Spinch Cream Cheese & Potato Jalapeno Pierogis

I was told it was almost pierogi season, so I thought I better get to making them. Pierogi's are no quick fix meal, they are a labor of love, and one you should make TONS of so you don't have to labor again for a long time. They freeze awesome and filling options are endless. Here is my "traditional" recipe for pierogis with two versatile and easy fillings.

Soft Eastern European dumplings, one filled with creamy yukon gold potatos and jalapeno and another with spinach, shallot and vegan cream cheese. Tossed in a rosemary garlic butter sauce and served with slices of summer squash, vegan sour cream and Tofurkey Kielbasa.

Pierogi Dough
2- 2 1/2c AP Flour
2 tsp ener-g egg replacer powder (not mixed with water)
1 tsp salt
1 c water, room temperature

If you have an electric mixture with a dough hook, combine 2 cups of flour, the egg replacer powder and salt. Mix. Add the water and continue letting the hook knead on low speed. Add more flour if necessary to form a dough. Raise speed slightly and mix around 5 minutes until the dough is soft and not sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
If you are doing it by hand, follow the same directions but you will need to knead the dough around 15 minutes to get the soft, non sticky texture.

Flour your counter surface and roll out the dough to about 1/8"..thin! Use a cup or a large cookie cutter to stamp out circles. Once you have all your circles you can fill them.

Go ahead and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you fill the dumplings.

Lightly dampen the outer edges with water and put 1-2 tsp of filling in the center. Fold the dough over and press to seal all the edges. Set on parchment paper until all of the pierogis are built.

Drop 6 or so at a time (or however many your pot can fit without being crowded) into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and toss with rosemary butter.

Potato Jalapeno Filling
1 lb yukon golds, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 white onion, minced
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2c soy, almond or oat milk

Fill a large pot with cold water and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion and jalapeno in 1 tbl oil in a small pan, until fragrant and tender. Set aside
Drain the potatoes, add the jalapenos, onion, salt and milk and mash until creamy but not completely pureed, leave some texture. Add more milk if necessary. The mix is now ready for stuffing.

Spinach Filling

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 head of spinach leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of cinnamon
2 tbl vegan cream cheese

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots have become translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the spinach leaves, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Saute until spinach has cooked all the way down. Remove from heat and add the cream cheese. Mix to combine and taste to see if more salt is needed. The mix is now ready for stuffing.

Rosemary Butter Sauce

1/4c earth balance vegan butter
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbl fresh minced rosemary
1 tsp sea salt

In a small sauce pan melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients. Saute for 3-5 minutes and pour over warm pierogis.