Pesto Perogies Recipe

I have 8 basil plants (2 varieties) growing in my hydroponics this year, primarily because I love making my own pesto, and they were finally ready to harvest. Of course you can buy pesto for convenience, but homemade fresh pesto is really worth the extra effort. I also spread it on toasted sandwiches, roast veggies in it, and add it to pasta for an extra flavour boost.

This recipe doesn’t require precise measurements, so drizzle and glob away!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 20 frozen potato & cheese Perogies
• 20 medium mushrooms, quartered
• 1 medium yellow or red onion, diced
• Olive oil
• Garlic, crushed
• Dried red pepper flakes
• Lemon juice
• Pesto (store bought, click on link, or see recipe below)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the perogies according to the boiling instructions on the package. Drain, and set aside on a plate (don’t overlap as they will stick together).
2. Quarter the mushrooms and dice the onions.
3. Drizzle olive oil in a hot frying pan, then saute the mushrooms and onions until they are just starting to brown. Add a couple teaspoons of crushed garlic and lightly saute.
4. Add a couple good globs of pesto to the mushroom onion mixture, sprinkle dried red pepper flakes (to taste, more if you like it spicy), drizzle a little lemon juice, and continue sauteeing until the mushrooms and onions are browned and start to crisp up.
5. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan, leaving residual oil in the pan. Add the boiled perogies to the pan, and fry them on both sides till slightly crisp and browned.
6. Serve perogies with the mushroom and onion pesto mixture, top with a couple globs of sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy hot!
7. Refrigerate any leftover perogies and pesto veggie mix, then reheat in a non-stick frying pan on high until everything is heated through.

Easy Homemade Pesto recipe:

• Using an immersion blender or food processor combine a large bunch of fresh *basil, a handful of pine nuts or raw sunflower seeds, a couple cloves of fresh garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice. If you aren’t dairy free, add some grated fresh parmesan (I make mine dairy free so Mr. B can eat it too). Blend till almost smooth. Add salt to taste. Leftovers can be frozen for future use. *Other herbs like parsley or cilantro can be substituted for the basil.