Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Pierogi Truck Dreams (Part 3)

This one is so simple, I feel bad calling it a recipe but I really feel you need to try it out! It's more of a delicious combination than a recipe. Poutine is a big deal where I live. We are very close to Quebec where it has it's roots and you can find it on just about every (I might dare to say all) chip trucks here in Ottawa which are the most popular kind of food trucks here. I honestly had never heard of it until I moved to Ottawa though I hear it has reached Newfoundland now with versions of Newtine with stuffing and peas on fries being created.

I haven't had poutine in a long time...probably about two years since that's how long I've been vegan. I decided to give Daiya mozzarella shreds a try on top of Potato Pierogi covered in the gravy from the Shepherd's Pie pierogi I posted yesterday and oh my...what a treat! I went easy on the Daiya (as you can see from the picture) because I have only just started to like it and find it works best if you use the less is more approach. It tasted just as yummy as I remember poutine tasting, still getting that creaminess from the melted cheese and full of umami flavour from the gravy. I always liked mine with a little ketchup which went on right after taking this photo. Definitely not traditional but hey none of this really is, now is it?

So to really lay it out...make and cook some Potato Pierogi (still from Vegan Brunch, cooked using the same method as the others), place them on a plate (or in a basket like we did) and then sprinkle on a bit of mozzarella Daiya, cover that with hot gravy (from yesterday's post of Shepherd's Pie pierogi) so it will melt the Daiya and enjoy!

Food Network Monthly Cookalong: Pierogi Trucks Dreams (Part 2)

This next one seemed to immediately lend itself to pierogi form considering our usual ones are filling with mashed potatoes. I decided the best way to mix the "meaty" filling and mashed potato was to serve a few of each together smothered in gravy. I mean what doesn't taste great smothered in gravy right?! So to make these ones, you will have to make a batch of Isa's Potato Pierogi from Vegan Brunch and mix and match with these. We always have a few bags of them in the freezer, you should too, they make excellent quick suppers this way.

Shepherd's Pie Pierogi

Filling

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 large onion, finely diced

1/2 lb frozen vegetarian ground crumbles (I used PC Blue Menu brand but Gardein would work as well)

1 cup beefy broth

1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari

Capful of Kitchen Bouquet (optional, just for colour really)

1/4 cup frozen peas
Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy

2 med-large onions, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 cups beefy broth

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp yellow miso

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet (optional, again just for colour)

1 tsp reduced sodium tamari

Pinch dried thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Using a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil then add in the carrot, onion and vegetarian crumbles. Pan fry it, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened and starting to caramelize just a bit. Add in the broth, tamari, Kitchen Bouquet (if using) and frozen peas. Continue to cook, reducing down the broth until there is little broth/liquid left. Remove from heat, taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool before filling the pierogi and again I froze these for about two hours before cooking.

2. Make the gravy while they are freezing. Start with a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and olive oil and saute the onions until they are starting to caramelize since that's where the flavour is going to come from. Once caramelized, add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. You want to make a roux, so you will cook the flour in the oil until it is starting to turn light golden brown. Keep stirring it so it doesn't burn in places. Switch to a wire whisk and slowly pour in the beefy broth while constantly whisking. Continue to whisk and add in the garlic, miso, nutritional yeast, Kitchen Bouquet (if using), tamari and dried thyme. Cook until thickened to your liking. Carefully taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you cook the pierogi, occasionally stirring to avoid a skin forming on top.

3. To cook the pierogi, follow instructions from previous Cheeseburger Pierogi post (steps 4 and 5).

4. To serve, place a few Shepherd's Pie pierogi and a few Potato Pierogi on a plate (or in a basket like we did) and smother in warm gravy!

Makes enough to fill 21 pierogi