CHEATER SAUERKRAUT

yields 4 cup

ingredients

• 6 cup shredded cabbage, red or green
• 4 bay leaves bay leaves
• 3 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup fresh dill optional

instructions

1 Warm up a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the cabbage and enough water for it to be about halfway submerged. Fold in the bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a simmer.

2 Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer until the cabbage is wilting, about 15 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium, and simmer until the cabbage is all cooked through and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes longer. If it’s all cooked but there’s still some water left, just drain that excess off.

3 Stir in the dill, discard the bay leaves, and stick the sauerkraut in the fridge until it cools down. Taste and add more garlic, dill, salt, or vinegar, whatever you think it needs to taste right.

4 Serve in a big bowl alongside some pierogies.

modifications

If you want to do a lot of the work ahead of time, make the dumplings all the way until the dough is still raw but the pierogies are all sealed.

Spray them with some oil, cover them with plastic wrap, and freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

This keeps them from sticking together.

When they’re all frozen, dump them into a plastic bag or some Tupperware and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to get down, just boil them for an extra minute or two.

Or if you’re just spreading out the work, you could make the filling a day or two ahead of time.

It keeps in the fridge for a couple days.

• recipe