Varnichkes Recipes

KASHA VARNISHKES

Steps:

• Sauté onions in 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil or schmaltz. Remove to a plate.
• In the same pan, toast the kasha in 1 tablespoon of oil or schmaltz until aromatic.
• Cook the varnishkes as directed on the box.
• When the kasha is toasted, add boiling water or chicken stock. Cook on medium low until the water has boiled out.
• Drain the varnishkes. Mix in with the kasha.
• Add onions to the kasha and varnishkes. Mix until well combined.
• Add salt to taste.

KASHA VARNISHKES

Steps:

• Put onions in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cover skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, until onion is dry and almost sticking to pan. Add fat or oil, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is nicely browned, at least 10 minutes or so longer.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a separate, medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, stir in the kasha and about a teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer until kasha is soft and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Let stand, off heat and covered.
• Salt the large pot of boiling water and cook noodles until tender but still firm. Drain and combine with the onions and kasha, adding more fat or oil if you like. Season with salt and lots of pepper and serve immediately.

KASHA VARNISHKES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned, about 9 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside., Combine buckwheat groats and egg in a small bowl; add to the same skillet. Cook and stir over high heat for 2-4 minutes or until buckwheat is browned, separating grains with the back of a spoon. Add the hot broth, salt and pepper., Bring to a boil; add onion mixture. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Drain pasta; add to pan and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

KASHA AND VARNISHKES

Steps:

• Heat oil, then saute onions until soft. Add carrots and saute until the onions take on some color. Add mushrooms, then garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes. Meanwhile, mix kasha with eggs and seasonings. Add the kasha egg mixture to the saute pan with the vegetables and cook over medium heat until dry looking and kernels separate. Add stock and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and kasha is tender, about 12 minutes,. Mix in bowties. Serve with ketchup and/or gravy.

JEWISH KASHA VARNISHKES (BOWTIE PASTA WITH BUCKWHEAT GROATS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Melt schmaltz in a large skillet and add onions. Sauté over medium-low, stirring frequently until onions are turning brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions to a bowl and set aside.
• Cook bowtie pasta in 2 cups chicken stock or salted water until al dente or done to your liking. Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside.
• While the pasta is cooking, mix uncooked kasha with beaten egg, coating well. Warm a medium skillet that has a lid and turn kasha into the pan, patting down flat. Cook, stirring often, until kasha has separated into individual grains.
• Deglaze the pan you cooked onion in with the reserved hot chicken stock or pasta cooking water by pouring it into the pan with the kasha. Stir, bring to a boil, stir again, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Toward the end of cooking, set cover slightly askew to allow any liquid to fully evaporate.
• In a large saucepan, combine onions, pasta, and kasha, mixing well. Season to taste. Reheat and serve hot as a side dish or main course.

KASHA VARNISHKES AT WOLFF'S IN NEW JERSEY

Steps:

• 1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the margarine or chicken fat in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate.
• 2. Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, making sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.
• 3. Add the water or bouillon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.
• 4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.
• 5. When the kasha is ready, combine with the noodles. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the parsley and coriander. If desired, add a bit more margarine or chicken fat.

KASHA VARNISHKES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter has melted, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan over high heat, toast kasha, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasted, about 1 minute. Add egg and stir to coat. Add chicken stock, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer kasha to bowl with onions and mushrooms. Add pasta and remaining 4 tablespoons butter; stir until butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and bake until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

VARNICHKES

Steps:

• Beat the egg in a mixing bowl and stir in the kasha.
• Mix, making sure all the grains are coated.
• Put the kasha in the frying pan and fry over high heat with constant stirring until the egg has dried on the kasha and grains are brown and separate.
• Meanwhile bring the water to a boil.
• Pour boiling water over the kasha, add salt; simmer covered for 10- 15 minutes until kasha has absorbed all the liquid and is dry and fluffy, set aside.
• Meanwhile, Heat the oil in a pan and brown the chopped onions.
• Add the meat and brown over high heat.
• Add carrots, salt, pepper, seasonings, and enough water to cover everything.
• Simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours, partly covered, until meat is tender Add water if needed during cooking.
• This may be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use store the kasha and stew in seperate containers and reheat the meat before doing the next step.
• Add the peas near the end of cooking time so they don't get mushy.
• About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve cook pasta as directed on the package.
• When the pasta is cooked drain and combine it in the pot with the stew and the kasha.
• Serve hot.

ZIGGY'S KASHA VARNISHKAS

Steps:

• Brown gravy, for serving, if desired
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the kasha and eggs together in a large pot. Put the pot over low heat and let the moisture dry out. Stir in the stock and the seasonings. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Correct the seasoning, if needed. Return the pot to the oven and cook until heated through. Transfer the kasha mixture to a serving bowl or platter and serve with brown gravy, if desired.

KASHA VARNISHKES WITH CONFIT OF GIZZARDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 225 degrees. Clean the gizzards, then cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a small, heavy-bottomed pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and add enough rendered duck or goose fat to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and then transfer it to the oven's center rack. Bake, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, until tender and chewy but not browned. The gizzard confit can be left to cool and then refrigerated in its fat until serving.
• Put the kasha in a medium bowl and mix well with the egg and 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth. Bring the remaining broth to a boil. Place a skillet with a lid over medium heat and add the kasha, stirring it for a few minutes until it is firm and smells like toasted nuts. Pour the hot broth into the skillet. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until cooked.
• In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add the gizzards and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with the kasha and cooked noodles and sprinkle with the parsley.

VARENIKI (UKRAINIAN FILLED DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and the oil through the feed tube. then pour in the water, in a slow steady stream, until the dough forms a ball around the blade. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with a cotton towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. Keep one ball covered with the towel while working with the other ball. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a very thin sheet, about 1/16 inch thick, making sure it doesn't tear. With a round cookie cutter, cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Gather the scraps into a ball and set aside, covered.
• Have a bowl with the egg white near you. Place a heaping tsp of the desired filling in the middle of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg white and press the edges firmly together with the tines of a fork to seal. Place the vareniki as they are made on a lightly floured large baking sheet about 1 inch apart and keep covered with a damp cloth.
• When you have finished making this batch of vareniki, roll out the 2nd ball of dough and make a second batch. Add the leftover scraps left from the first batch, knead into a ball, and roll out for a final batch of vareniki.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium so the water simmers and carefully lower half the vareniki into the water. Boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface, and are cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the vareniki to a colander and drain thoroughly. Transfer to a deep serving bowl and toss with half the butter.
• Cook the rest of the vareniki in the same way.
• Makes 50 to 55 vareniki. (Serves 4 people as an entree.).
• For the Potato Filling:.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cheese. Add the sauteed onion along with the cooking fat and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then use to fill the vareniki.
• For the Cheese Filling:.
• In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Use as a filling for the vareniki.
• For the Sauerkraut Filling:.
• Rinse and squeeze thoroughly to dry the sauerkraut.
• Saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it renders its fat. Remove the bacon and reserve. Drain off all but 2 Tbsp fat.
• Add the onion to the skillet and saute, stirring frequently over medium heat until nocely browned, almost 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the sauerkraut, and saute, stirring, until softened and cooked throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, and broth. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before using to fill the vareniki. Use the reserved bacon as a topping.
• For the Cherry Filling:.
• If you are using the fresh cherries, mix them with the 1/2 cup sugar and leave in a warm place for several hours until they begin to give off their juice. Strain the juice. You should have about 2 cups. If less, add canned or bottled cherry juice.
• If you are using canned cherries, drain them thoroughly and reserve 2 cups of the syrup. Mix the canned cherrieswith the 1/4 cup sugar. Reserve several cherries for garnish.
• In a small saucepan, bring the reserved juice or syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from the heat, stir in the liqueur, and let cool to room temperature. Reserve to pour over the filled and colled vareniki.
• Toss the cherries with the cornstarch. fill each vareniki with 2 fresh or 4 canned cherries, sealing especially tightly.