Vareniki Dumplings

Made this as dinner for my friend who visited us yesterday. Wow..... You must be wondering what is "Vareniki Dumplings". You might have heard of Pork Dumplings, Shrimp Dumpling, Vegetable Dumplings or etc.... But what is Vareniki Dumplings?

Vareniki are square or crescent shaped dumplings of unleavened dough, stuffed with cheese, mashed potatoes, cabbage, meat or hard-boiled eggs or sometime with fruit filling. It's very popular in Russia as a quick-fix dish. During preparation, the filling is wrapped with dough, boiled for several minutes, and then covered with oil. So in another word, it is a Russian Dumpling just similar to our Asian Pork Dumpling but stuff with different filling and cooking method.


I come across this interesting recipe from one of blog that my friend Tracy introduce to me. It consists of alot of interesting recipes which Suyin records all her cooking adventure during her study in Australia. You can find the original recipe from her link which also include with a cooking video. For my version, I add in some extra vegetables, fruits and Parmesan cheese for extra colour and favour.

Ingredients For Dough: (make about 20 wrappers)
1 Cup Plain Flour, sifted
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
100ml Of Drinking Water

Methods:
1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then stir in the salt.
2. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg yolk and oil.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the egg, gradually drawing in the flour. After a few minutes the dough will be too stiff to use a spoon and you will need to use your fingers.
4. Once all the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for about 3-5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. If you find the dough is too wet, add a little more flour and continue kneading. But if the dough is too dry, then sprinkle some water and knead till smooth.
6. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for at least 15-20 minutes.
7. The dough is now ready, roll the dough out into thin sheet then use a round cutter(8cm) to cut into round wrappers.
8. Wrap each wrapper with 1 Tablespoon Of Potato mixture and repeat it with the rest of the wrappers.
9. Bring a big pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt and olive oil to boil, then add in the wrapped dumplings.
10. Continue to simmer until all the dumplings floats up, remove, rinse with tap water and drain well. (put around 6 dumpling at a time, don't over crowded the pot)
11. Set aside for later use.

Potato Filling: (can make 50 dumplings)
3 Medium Size Potatoes
30g Soft Butter
1/2 Onion, finely diced
1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella/Cheddar
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Some Black Pepper & Salt

Methods:
1. Wash the potatoes, cut into half then steam it for about 15 - 20 minutes until tender.
2. Scoop out the potato flesh into a mixing bowl then mash it with a fork until smooth.
3. Preheat a pan with butter then saute the diced onion till soft and fragrant.
4. Remove from heat, add in the mashed potato, and stir till combine, then add in cheese, sour cream, pepper and salt.
5. Continue to stir till all mixture is well combined then set aside for the wrapping.

Assemble:
50g Of Bacon, cut into slices
1/2 Packet Of Sweet Bean
6 Cherry Tomato
100g Blueberry, optional
Parmesan Cheese Powder
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Methods:
1. Preheat the pan with 1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, then saute the bacon until fragrant then add in the cooked dumpling in two batches.
2. Pan-fry until both sides are golden brown then remove and place on serving plate. Continua with the rest.
3. Add in some extra olive oil, then stir-fry the sweet bean and cherry tomato till fragrant then add in the blueberry and stir for another minute.
4. Remove and divide it evenly onto the top of serving dumpling then sprinkle with some extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese powder and serve.

Notes:
The original Vareniki Dumpling is served with drizzle oil on top but for my version, I add in extra bacon, vegetables and cheese to give it more favour.

As for the left over potato fillings, you can either kept in the fridge for making a 2nd batche or you can make half of the recipe instead. Sometime it depend on the size of the potatoes or the amount of fillings you wanted to wrap.

Meme - 10 Things I Miss of Mum's Cooking

Wow... never thought I had a chance to tag on this MEME game as well. I had read it from a few of the food blogger friends that I knew and I really find it very interesting. And now I am so surpised to be tag by Margaret(jingle26) for participating this.

But when it's my turn to write this Meme, it seems to be a lost. As I don't know how or where to start........ 10 Things... em..... since primary school till I grown up and get married, my mum had being working either morning/afternoon shift work so most of the cooking are done by my dad. So this Meme is sort of a bit hard for me to come out 10 items....lolz....but I will try my best.....


1. Haninese Chicken Rice - Since my mum is a Haninese she this is one of her Super Dish of the family. She used to cook it twice a month and the fragrant of the rice, the taste of the tender chicken and most of all the dipping chilli sauce.....all of these are so much better than those selling outside.

2. Haninese Pork Chop - Other than her Chicken Rice, this is one of her special dish that grandpa passed to her. It's their famous Haninese Pork Chop, it's so crispy outside and yet the meat is so tender and juice. Really miss those crunch, I used to fight those pieces of pork chop with my brother.

3. Salted Fish Meatball With Cabbage- This is another simple and easy soup that my mum used to cook. She will mixed the chopped salted fish with pork minced, marinate and shape it into round shape and cook with cabbage and fishball for soup.

4. Stir-fry Prawn With Oyster Sauce - I love this dish very much, and I often cook this dish when my friend come to my place and they loves the sauce to go with the rice.

5. Ngoh Hiang - Last time my mum only used to make this during Chinese New Year time, and her Ngoh Hiang is always the most popular dishes in the new year feast.

6. Steam Ji Dan Gao - My mum used to steam a few big bamboo basket of these steam egg cake before Chinese new year to pray the ancestors. Her steam egg cake is very fragrant and spongy which is very different from those selling outside.

7. Sweet and Sour Pork - One of the regular dish that my mum used to cook on weekend because my brother loves it so much.

8. Nonya Chicken Curry - My mum used to make her own curry paste instead of those instant pre-pack one that we are using now. I love to eat this with French loaf.

9. Soya Sauce Duck - I love the taste of the sauce and the duck meat is tender, it's so fragrant and not the oily. I always eat this with white porridge because it can actually bring out the taste of this dish.

10. Vegetarian Dishes - Since my mum is a Buddhism, she always prepare a few vegetarian dishes during the 1st day of Chinese New Year or during the 1st and the 15th day of the Luna Month.

Wow... finally I managed to list 10 things that my mum used to cook. Because since my dad had pass a way and we are all grown up and not around by her side. She don't really cook all these wonderful food anymore. :(

Now... I should let Pamy, and Shirley to tell you more about what they had miss on their mum's cooking.

Cranberries & Cream Cheese Bread

Since today is Friday and I am preparing a very simple dish for today's dinner. I took so time on and off during my son's afternoon naptime to prepare this Cranberries & Cream Cheese Bread. I used half of the previous dough ingredients that Evan suggested and add some dried cranberry in it. This bread is wonder with the cream cheese filling and some assorted jam spread on top. Although it might look complicated but it is indeed very easy to prepare.


Ingredients: (make 7 buns)
150g Bread Flour
50g Plain Flour
10g Milk Powder
30g Sugar
1 Medium Egg
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast
85ml Ice Water
25g Butter/Margarine
40g Dried Cranberries, finely chopped

Methods:
1. Mix bread flour, plain flour, milk powder, salt, sugar and dry yeast till well blended in a big mixing bowl.
2. Next add in Egg, and use finger to mix it well and slowly add in the cold water while you knead the mixture till combine then add in the butter and knead to form a pliable & elastic dough.
3. This process may take quite a while, about 30 mins or so.
4. The dough will be wet & sticky at first (and kinda messy as well), but keep on kneading (without adding oil or water) until dough no longer sticks to fingers & is glossy on surface.
5. And if you're about to give up just like I did, DON'T!
6. When the dough is done, add in the chopped cranberries slowly and mix till well combine.
7. Place the dough in the mixing bowl, wrap it up and set aside in a warm place to allow dough to fermentate, approx. 45 minutes - 60 minutes,(depend on the weather, or you can place it in the oven with a bowl of hot water beside it) the dough must at least double in size after fermentation.

Nowsday, you can find alot of bread with cranberry as one of the mixture from most bakery. Cranberries are a source of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals which are known to provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system. By adding these chopped dried cranberries to the bread, it really gives a extra sweetness and crunch when eating.

For The Cream Cheese Filling :
100g Soften Cream Cheese
20g Icing Sugar
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Grated Lemon Rind

Methods:
1. Sift the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl, then add in the lemon juice and stir well.
2. Next add in the soften cream cheese and lemon rind and stir till well combined.
3. Set aside in the fridge for later use.

Theoriginall recipe actually coated the bread withdesiccatee coconut and top with some blueberries jam. But since I do not have any of those items at home. I replace it with some assorted nuts and jams that I found in my fridge. So this is my version of Cranberries Bread With Cream Cheese Filling.

For Decoration:
1 Extra Egg For Glazing
Some Almond Flake/Pumpkin Seeds
Some Assorted Jam

Methods:
1. Divide the fermented dough into 7 lumps of 60g each and leave the lumps to rise for another 20 minutes.
2. Wrap about 1/2 Tablespoon of the cream cheese paste with the lumps and shape into round balls.
3. Use a small rolling pin or your thumb to press an deep indent in the middle of the bun to place the jam filling later.
4. Leave the filled balls to ferment until they have double their original size(about another 20 minutes).
5. Brush the fermented bun evenly with some beaten egg wash and top with some jam fillings in the indent and sprinkle some almond flake or pumpkin seeds on the surrounding.
6. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degree for 10 mins until well risen & golden brown.
7. Glaze buns with margarine while hot.

Notes: You can used any types of jam that you prefer for the top fillings.