Caramelised Onion Varenyky

My family lived together with a Russian family for most of my childhood. For that reason, I had some wonderful early food experiences. My favourite foods included salmon selyodka (pickled fish) and roe. Those, I wouldn't eat anymore (unless someone makes a vegan version...). But my absolute favourite food was sweet varenyky filled with apples. Varenyky are the Ukrainian-Russian version of pierogi.

For a long time I was put off making my own varenyky because of how hard I thought it would be. Then I tried making them, and it was really hard. The dough was extremely delicate. It stuck and tore. A few weeks ago, I discovered this pierogi dough on Vegan Sandra's website and tried again. The dough is a pleasure to work with. No sticking and no tearing!

When I was a child, a dumpling without apples inside wasn't really a dumpling for me. I can vividly remember the deep feeling of disappointment and offence I had after biting into a potato pirozhki (baked dumpling). These days I love potato-filled dumplings, and would be over the moon if someone made them for me. Not everything has to be sweet! But my favourite part is always the fried onions on top, so I thought I'd put them inside. Here are varenyky filled to bursting with caramelised onion, with a little potato to bind the filling.

Caramelised Onion Varenyky

Makes 16 varenyky, serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 a recipe of the crispy and simple pierogi dough from Vegan Sandra
5 onions
1 potato (200 ml)

Method

1. Chop the onions. Fry them in a little oil over medium heat for 30-40 minutes, until nicely browned. Stir every now and again and reduce the heat if they start to burn.

2. Peel, chop and boil the potato. Mash it and mix with the onions. Add salt and pepper. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Cover with a cloth.

3. Roll out the first ball into a circle on a lightly floured surface. Put 1-2 tsp of filling in the middle and pinch the varenyky shut. Put it on a lightly floured tray and cover with a cloth. Repeat for remaining balls of dough.

4. Boil the varenyky until they float, and then for an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve with margarine or vegan sour cream.

Olivier Salad

This yummy salad originated in Russia. It consists of chopped potatoes, carrots and peas in a mayonnaise dressing with tangy pickles and onion. It's a great winter dish, but also perfect for summer picnics and barbecues, or the first month of spring while you're waiting for the new produce to appear.

Olivier Salad

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side

Ingredients

8 potatoes
2 carrots
1 400 g can or 375 ml frozen peas, cooked
vegan ham (optional)
6 medium pickles
1/4 onion or 3 stalks spring onion
400 ml vegan mayonnaise made with silken tofu
salt and pepper

Method

1. Wash the potatoes and carrots, and simmer them together until done. Let them cool for a while. Peel them and dice them finely. Drain and rinse the peas.

2. Mince the onion and finely chop the pickles. Slice the spring onions and ham, if using. Mix everything together and season well with salt and pepper.