chinese dumplings

Chinese Dumpling Pork Filling

You will need:
1 lb lean ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
6 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried – rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
1/2 cup bok choy, minced
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 cup ginger root, minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne, to taste

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Adapted from: Use Real Butter

Once you have filled the dumplings you can freeze them or eat them fresh. To freeze, place the dumplings in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then place in a ziplock baggie, where they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To eat fresh you can pan fry (potstickers), steam, or use in wonton soup.

Pan Fry: Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface and steam for about 6 minutes.

Wonton Soup: In a large stock pot, bring 2 quarts homemade chicken stock to a boil (if you do not have homemade chicken stock, I recommend Kitchen Basics brand). As you are waiting for the stock to boil, whisk in 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 1 heaping tablespoon chili garlic sauce, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Once boiling, drop dumplings in and boil until the dumplings float to the top. Top with chopped green onion and serve immediately. -this is my nontraditional favorite way.

Corn Chowder with Chilies

Add some cilantro and cheddar!

• 2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 5 ears Corn, Shucked (about 4 Cups)
• 2 whole Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Finely Diced
• 1 whole 4-ounce Can Diced Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
• 3 Tablespoons Corn Meal OR Masa
• ¼ cups Water

Preparation Instructions

(Carefully) slice the corn kernels off the cob. Set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir.

Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine cornmeal (or masa) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

Serve with crusty sourdough bread or in a bread bowl. Absolutely yummy!

Adapted from: Pioneer Women

Coca-Cola Chicken

Chicken drumsticks, 8 small ones or 4 American-sized ones
Soy sauce, 8 teaspoons
Ground Sichuan pepper, ½ teaspoon
Ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Peanut oil, 3 tablespoons
Garlic, 3 cloves diced
Mild fresh green pepper, ¼ cup diced
Cilantro, 1 tablespoon, chopped
Coca-Cola, 16oz.

• Lay out the package of chicken drumsticks.
• Pick up each drumstick, take a knife, and put a couple scores (small cuts) into the meat of each drumstick.
• Put the chicken right back down where it was.
• Sprinkle salt, black pepper, sichuan pepper, and MSG on top of the drumsticks.
• Pour the soy sauce on top of the chicken.
• Give each piece a quick turn, just to mix everything up and cover the chicken.
• Heat a wok or pan, add the peanut oil, and get that up to the smoking point. Leave it on high heat.
• Add the chicken and marinade liquid.
• Once the skin is a rich, tasty brown, add the garlic and green pepper and stir for 15 seconds. Still on high heat.
• Add Coca-Cola.
• Bring it up to a simmer and turn the heat down just to keep the simmer going.
• Put the lid on.
• Wait. The amount of liquid that will evaporate depends on your lid and the seal, so this part isn’t an exact science. If after 30 minutes you still aren’t at the next step, remove the lid and reduce the liquid until you reach it.
• When most of the liquid is gone, remove the lid and put the heat on low. The last bit of reduction is touchy and subjective, so don’t try to automate it. The sugar in the Coca-Cola will have caramelized and thickened it into a glaze. A lot of people say these things are ready “when it coats the back of a spoon.” If that works for you, fine. I just stir it around and when it coats the chicken in a way that looks so appetizing I have to stop cooking it and eat it, I do.
• Cut the heat, add the cilantro, and stir.
• Plate. It will still be hot so give it a couple minutes to cool. This will also help the glaze stick to the chicken as more water is lost in the wait.

Gumbo

Will and I made this Gumbo to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day! MMMM

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
• 4 cups hot water
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra
• 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
• 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.

Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

Overnight Santa Cake

18-20 frozen white dinner rolls

1 package (5 oz) cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 bag (6 oz) pecan halves

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine sugar, pudding and cinnamon and set aside. Line buttered bundt cake pan with pecans on the bottom. Place 8-10 frozen rolls into bundt pan, pour half of the butter over rolls, and cover with half of the dry sugar mix. Layer remaingin rolls on top of dry mix, pour rest of butter and dry mix over rolls. Cover and let rest overnight. In the morning, when santa has prepared the rolls for you, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes and inver onto plate.

Christmas Eve Stromboli

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat the foil generously with cooking spray.

Combine in your food processor's bowl:

1/2 cup pitted kalamata or black olives

8-10 sun-dried tomato halves, packed in oil

1 Tbsp. oil from the sun-dried tomato jar

Pulse until the mixture forms a rough paste.

Lightly flour a flat working surface and a rolling pin. Roll 1 pound of pizza dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Spread the olive-tomato mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Top with 12-15 slices of overlapping provolone cheese.

Top this with a 10-oz. box of frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed (to drain water) and a 12-oz. jar of roasted red peppers that have been drained, patted dry and cut into strips. Make sure the pepper strips run parallel to the longest side of the rectangle.

Fold 1 inch of dough over the filling on the short sides of the rectangle. Then fold the long sides over and pinch the dough together at the corners.

Roll the dough, starting at one of the long ends, as tightly as possible.

Brush the border lightly with a bit of beaten egg and pinch the seam to seal it shut.

Transfer the roll to your prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when it is tapped.

Cinnamon nuts

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Mix egg white and vanilla. Beat until foamy. Stir in nuts to coat and add sugar mixture. Bake 250 for one hour. Stir occasionally.

Curried Coconut Chicken

• A favorite!
• 
  
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.