Pierogi Sizzlers

Prep Time: 90 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Alternatively, if you are allergic to gluten, use the following:

300 g oz fresh spinach (washed in plain fresh water to remove dirt or germs)
200 g Ricotta cheese (if you are allergic to dairy products, use an equal amount of cotton tofu)
1 medium shallot (diced finely)
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp rock salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)

Sift your preferred flour version onto your work surface. Make a well and pour in some hot water. Mix everything together with your hands. Moisten the flour evenly as you go.
Add more water gradually and continue blending it evenly with the flour.
Observe the dough-in-formation and allow it to take-in as much water as it needs. Once the dough doesn’t stick to your hands anymore, you know it has enough liquid now.
However, do not stop kneading until the dough is soft, elastic and there are no more lumps. It can take a while to get a smooth dough, please be patient.
Cover the dough ball with a warm cloth/bowl for 15-30 minutes and keep at room temperature. This will help the gluten (or starch, in case of gluten-free version) to develop and make the dough even smoother.

Heat olive oil in a medium pan. Add in garlic cloves and fry on a gentle heat for about 1 minute, stirring without a pause.
Now, add in the diced shallots to fry them along, until translucent and caramelized.
Remove the aromatics from the pan to a bowl. Fill the pan with a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Now, add the washed spinach and keep moving it frequently to prevent sticking the leaves together.Let the leaves wilt. Once wilted, lift it out of the pan with tongs and place it on a sieve to drain and cool.
Meanwhile, place tofu in the food processor together with aromatics (transferred to the bowl), nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, rock salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. Adjust the seasoning a little extra than your taste (this is because the spinach that will get mixed into this ‘ricotta’ filling is not seasoned at all). Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl.
Once the spinach is settled and cold, squeeze all the water out of it. It should be as dry as possible.
Now, place dry spinach in the food processor (use the unwashed bowl attachment in which you made the ricotta filling) and mince it well.
Add minced spinach to the ricotta filling bowl and combine them really well.

Now divide the dough into 4 portions (or workable chunks).
Dust your working surface with flour. Roll out one portion of dough, as thinly as you can (1-2 mm should be the benchmark range). The thinner the dough, the tastier the dumplings
Cut out circles, roughly 3 inches in diameter. Use a round cookie cutter, or a glass rim.
Place a tablespoon of the spinach and Ricotta filling in the middle of each pastry round. Now, fold the edges together to form a semi-circular dumpling. Press the edges firmly. Make the desired number of dumplings the same way.
Now, boil a large pot of water. Drop in a few pierogi first and wait for them to float. Once they do, cook for another minute (the color of the dough would get translucent like you see in steamed dumplings). Then, remove them with a slotted spoon.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sauté pierogies and onions together for 8 minutes.
Add the green and red pepper strips to sauté for another 2 minutes.
Sprinkle salt and Peri Peri seasoning to taste.
Now, switch off the flame and sprinkle Oregano and serve it directly to the plate to enjoy!

Calories: 50 kcal per Pierogi (out of 40 dumplings)
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Sugar: 0 g
Fats: 4 g ( varies between 1-4 g with different combinations between vegan and gluten-free version
Proteins: 2 g (varies between 3-5 g with different combinations between vegan and gluten-free version)