular moon calls for more patience and compassion when dealing with folks flying off their handle. The concept of the Libra sign is balance – what would that look like in your life at the moment, more balance? How do you view your interactions with others — do you find you’ve been giving a lot of energy up at your own expense to help others? Or is the opposite true — have you been stressed, calling for more than you may intend to from your  friends and loved ones? This particular Full Moon is a good oppportunity to evaluate it all, allow yourself to see where things are falling short, and to take action to bring more balance into your life. The spotlight is now on relationships that may need more attention to help them grow, or perhaps they no longer serve you and you need to cut the cord.

Gosh, this talk about balancing my life makes me hungry. Let’s talk food. specifically, let’s talk pierogies.

Do you know how much i like pierogies? I can remember my uncle (dad’s brother) and aunt making her old family recipes, hundreds of pierogies at a time. They were so delicious… indulgent, too. Tradtionally, you boil them. Once college came around and I had to get my fix without slaving away in the kitchen, Mrs. T’s in a frying pan became the go-to.

In my pursuit to make this gluten free and still indulgent, I came up with THIS. I was inspired by a jamaican beef patty recipe a friend made for her Celiac son, and I figured it could cross over into pierogie-land. While nothing truly beats the fresh taste of flour with potatoes and cheesy goodness, this is a great take on one of my childhood favorites. Bon Appetit 🙂

Pierogies with Roasted Onions (Paleo!)

Prep time: 40 min

Cook time: 20 min

Makes about 30 3-inch pierogies

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 eggs 

• 2 cups cassava flour, plus more for rolling

• 2/3 cup water, plus more if needed (dough can dry out)

• sea salt, to taste (i used about 1/2 tsp)

For the filling:

• 1 lb organic potatoes, peeled

• ~ 1/2 cup cashew milk, or more if needed

• 1 tsp of ghee, or grassfed butter

• generous salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 2 large onions, thinly sliced

•  1 egg, whisked

Directions

1. In a saucepan, add potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. Drain, mash, and add your remaining filling ingredients, adding additional seasonings if desired. set aside.

1. For the dough, crack TWO of your eggs into a medium sizzed mixing bowl. Add your water, and sea salt. Whisk to thoroughly combine.

1. Slowly add your flour until it is fully mixed, stirring along the way. If dough is not pliable, add a tsp of water at a time until it is thick and sticky, but flexible. Use your hands to mold the dough into a ball. cut the dough in half, rolling together. Cut each piece in half again, so that you have four separate dough balls. Place the remaining dough in the bowl and cover with a warm/wet towel to prevent the dough from drying until used.

1. On a dry flat surface, add a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle some cassava flour over it, spreading it evenly. Place your first dough ball and roll out until dough is approximately 1/8 inch thick.

1. Using a biscuit cutter or rim of a drinking glass (at least 3in. in diameter), cut dough into circles and set aside on another piece of parchment paper. Continue with remaining dough balls until remaining dough is used.

1. In a small bowl, whisk your remaining egg. If the egg is not runny, add a tsp of water to ensure the right consistency.

1. Place a small amount of mashed potato filling in the center of each dough round. Be sure to leave about a quarter inch around the edge of the round to seal. Brush the edge of each seal with some egg mixture, and then gently folder the dough circle in half, pinching the edges together to form a semi circle. You may use a fork to gently press them together, if you’d like. Once assembled, transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from further drying out.

1. Once all made, bring a large stock pot filled with water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Place the pierogi in the boiling water — only a handful at a time so they are not crowded. When they float to the top, continue boiling for another 10-12 minutes. Test one to see if the dough is cooked — it should resemble firmly cooked pasta. Once cooked, remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain and dry.

1. There are some that will sprinkle a pinch of salt over them at this point and eat them just like this. I like to saute mine next 🙂

1. If you’re good at multitasking, you can cook your onions separately, while your pierogies are boiling. Add a tbsp of ghee or grassfed butter to a large frying pan over medium low heat. Add your sliced onion and saute, slowly, over low heat, stirring to prevent burning. add a pinch of salt and cook until starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

To the same pan, add another tbsp of ghee or grassfed butter, over medium heat. Add your pierogies in a singer layer, cooking in batches of necessary. Brown on both sides until crisp, about 5-6 minutes each side. Add your onions to the pan to bring back to temperature and meld the flavors.

-S