As Polish as it gets!

   I can't believe that Christmas is over, where did it go? All that's left is lots of gifts and a fridge full of leftover food... actually it doesn't sound that bad when I think about it! For me (and probably lots of other Polish people) Christmas Eve is a huge part of the Christmas celebration... we have a special supper, with lots of different vegetarian dishes and we get to open our gifts! Yes, we get to see them earlier than most people, but lets focus on the food, because it's just special and finger-licking-good! We serve so many different dishes, each one better than the last, but one of my favorites (among 10 others) is a sauerkraut with porcini mushrooms. Creamy, luscious and delicious, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

*  2 lb sauerkraut, lightly washed and drained
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  1 large apple, peeled and shredded
*  1/2 cup dry porcini mushroom 
*  2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
*  1/2 tsp caraway seeds
*  2 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cover mushrooms with 3 cups of warm water and let them soak for at least 2-3 hours. Boil the mushrooms (in the same water), reduce the heat and cook for about 30-40 minutes.
2. Drain the mushrooms (reserving a cooking water), roughly chop them and set aside.
3. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute onions for 5-6 minutes. Add drained sauerkraut, shredded apple, chopped mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Cook everything on low heat for 30-40 minutes, constantly stirring and slowly adding mushroom cooking water. Let the water cook out completely and create a soft and moist dish. 

   You will probably notice that the recipe makes a lot, but trust me, it's nothing and it will be gone in couple of days! There is nothing more Polish than that dish, and Justin agrees with me one hundred percent. I can't wait to have another portion!

Enjoy,
Magda