Polish dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms (pierogi z kapusta i grzybami)

In these months it’s difficult to post regularly. I left Poland, came back to Berlin without laptop, visited friends in Italy, left Berlin definitively and came back temporarily in Italy. I’ve bought a ticket to Lisbon, and who knows? Maybe I’ll stay there.

As I wrote in the last post, where you can find my vegan guide to Krakow, I’m publishing here my favorite Polish dish. When I lived in Poland I used to eat pierogi at least once a day. This version with cabbage and mushrooms (pierogi z kapusta i grzybami) is one of the traditional. I want to thank Paolina for giving me her own recipe, I just substituted a couple of ingredients to get a vegan version.

You can also make pierogi ruskie with potatos and tofu. In this case the filling can be prepared with potatos, tofu cream (Tofutti for instance) and sauteed onion. This version requires a deep fry cooking and the dumplings are usually served with a garlic sauce. I made them once and they were perfect. If you need more suggestion about this recipe, just write me.

Ingredients (serves four, 36 dumplings)

For the dough
250 gr all purpose flour
50 gr soy butter
100 ml soy milk
pinch of salt

For the filling
80 gr sauerkraut
20 gr dried mushrooms
½ onion finely minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

For the seasoning
1 small onion
extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of cumin seeds
black pepper

Start by preparing the filling. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes circa. Dry carefully the sauerkraut until all the liquid is gone, When the mushrooms are tender dry them and put aside the water.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a pan and sauté the cumin seeds, the onion finely minced and the clove of garlic. Add the mushrooms and sauerkraut and cook for 15 minutes, adding mushrooms water if necessary. When all the liquid is totally evaporated remove the garlic and allow the filling to cool completely.

For the dough, melt the soy butter and a pinch of salt in warm soy milk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour and start kneading for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and consistent.

Flour a pastry board and roll the dough up on it, until the thickness is about 3 mm. It should look like an ear lobe. Cut circles out of dough by using a glass of 6 cm. Place the filling in the center of each circle. Seal the edges by gently pressing with the fingers or with the back of a fork, forming semi circles.

Bring water with salt to a boil and cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile the dumplings are cooking prepare the seasoning.

Start by chopping the onion into irregular cubes. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a pan and sauté the cumin seeds and the onion, until tender and slightly brown.

Drain the dumplings and pan fry them with the seasoning over medium heat, until lightly brown on both sides.

Serve nine dumplings on each plate and sprinkle with black pepper.

Braised seitan in Barbera d’Asti with polenta and Krakow impressions

My Krakowian days are unfortunately over and now I’m back in Berlin. I couldn’t post from Poland because I stayed four months in a hotel without kitchen and laptop. After that I spent a couple of weeks visiting my family and friends in Italy and the recipe of this post is my vegan version of a Piedmontese traditional winter dish. I’ve just veganized my mother’s recipe and that’s all, but first I’m going to write down some impressions of my experience in Poland. I have to admitt that I’ve left a piece of my heart in Krakow and below you can find the places I liked more. Now that I’ve got my kitchen back I’m ready to prepare the Polish recipes I’ve lernt. So stay tuned!

Massolit Books & Café – ul. Felicjanek 4 This is a kitchen blog, but the first place I recommend to everyone decides to visit Krakow isn’t a restaurant. Massolit is an amazing indipendent English bookstore I used to go in on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s really close to the Rynek Main Market Square and the Philarmonia and you can reach it easily by foot from the city center. There is a wide range of interesting titles, used and new books, and while you’re reading one you can drink an espresso properly made. There are vegan options too, like soy milk, organic juices, bagels and soups. If you go during the weekend in the morning you can have a seat in one of the old-style furnished room, read a good book and listen to Billie Holiday. The warmer and cosyer place I found in Krakow.

Ro Raw Organic – Plac Wolnica 12 This raw organic restaurant is simply one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. RO Raw Organic is in Kazimierz and on their website you can have a look to their menu. The place is comfortable, the food fresh and excellent and the service efficient. There is also a little grocery inside where you can find a selection of organic products. I had a barszcz with sprouts, a delicious burger and a mango cake. I’m not a big fan of cakes and sweets in general, but that cake was really incredible! Besides RO Raw Organic offers catering service and workshops.

Zapiecek Polskie Pierogarnia – ul. Sławkowska 32 Traditional Polish food is full of meat, but it is not hard to find vegan or vegetarian options. If you have been in Poland you should know pierogi. They are dumplings served boiled or fried. I prefer the boiled version not because of healthy reasons, but because of the taste. I find that the fried one cover the filling too much. The place where I ate the best pierogi is Zapiecek Polskie Pierogarnie. It’s very close to the Rynek Main Market Square and opens 24h. All the pierogi are homemade, included the dough. I do suggest the one with broccoli, but you can ask for a mixed dish and then decide which is your favourite!

Pierożki u Vincenta – ul. Jozefa 11 This restaurant is the most famous place where you can eat pierogi. The selection is really huge and dishes are good tasting. I don’t know why, but I prefer Zapiecek Polskie Pierogarnia. Maybe because I went to Vincent with a terrible hangover after a vodka night and now my memories are a little bit mixed up.

Green Way – ul. Mikołajska 14 This vegan and vegetarian fast food is really close to the Rynek Main Market Square. Huge portions for reasonable price, it is perfect for the lunchtime. The food is not bad, but the music selection is terrible. I suggest to go there with an mp3 player and to take the lentil soup. It’s Delicious!

Spółdzielnia organic resto & take-away – ul. Meiselsa 11 Organic vegan and vegetarian fast food in Kazimierz. The food is quite good for affordable price. The place is comfortable and they also organize catering service and cultural projects. I suggest you to have a look to their website.

Momo – ul. Dietla 49 Before going to Momo I read a lot of enthusiastic reviews and I had very high expectations. Maybe it was a bad day for me, but I was not satisfied at all. Momo is a vegan indian post-hippie restaurant  where the food I ate were quite bland, but you can find for sure the yoga class you are looking for. I went there just once, but I didn’t want to give it a second chance.

My guide of Krakow is finished and I’d like to spend a couple of words more about the recipe of this post, the braised seitan in Barbera d’Asti with polenta. It’s one of the most popular winter dishes from Piedmont and it reminds me on my childhood. It takes a lot of time, but in winter I really appreciate slow cooking, especially during a silent Sunday.

Ingredients (serves two)
350 gr homemade seitan
1 carrot minced
1 red onion minced
1 stalk of celery minced
1 garlic clove minced
3 sage leaves minced
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of parsley minced
2 sprigs of marjoram minced
5 juniper berries
3 cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

For the homemade seitan
120 gr instant gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
125 cl water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce black pepper

For the marinate
500 ml red wine (I used Barbera d’Asti)
1 carrot
1 red onion
1 stalk of celery
1 garlic clove smashed
5 sage leaves
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of parsley
2 sprigs of marjoram
5 juniper berries
3 cloves

For the polenta
125 gr yellow cornmeal
water (the amount depends on the type of the cornmeal. Mine required 250 ml water)
pinch of salt
extra-virgin oive oil

The day before prepare the seitan and marinate it.

In a bowl stir together instant gluten flour, garlic powder, tomato paste, and black pepper. Pour extra-virgin olive oil, soy sauce, water and mix until you get a consistent dough. Knead it carefully with your hands, roll up firmly in a piece of aluminum foil and steam for 35-40 minutes.

Allow to cool completely into the aluminum foil wrap, then cut into 1,5 cm cubes.

For the marinate chop into medium pieces carrot, red onion, stalk of celery. Add seitan, garlic glove smashed, sage leaves, bay leaves, sprigs of parsley, sprigs of marjoram, juniper berries, cloves and cover wit red wine. Refrigerate for 24 hours in order to get a more flavorful seitan and wine.

The day after take away the seitan cubes from the marinate, filter red wine and set aside. I prefer not to cook the seitan with the vegetables of the marinate in order to get a more delicate taste. I usually make sauces with that vegetables to serve with raw food. For this reason I suggest to use fresh ones for the next step.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan, add carrot, red onion, stalk of celery, garlic glove, sage, parsley and marjoram minced and sauté until soft and tender. Add seitan cubes and stir gently for 10 minutes until browned. Pour filtred red wine, add tomato paste, a pinch of salt, bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and slowly simmer for 90 minutes.

While the seitan is cooking prepare the polenta. In a saucepan bring water to the boil and add salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until ready. Pour the polenta into a baking pan and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 200°.

Turn out the polenta on a cutting board and cut into cilinders. Brush each side with extra-virgin olive oil and arrange each piece into the backing pan again. Transfer to the oven and.cook for 10 minutes, then switch on the grill and let inside until golden brown on top.

Serve the polenta cilinders on a plate with the braised seitan.

 

Tempeh sandwich with hummus and caramelized onions

I’m coming back with an important update. The vegan kitchen of Dr Caligari is temporary leaving Berlin and moving to Krakow until the end of the year. If you have any suggestion about the city and Poland in general, don’t esitate to leave a comment.
I decided to publish this sandwich because today it wil be my lunch auf der Autobahn. Despites it is very simple to make, even if the endless list of ingredients should suggest quite the opposite!
I tried tempeh for the first time more than one year ago with great expectations, but…it really disgusted me! Maybe because I forgot it on the fridge for weeks and ate it raw in a sad salad? Anyway, since I’ve realized it needs a marinate I could not imagine a sandwich without it! The marinate you find here is just a suggestion, you can use wathever you want, but please, let the tempeh marinate overnight, or at least a couple of hours. You can also use another kind of dip instead the hummus, like baba ganoush, guacamole or aioli.
Ok, it’s better if I stop writing and pick up my stuff, Krakow is waiting!

Ingredients (makes 3 sandwiches)
3 sandwich breads
12 slices tempeh
1 tomato
lettuce

For the marinate
1 star anise
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove finely sliced
½ tsp toasted Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 stalks lemongrass finely minced
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp sesam oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp rice vinegar

For the hummus
100 gr dried chickpeas (or 250 gr canned chickpeas)
1 tsp bicarbonate
2 garlic cloves
¼ tsp cumin
1 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 ½ lime
parsley finely chopped
pinch of salt

For the caramelized onion
4 red onions
75 gr brown sugar
15 ml apple vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

The day before prepare the hummus, if you use dried chickpeas. With the canned ones you can make it jump this step. As I wrote before I suggest to prepare the marinate the day before as well, in order to get a more flavorful tempeh.

Start the hummus soaking chickpeas with 1 tsp bicarbonate and twice the volume of cold water for at least 12 hours, then cook them in cold water with a pinch of bicarbonate until tender. It takes about 2 hours. Let chickpeas completely cool in the coocking water. Drain well, peel them and reserve the cooking water.

If you use canned chickpeas you can start making the hummus from this step. Combine chickpeas, garlic, tahini, salt and lime juice in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add cumin and stir with cooking water, if it is necessary to get your fovorite texture. Finally add extra-virgin olive oil and parsley finely chopped.

For the marinate, toast Szechuan peppercorns, then crumble. Peel outer layer of lemongras and mince slightly. In a freezer plastic bag combine Szechuan pepper, lemongrass, star anise, bay leaves, garlic finely sliced, brown sugar, lime juice, sesam oil, soy sauce, sake, mirin and rice vinegar. Add tempeh and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, better if overnight.

For the caramelized onions, cut red onions into thicky slices. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a pan, add onions and stir for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, reduce the heat and simmer until soft and caramelized. It takes about 20 minutes. When onions are brown pour apple vinegar to deglaze the pan. Set aside.

For the tempeh, heat a pan and brown the slices with the marinate until crispy and sticky, after taking off star anise and bay leaves.

Now it’s time to assemble the sandwiches! Spread a generous layer of hummus on each bread slice, place a few slices of tempeh, caramelized onions, tomato and lettuce.

Carrot and Mango soup with lime ice cube

I am totally obsessed with soups and everything that can be pureed. This recipe is perfect in the summertime because you should prepare it in advance, refrigerate and eat when you want at room temperature. You could choose to serve this soup with an ice cube as I usually do. The ice cube melts while eating and allows you to enjoy the echoes of lime and ginger.

Ingredients (serves two)

For the soup
4 carrots
1/2 mango
1 unseeds red chili pepper
1 onion
¼ red chili powder (if necessary)
vegetable stock (1 large onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery)
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

For the lime ice cube
1 lime
½ cm ginger finely minced

Start by preparing the lime ice cube. Squeeze the lime and pour its juice with ginger finely minced into an ice cube tray. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Chop carrots, mango and unseeds red chili pepper into little pieces. Slice onion finely, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan and cook the slices gently for 5 minutes. Add carrots, mango, red chili pepper and red chili powder. Cover totally with vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 40 minutes, until carrots are tender. Puree soup in a blender and allow it to cool.

Serve it at room temperature with lime ice cube. Top with red chili pepper, chives and a few drops of extra-virgin oilve oil.

Homemade green tea tagliatelle with cherry tomato confit

If you are looking for a summer pasta this recipe is made for you. I know, cherry tomato confit requires that you use the oven for around 1 1/2 hours, but in the meantime you can go outside, get a coffee with a friend and came back home when it’s baked. For this recipe you need about 20 cherry tomato pieces. You can use the rest for topping bruschetta, filling sandwiches or a bagel. Why not?

Ingredients

For the green tea tagliatelle
200 gr double milled durum-wheat semolina flour (I used De Cecco)
2 tsp green tea powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
100 ml warm water

For the seasoning
cherry tomato confit
6 big capers (plus 4 for garnish)
1 red chilli
2 tbsp pine nuts
juice of 1 orange
extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper
orange zest to garnish
fresh thyme to garnish

For the cherry tomato confit
500 gr cherry tomato
3 cloves garlic finely sliced
brown sugar
fresh thyme
extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare cherry tomato confit in advance.
Preheat the oven to 150°.
Slice each cherry tomato in half and set them cut side down in a pan. Pour extra-virgin olive oil on the top and add garlic, fresh thyme and brown sugar. Roast the tomatoes for about 1 ½ hour, until fragrant and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the tagliatelle, mix flour with green tea powder and salt. Incorporate warm water and oil and start kneading the dough fo several minutes, until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Bring the dough from the fridge and cut in two equal parts. Sprinkle each piece with flour and roll out into a rectangle. Sprinkle again with flour and fold the rectangle in half lengthway. Slice with a sharp knife into pieces. Unroll strips, dust carefully with flour and set aside. Personally I don’t like the tagliatelle too thin, mine are 2 mm thick.

For the seasonign, start roasting pine nuts, then set aside. Meanwhile mince finely 6 capers and seedless red chilli. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan. Add capers and chilli and cook gently for around 3 minutes. Pour the juice of an orange and simmer until half-reduced.
Meanwhile bring a pan of salted water to boil and cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Drain the pasta and put into the sauce pan. Add cherry tomato confit and roasted pine nuts and toss well.

Serve the tagliatelle on a plate, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with capers, orange zest, fresh thyme and black pepper.

The ultimate crumble plum cake

If you are in Berlin and like kitchen tools there is an amazing shop I found out last week. I spent half an hour in Kochtail and went out with a set of measuring cups and spoons and a bento box. Ok, the bento box is not properly a kitchen tool, but it was yellow and I liked it!
With my new toys I prepared this plum cake. The texture and the flavor of this batter is simply perfect and you can use whatever you want, every kind of fruits, dried fruits and spices.

Ingredients

For the batter
2 cups flour plus 2 tbsp for the peaches
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ¼ tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup soy milk
1/8 cup canola oil
2 peaches
40 gr dark chocolate minced

For the crumble
¼ cup flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy butter
1 tbsp pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 180°.

In a bowl stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk soy milk and canola oil. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth.
Dice two peaches and toss them carefully with two tablespoon of flour. Add peaches and minced dark chocolate to the batter and gently combine.

Prepare the crumble mixing flour, brown sugar and butter with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.

Spread the batter evenly into a greased tin and sprinkle crumble and pine nuts on the top of the plum cake. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature.

This is hardcore. Melanzane alla parmigiana bagel

When I baked my first bagel I was wondering how to fill it, then the image of Oedipa eating parmigiana sandwiches on the lake came to my mind. I really don’t know why I related Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 to a bagel, but it sounded so good. And it tasted too.
This bagel is rich and voluptuous. A touch of pornography in my kitchen.

Ingredients

5 bagels (recipe here)
cream (I used Tofutti)

For melanazane alla parmigiana
1,5 kg aubergines
1 onion
1 clove garlic
750 gr tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato paste
extra-virgin olive oil
fresh basil
1 tsp sugar
salt

Remove the stalks from the aubergines and cut them lengthways into 0,5 cm thick slices. Place them in a colander with coarse salt between the layers and a weighed down between plates. This will allow to discharge from the bitter juices. Set aside for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Heat extra-virgin oil in a pan, add onion minced and garlic and gently sizzle for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, tomato paste, salt and sugar and simmer at the lowest heat for at least 1 hour. When ready turn off the heat and add basil. Stir well and set aside.

Squeeze out the aubergines, wash them to remove the salt and dry carefully. Now it would be time to fry the aubergines. I prefer to bake them in oven, therefore brush each slice with extra-virgin olive oil and place them on a pan with parchment paper sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until tender and the surface gold and crispy. Turn the slices and bake the other side for 5 minutes.

Remove basil and garlic from the sauce. Put a few spoonfuls of it in a pan and cover with a layer of aubergines. Repeat this sequence adding fresh basil to each layer and finish with tomato sauce. Sprankle with breadcrumbs and bake at 200° for 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then slice it into pieces.

Cut the bagels in half. Spread the cream, place a piece of aubergine parmigiana and top with the covers of the bagels.