Pierogies with Kielbasa & Kale

              

               Originally I had this way-too-long post about the meal detailed below. But after rereading it about 10 times, I realized I sometimes just need to get to the point. And here it is….

                Growing up, I can vividly recall both my grandmother and mother frying onions with butter, letting them soften and brown, then adding in pierogies to let them brown and fry too. And boy o boy were they not the greatest thing ever?!? There was never enough onions to go around, but every face at the table was either gobbling down pierogi after pierogi or taking a break to be ready for their next serving! Needless to say, they were a family favorite that have created a memory that I will never be able to forget.

                So here is my take on dish I grew up on. I stuck to my roots in that I used a lot of onion, a decent amount of butter, and had patience to let everything brown. I tweaked it by adding a protein and leafy green. Now, when I say protein, you might think chicken or shrimp, however when dealing with pierogi, kielbasa is the way to go! And since not the most “figure friendly” meat offered, I took advantage of the lighter version. And why the kale, you may ask? Well, basically, I am a veg-lover and attempt to add some sort of color to everything. To be honest, that mentality doesn’t always succeed yet in this dish it was a great idea. Actually, both tweaks I made were good. The browned kielbasa added a salty contrast to the sweet onions, while the pillowy pierogi shined against the hearty kale. In the end, the whole dish worked incredibly well and although it wasn’t exactly what I remember as a kid, it for sure had me both gobbling down pierogi after pierogi and taking a break so that I could enjoy a few more! Enjoy…..

Pierogies with Kielbasa & Kale

Serves: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to turn a childhood favorite into a hearty and more complete meal

Ingredients:

2 large sweet onions, sliced into 1/8 inch slices

½ bunch kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped

½ of a 13 ounce lite kielbasa ring, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

1 dozen fresh pierogies

2 TBS unsalted butter

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

S & P: salt and pepper

Procedures:

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the kielbasa and allow each side to brown, stirring frequently, about 5-8 minutes...

2. Remove kielbasa from pan and melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat

3. Add the onions, a pinch of S and a more generous pinch of P and let cook, stirring often for about 15-20 minutes, or until onions are soft and beginning to brown

4. Add pierogies, stir often using a rubber spatula, and let each side brown, about 10-15 minutes

5. Add kielbasa back to pan along with the kale, lower flame to medium low, and gently toss together and cover for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes or so to allow the kale to wilt

6. Bring to table and serve !

My Mom and Mama, the inspiration for this dish:)