Ingredients

• 2 cups cabbage
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon trans-fat free margarine
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preparation

1. Finely shred cabbage, finely chop onion and slice mushrooms.
2. Place flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add egg, melted margarine and hot water.
3. Blend with a pastry knife until a dough forms. Turn onto a board and knead dough until smooth. Roll into a ball, cover and set aside for an hour.
4. Put cabbage in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain cabbage and squeeze out extra liquid.
5. Sauté chopped onions and mushrooms in a tablespoon of oil until slightly caramelized.
6. Combine cabbage with onion and mushrooms. Set aside to cool.
7. After cooled, finely chop the vegetable mixture. Add pepper to taste and stir.
8. Roll out dough into a 10” to 11” circle. Cut 12 circles in the dough with a round cookie cutter.
9. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of each dough circle. Fold over, stretch and press sides together to form a crescent-shaped dumpling.
10. Drop dumplings, two or three at a time, into a pot of boiling water. Pierogi will float to the top when done. Remove with a slotted spoon.
11. Once boiled, lightly fry dumplings in oil for a crispy treat, if desired.

Helpful hints

• Adjust the hot water for proper consistency of dough. Dough should be smooth and pliable but not sticky.
• To save time, you can use pre-shredded coleslaw cabbage.
• The filling can be prepared ahead and refrigerated overnight, if needed.
• This recipe yields 3 servings, but can easily be increased and extra uncooked pierogi frozen for later.
• Traditional garnish is bacon fat and bacon bits, or a drizzle of melted margarine and a dollop of sour cream.