Dim Sum - Chinese Pot Stickers

Okay, so I have to be honest. I don't like chinese pot stickers...atleast not what I've tried once or twice at a chinese buffet. So then you ask "why are you making them?" and to answer truthfully "I'm not sure". I wanted to make something new, something with lots of flavor and something a tad challenging. (I also like to try and make things I think I don't like, in order to find out if I can make it taste so I DO like it) These turned out to be all of the above, except the challenging part, I was surprised at how easy they actually are to make, however, time consuming! I found the recipe on http://www.chow.com/ submitted by one of it's members named Andrea Nguyen, so I can't take credit for it :)

Basic Dumpling Dough:

2 Cups flour
3/4 Cup boiling water

Put the two cups of flour into a bowl and make a dip in the middle

and then add the water

Mix with a spoon until the water is mostly absorbed

It looks dry....but I didn't add any additional water. Turn it out onto a clean surface and mix with your hands and then start kneading it...for about 2 minutes...

...until you get a nice springy dough

Put the dough in a ziplock bag and flaten out as much air as you can and let it rest for about 15 minutes

Then lightly flour a surface and roll it out as thin as you can

Then using a cup, but out circles that are about 3.25in. in diameter - mine were a tad smaller, but worked fine

Now they are ready to fill!

Meat and Chinese Chive filling:

2/3 pounds ground beef (I used about 1 pound of ground beef and pork mixed)
2/3 cup chopped Chinese chives or scallions (white and green parts)
1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons finely minced ginger (I didn't have any fresh ginger, I used 1 Tbsp ground ginger)
1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this because I used a chicken boullion and thought it was salty enough)
1/8 tsp white pepper (I used black)
1/3 cup chicken stock or water
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry (I didn't have either of these, I used a dry white wine)
1 1/12 Tbsp Canola oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil (I didn't have any, so I just used canola again)

Things I added: a sprinkle of cinnamon, chopped carrots, sliced chinese cabbage

To make the filling, combine the beef, chives and ginger in a bowl (and any other item you are adding). Use a fork or spatula to stir and lightly mash the ingredients so that they start **commingling (**NEVER in my life have I seen this word before!)

In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, canola oil and sesame oil. Pour these seasonings over the beef mixture.

Then stirl and fold the ingredients together.

To develop the flavors, cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of filling. (The filling can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before assembling the dumplings.)

Now start assembling your dumplings.

Take 1 dough round in your hand, with a watered finger, circle the edge and then put 1 tbsp filling a little off the middle of the round.

Then fold up and pinch in the center. Then fold/pleat and pinch the sides until it's all sealed.

Place the dumpling on a pan that has baking paper on it.

Once all the dumplings are assembled, they can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours; they can be cooked straight from the fridge. For longer storage, freeze them on their baking sheet until hard (about 1 hour), transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag, pressing out excess air before sealing, and keep them frozen for up to 1 month, partially thaw, using your finger to smooth over any cracks that might have formed during freezing, before cooking.

To pan fry the dumplings, use a medium or large nonstick skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 1/2 Tbsp oil. Place the dumplings 1 at a time, sealed edges up, in a winding circle pattern. The dumplings can touch. fry the dumplings for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are golden or light brown on the bottom.

Holding the lid close to the skillet to lessen the effect of water hitting hot oil, use a kettle or measuring cup to add water to a depth of about 1/4 inch; expect to use about 1/3 cup. The water will immediately sputter and boil vigorously. Cover with a lid, lower the heat to medium, and let the water bubble away for 8-10 minutes, until it is mostly gone.

After 6-8 minutes, move the lid so that it is slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. When you hear sizzling noises, remove the lid.

 Let the dumplings fry for another 1-2 minutes, until the bottoms are brown and crisp. Turn off the heat and wait until the sizzling stops before using a spatula to transfer the dumplings to a serving plate. Display them with their bottoms facing up so they stay crisp. 

Serve with a dipping sauce.

I didn't have what they said to use for a dipping sauce...so I made my own

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce mixed in with about 1/4 cup Sweet Chili Thai Sauce - the combination with the Dim Sum was really yummy!

*** The meat does shrink away from the dough, so please be prepared for some hot liquids to come out when you bite into them...you can help prevent some of the shrinkage by adding bread crumbs to the meat mixture - soak the bread crumbs in milk and then squeeze out as much liquid as you can before adding it-

Enjoy!

Family Recipes and a Tribute!

Today Stefan watched an episode on Caillou and there was chocolate cake involved. He looked at me with his "happy" eyes and said "Stefan auch Chocolate cake!?!" How can a mom say no?!?! Those "Happy" eyes are hard to resist! I thought about it and actually, chocolate cake would be perfect. Family is coming over in the afternoon and chocolate cake goes well with coffee. So I said "Sure!" and Stefan ran to the kitchen to have some cake..."honey, mommy has to go to the store first...we'll make it afterwards" - Now WHAT kind of chocolate cake should I make? I searched the web and was overwhelmed by Brownie, German Chocolate Cake, Devils Food Cake and Fudge recipes. Then I remembered a recipe book my mom made years ago...full of family recipes. That was it! I remembered seeing a recipe for a chocolate sheet cake...and I distinctly remembered REALLY enjoying how moist and chocolately and just absolutely scrumptous this cake was...and I'd never made it before, so why not? This will be the 2nd recipe listed.

My Tribute. I never got to meet my grandpa Cowles, but rumor (and family old recipes) has it he was a pretty darn good cook! He was a Marine, a father, a son, a grandpa, and a man I wish I'd had the chance to meet. I am pretty sure I get to see a little bit of him though, whenever I see and talk to my dad. Unfortunately, now, that's not very often, due to a few states, the Atlantic Ocean, and a few countries laying between us. Now before I go and get all choked up...lets get back to this recipe! Okay American friends, everyone loves a REALLY good Sloppy Joe! Put that Manwhich can down, step away from the shelves of canned goods and run your cart over and get some fresh hamburger meat, green bell peppers and everything else listed on this recipe, because nothing beats it! This is the sloppy joe recipe we always used....granted after a few years ...decades...of using it we stopped reading the recipe and just did it our way. Today I thought, I'd peep inside that "Family Favorites" recipe book and follow that recipe that Grandpa used and have a day of family recipes to enjoy...with my husband and my son. Here's to you Granpa!

Sloppy Joes - Clyde Cowles Style!

Brown:
2 Pounds hamburger meat
3-4 Stalks of celery (optional)
2 Chopped green bell peppers
2 small or 1 large onion - chopped

Season to taste with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic (powder, salt or chopped)
Chili powder

Add:
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish (I had to chop up pickles, can't get relish here)
1/4 cup brown sugar (to your taste - I used less)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite kind)
1 can tomato puree
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

Reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes.

Serve with hamburger rolls and chips or fresh raw vegetables

Mom's Chocolate Sheet Cake:

Mix in pan and bring to boil:
1 cup of butter or margarine
4 Tbsp Cocoa powder
1 cup water

Take off stove and pour over a mixture of:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

Add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Mix all together. Pour into a greased cookie sheet pan and bake at 350° for 20 minutes

Frosting:
While cake is baking, mix in pan and boil:
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk

Remove from heat and add immediately:
1 box of powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 Cups)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional - but shouldn't be, cause it's so great with them!!!)

Spread frosting on cake while cake is still hot - you can technically pour this frosting on the cake...it'll set after awhile.

Chicken wraps: Curry Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Sweet Chili Thai Wraps

We really like to have wraps for dinner, they are easy and tasty!

The "unhealthy" version: Sweet Chili Thai Chicken Wraps:

The "healthy" version: Curry Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Mango Chutney:

2 Wraps: 376 Kcal, 36g Protein, 8g fat and 28g Carbs.

(take out the mayo and chutney and it's even healthier)

Sweet Chili Thai Chicken Wraps:

Boneless - skinless chicken breast (cut into large strips)
2 Tbsp Sweet Chili Thai Sauce
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
Lettuce - Shredded
Carrots - Shredded
Cheese
Onions - sliced thin
Oil for frying
Tortillas

Cut your Chicken into large strips (about 4 strips per chicken breast) and mix with a little soy sauce and sweet chili sauce.

Let sit for a few minutes. Then put some plain bread crumbs into a bowl and coat each piece of chicken, one at a time.

Heat your oil (or oven if you want to save some calories) and fry or bake the strips until they are a nice dark golden brown color.

Warm up the tortillas (per package instructions) and then layer lettuce, onions, shredded carrots (not shown) cheese and two strips of chicken. Pour some sweet chili sauce over.

fold the tortilla up from the bottom and then wrap the sides in and secure with a toothpick.

Dig in!

Curry Chicken Lettuce wraps with *Spicy Mango Chutney (*store bought):

Boneless - skinless chicken breast
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste

Green bell peppers - chopped small
Cucumber - Chopped small
Spring onion - sliced
Onion - Sliced
1 garlic clove - sliced or minced
1 tsp Light Mayo
1 tsp curry powder
spinkle of salt

2 large pieces of Lettuce

Mix the curry powder, garlic powder, olive oil and tomato paste together. Rub into the chicken breast.

Broil - grill or bake until cooked through

Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

Mix the cucumbers, bell peppers, mayo, curry, garlic, spring onion and salt all together. (I later added hot chili peppers, freshly cut, for some extra heat)

Take a large piece of lettuce and spread 1 tsp of the Spicy Mango Chutney in it.

Then put a layer of the vegetable mix on top.

Then top it with the chicken pieces

Then roll it up as best as possible - you can try to secure it with a toothpick, but it doesn't always work well.

Grab a few napkins and dig in! This is pretty messy but very delicious!!!

Meat Samosas

My dad really enjoys these and so we had to make them while they were here visiting!

This is one of those recipes where I don't measure. Samosas are very flexible and you just kind of have to figure out what you like. I'll give you a rough idea of what spices I use.

You'll need:

1-2 lbs ground meat (beef, or beef and pork mixed)
1-2 medium onions
1 package eggroll wonton wrappers (I find these work best, I hate to work with Phyllo dough)
2-3 Tbsp Curry powder
1-2 Tbsp Paprika
1-2 Tbsp Cayenne (depending on how hot you like it)
1-3 tsp Corriander
1-3 tsp Garlic - or a few garlic cloves crushed
Salt
Pepper

- you can get more creative and add some potatoes that have been cut very small and already cooked, peas can also go in mix...play with it!

Brown the meat and then add your onions - I don't drain the meat. I used a pork/beef mixture and the fat content was very low. If you use 100% beef then you might want to drain it, but NOT all of the fat...when you add all the spices, it'll become too dry if there isn't a little fat there.

After adding you onions, saute the meat and onions for a few minutes and then add the spices.

Once everything is nicely mixed you can turn off the burner and get your wonton wrappers ready. I cut them in half diagnolly. I have found this works best for getting a triangle shape.

Heat the oil.

Take one of the end corners and fold it towards the middle corner and seal the edge with water. You'll have a pocket. Fill the pocket with meat and then fold the top corner over...sealing with some water on your fingers. Set aside.

Once all the samosas are prepared and the oil is hot. Fry in the oil until a golden brown color.

Once golden brown, remove from oil and set on a plate covered in paper towels.

Once they are all done, serve them with some chutney or any other dip you want...or just eat plain, they are yummy that way too!



Salmon, Spinach and Root Veggies for Lunch, Topped off with a Smoothie for Dessert!

Today I thought I might actually take the time to make something (hopefully) delicious for lunch, instead of a sandwhich or hotdog.

Salmon:

2 Salmon filets

Lemon/butter glaze:

3 Tbsp Butter melted

2 garlic cloves, pressed

Juice of 2 fresh lemons

a little water
salt
pepper

Heat a frying pan to Medium and melt the butter and add the garlic. After giving the garlic a minute to get fragant, add your lemon juice. Stir. Add the filets and lightly salt and pepper.

Cover. About every few minutes, spoon the lemon sauce over the filets. Flip once. Once the filets are finished - about 15 minutes - take them off the stove and serve onto plates.

- CAUTION - The sauce is VERY lemony. Taste it first, if you like it, drizzle some over your cooked salmon. You can add some water, while it's still on the stove to help. It's a personal taste thing. I didn't put any extra sauce on Stefan's fish and even though it was cooked in the lemon sauce, he still gobbled it up!

Parmesan Potatoes, Carrots and Spinach...oh my!

3 small potatoes - bite size
2 small carrots - bite size
1 small red onion - chopped
5 spinach leaves (came from our garden!)

Melt just enough butter to make it so your veggies won't stick. Add the onions, stir, then add the potatoes and carrots. Salt and pepper - I also put on a little cayenne and paprika - and then cover.

Cook on a medium to low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan. Add spinach and lightly saute.

Then add your potatoes and carrots again and sprinkle with a little parmesan - stir and let cook for a minute - then transfer to your dinner plate.

This turned out better then I hoped. I would normally not mix the spinach and potatoes, but wasn't sure if Stefan would eat a sea of green...

The best part about this lunch...it's nutritious and KIDS EAT IT TOO!

Strawberry Coconut Smoothie

2 medium spoonfulls of vanilla ice cream
a bunch of frozen strawberries
1/2 Cup coconut milk  + milk to bring it to a smoothie texture.

Mix all the ingredients together - add milk as necessary -

Pour into a glass, stick a straw in it and enjoy!