After tasting my first "runza" in Nebraska at the encouragement of my friend Paula, I've been seeking a recipe that would allow me to duplicate them at home. This recipe fits the bill! When I made them this first time, I followed the original directions which called for using 5" inch squares of dough. This made 12 portions, which ended up being way too large. My husband I split one and it was plenty for a meal. Next time, I will divide the dough into 24 portions after rolling out, and will make sure I roll it out thin enough. Also, the recipe called for using a whole cabbage. The cabbage I used was pretty large, so I only used half of it. I have modified the direction below to reflect how I will make them in the future. They were incredibly delicious!

Ingredients

2 packages (7g Packet) Yeast 

1⁄2 cups Sugar
1-1⁄2 Tablespoon Salt
3-1⁄2 cups Warm Water 

1⁄2 cups Oil
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
8 cups Flour
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Onion, Chopped
1 pound Ground Beef
1 whole small Cabbage, Shredded 

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix the yeast, sugar, sat, warm water, oil, vinegar, and flour together. Let rise 1 hour. Punch down. Let rise 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, saute garlic and onions; add ground beef and fry until browned. Add cabbage and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

After the second rising of the dough, divide the dough into two portions to make it easier to handle. Roll each dough section out to about 1/16′′ thick. Cut the dough into 24 squares and put a generous portion of the beef mixture on the middle of each square. Gather all 4 corners together and pinch shut each diagonal seam toward the center. Turn upside down on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Brush with butter when they come out of the oven. 

These can be frozen after baking. To reheat in the oven, wrap frozen bierok in foil and reheat in 325 oven for 30 minutes. To reheat in the microwave, wrap in wax paper and heat on high 2 minutes. 

Recipe modified from Tasty Kitchen

My friend April said she missed my food photos, so I made this new soup for lunch since I was stuck at home on a snow day. :) It was super easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
3 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Shredded cheddar for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium stock pot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
2. Place a can of beans, the green enchilada sauce and the diced tomatoes and green chilies in a blender and puree until smooth. Add to the pot with the chicken stock.
3. Add the remaining 2 cans of beans to the pot and simmer for a additional 5-10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in cilantro.
4. Top with sour cream, shredded cheddar and additional cilantro before serving, if desired.

Recipe modified from Let's Dish