I am not well-versed in the art of dumpling-making, but I do love a good dumpling.
So while I may not be very experienced, either culinarily or culturally, in Ukrainian cooking, I have a great appreciation for it.
Hearty foods and clean, honest flavours abound and I really feel eastern European and Irish foods have a lot in common in that regard.
I think, as well, that the #CookForUkraine appeal is a great way to show support to our Ukrainian friends during this horrific time for them.
Donations
Started by England-based Ukrainian chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules (whose family is still in Ukraine) with her friends, Russian cookbook author Dr Alissa Timoskina and Polish cook Zuza Zak, Cook For Ukraine encourages everyone to cook a Ukrainian or Eastern European dish, share the dish on social media streams (with the hashtag #CookForUkraine) and make a donation to UNICEF.
This is a great way for food lovers to support the cause - I know, for me, food is my love language and how I show people I care. Of course, I'm happy to try my hand at a Ukrainian dish and share how it went!
Dumplings
In Canada, we eat a lot of pierogi, which, in the Canadian context, are dumplings usually filled with cheddar cheese and potato, boiled, fried or even deep-fried (please don't judge, it's delicious) and served with sour cream.
Canada has a rich history of immigration and while the wheat grown in our prairies is world-renowned, you might not know that many of the communities farming in this region originally came from eastern Europe, including Ukraine. This history largely influenced our love of pierogi!
In Ukraine, similar dumplings are known as varenyky and, in contrast with Canadian-style pierogi, they are generally filled with a farmers-style cheese (I used cottage cheese here) and potato or sauerkraut and onion.
They might be served just boiled or they might be lightly pan-fried in butter, before being served with sour cream, onions and bacon.
This combination of ingredients is always going to be a crowd-pleaser, so once I made our varenyky, I invited friends over for a feast.
These dumplings are so very delicious - I have to admit, they beat the Canadian version easily. They are comforting and full of flavour.
You can find out more and make a donation here.
Once cooked, varenyky are often served with caramelised onion, fresh dill, bacon and sour cream. / Jannie Kennedy
Makes about 30 large dumplings
Ingredients
For the dough:
250g plain flour
2 tsp salt
1 large egg
150ml water (more if needed)
For the filling:
500g mashed potato
200g cottage cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
50g fresh, finely chopped herbs (dill, parsley and chives)
To serve:
Caramelised onions
Crispy bacon, chopped
Sour cream
Fresh dill
Directions:
1 Make the dough: in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the egg and water and mix until a soft dough forms. If it's too dry or too sticky, simply add a bit more water or flour until you have something you can work with your hands.
2 Once the dough is formed, turn it out on to a work surface and knead for around five minutes, until it's a bit more smooth and elastic (see video). Set aside to rest (cover in cling film or place in a bag to rest) for 30 minutes to an hour. While the dough is resting, mash the potatoes, caramelise the onions and cook the bacon so everything is set up when the dumplings are ready.
3 Finely chop the herbs. Add them to the cooled mashed potato and add the cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle lightly with flour.
4 Once the dough has rested, divide it in two and set one half aside (covered with a clean, damp dish towel). Roll the other half into a long rope and then cut the rope into 1in pieces (see video for a better idea of size).
5 Take each piece of dough and roll it out into a thin circular shape (you might need some flour for dusting). Add a heaped teaspoon of filling to the middle and then fold the dumpling over the filling, pinching the edges and ensuring no air is inside the pocket. Crimp the edges of the dumpling by folding little bits over one side until you reach the other end. Place the dumpling on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the dough and filling is used.
6 Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season heavily with salt. When the dumplings are made, drop in six at a time into the boiling water. Once they float to the top, they are cooked through. Repeat until all the dumplings are boiled.
They are delicious, comforting and full of flavour. / Janine Kennedy
7 Melt some butter in a large pan and place the dumplings in the pan, when ready to serve. Heat them through and add the onions and bacon to heat through as well.
8 Serve hot and garnish with sour cream and fresh dill.
*Note: if you have leftover potato filling, just add an egg and some plain flour to make potato pancakes (also delicious served with sour cream and dill).
Read more
Try these fluffy Japanese-style pancakes for Pancake Tuesday
These chunky halloumi chips will brighten up your work week
I am not well-versed in the art of dumpling-making, but I do love a good dumpling.
So while I may not be very experienced, either culinarily or culturally, in Ukrainian cooking, I have a great appreciation for it.
Hearty foods and clean, honest flavours abound and I really feel eastern European and Irish foods have a lot in common in that regard.
I think, as well, that the #CookForUkraine appeal is a great way to show support to our Ukrainian friends during this horrific time for them.
Donations
Started by England-based Ukrainian chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules (whose family is still in Ukraine) with her friends, Russian cookbook author Dr Alissa Timoskina and Polish cook Zuza Zak, Cook For Ukraine encourages everyone to cook a Ukrainian or Eastern European dish, share the dish on social media streams (with the hashtag #CookForUkraine) and make a donation to UNICEF.
This is a great way for food lovers to support the cause - I know, for me, food is my love language and how I show people I care. Of course, I'm happy to try my hand at a Ukrainian dish and share how it went!
Dumplings
In Canada, we eat a lot of pierogi, which, in the Canadian context, are dumplings usually filled with cheddar cheese and potato, boiled, fried or even deep-fried (please don't judge, it's delicious) and served with sour cream.
Canada has a rich history of immigration and while the wheat grown in our prairies is world-renowned, you might not know that many of the communities farming in this region originally came from eastern Europe, including Ukraine. This history largely influenced our love of pierogi!
In Ukraine, similar dumplings are known as varenyky and, in contrast with Canadian-style pierogi, they are generally filled with a farmers-style cheese (I used cottage cheese here) and potato or sauerkraut and onion.
They might be served just boiled or they might be lightly pan-fried in butter, before being served with sour cream, onions and bacon.
This combination of ingredients is always going to be a crowd-pleaser, so once I made our varenyky, I invited friends over for a feast.
These dumplings are so very delicious - I have to admit, they beat the Canadian version easily. They are comforting and full of flavour.
You can find out more and make a donation here.
Once cooked, varenyky are often served with caramelised onion, fresh dill, bacon and sour cream. / Jannie Kennedy
Makes about 30 large dumplings
Ingredients
For the dough:
250g plain flour
2 tsp salt
1 large egg
150ml water (more if needed)
For the filling:
500g mashed potato
200g cottage cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
50g fresh, finely chopped herbs (dill, parsley and chives)
To serve:
Caramelised onions
Crispy bacon, chopped
Sour cream
Fresh dill
Directions:
1 Make the dough: in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the egg and water and mix until a soft dough forms. If it's too dry or too sticky, simply add a bit more water or flour until you have something you can work with your hands.
2 Once the dough is formed, turn it out on to a work surface and knead for around five minutes, until it's a bit more smooth and elastic (see video). Set aside to rest (cover in cling film or place in a bag to rest) for 30 minutes to an hour. While the dough is resting, mash the potatoes, caramelise the onions and cook the bacon so everything is set up when the dumplings are ready.
3 Finely chop the herbs. Add them to the cooled mashed potato and add the cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle lightly with flour.
4 Once the dough has rested, divide it in two and set one half aside (covered with a clean, damp dish towel). Roll the other half into a long rope and then cut the rope into 1in pieces (see video for a better idea of size).
5 Take each piece of dough and roll it out into a thin circular shape (you might need some flour for dusting). Add a heaped teaspoon of filling to the middle and then fold the dumpling over the filling, pinching the edges and ensuring no air is inside the pocket. Crimp the edges of the dumpling by folding little bits over one side until you reach the other end. Place the dumpling on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the dough and filling is used.
6 Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season heavily with salt. When the dumplings are made, drop in six at a time into the boiling water. Once they float to the top, they are cooked through. Repeat until all the dumplings are boiled.
They are delicious, comforting and full of flavour. / Janine Kennedy
7 Melt some butter in a large pan and place the dumplings in the pan, when ready to serve. Heat them through and add the onions and bacon to heat through as well.
8 Serve hot and garnish with sour cream and fresh dill.
*Note: if you have leftover potato filling, just add an egg and some plain flour to make potato pancakes (also delicious served with sour cream and dill).
Read more
Try these fluffy Japanese-style pancakes for Pancake Tuesday
These chunky halloumi chips will brighten up your work week
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: