Make Ahead Wontons

With the beginning September, the weather has begun to cool in this part of the country. Cooler weather always has me thinking of soup.

Preparing wontons ahead of time and then freezing them is great for those busy weekday evenings when you crave a hot bowl of soup. All you need is chicken or fish broth, sliced green onions and other greens if you have those handy. Add a few frozen wontons and you are good to go in less than 10 minutes.

wontons
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and roughly chopped
10-12oz ground pork
3 green onions, sliced
2-3 tsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2-3 tsp chili or plain sesame oil
2-3 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1-2 (12oz) pkgs wonton wrappers, depending on how large you make them.

Bring a small pot of water to a simmer.

Meanwhile combine the shrimp, pork, green onions, the lesser amounts of tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Place a small amount of filling onto the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges and fold together like a triangle and press to seal the edges.

Drop the wonton into the simmering water for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil. ginger and salt until the filling is to your liking.

There are several ways you can fold the wonton. I'll illustrate two ways, one using less filling and one with more.

To make wontons with less filling. Place a small amount (about 1 tsp) onto the center of the wonton. Wet the edges and fold together to form a triangle. Press and seal the edges. Wet the two narrower edges and bring those together. Pinch and place onto a large cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicon mat. This will make it easier to remove the frozen wontons later. Take care the wontons don't touch each other.

If you prefer more filling and less wrapper, then place a larger amount of filling (start with about 1 1/2 tsp) onto the center of the wrapper. Wet the edges and bring two opposite corners together and pinch together. Then bring the other two corners toward the two that are already pinched together. Wet any loose flaps and pinch those together as well. Place onto a large cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicon mat. This will make it easier to remove the frozen wontons later. Take care the wontons don't touch each other.

When all of your wontons are finished. Place the cookie sheet(s) into the freezer. They will be frozen in about 3-4 hours. Peel them off the parchment paper or silicon mat and place them into freezer bags to return to the freezer.

to prepare per serving
1 1/2 cups chicken or fish broth
1/2 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced spinach, watercress or beet greens (optional)
a drop or two, chili or plain sesame oil
3-5 frozen wontons, depending on size

Heat the broth in a pot with a lid. Add the green onion, spinach, watercress or beet greens if using, and the sesame oil. Simmer for a minute, then drop in the wontons.

Cover the pot and simmer 5-8 minutes more. Serve.

Chicken Potstickers

(about 60 potstickers)

I have to admit I'm pretty inept when it comes to forming potstickers. I can't seem to get the folds right and trying to put them together correctly takes me way too long. I usually give up after a few tries and end up folding them into simple half moon shapes similar to pierogies. It's much faster that way and they still taste the same, so ultimately it doesn't matter. I'm still in awe of my dim sum teacher in Toronto, who could fold dumplings into various shapes in mere seconds while holding a conversation with you and maintaining eye contact!

These delicious dumplings freeze really well, so if you are inclined, double this recipe to enjoy more of them at a later date.

potstickers
4-5 dried shitaki mushroom caps
1 cup hot water
1 lb napa cabbage
3/4 lb ground chicken
2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
60 potsticker wrappers
sesame oil for frying
water

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile shred the cabbage into a microwave-proof bowl. Cover with wrap and microwave at one minute intervals until the cabbage has softened. Remove and cool.

Remove the mushrooms from the water and gently squeeze. Discard any hard stems and slice the caps into thin strips. Place them into a large mixing bowl.

Gently squeeze the cooled cabbage to release some of its excess moisture. You do not need to squeeze it completely dry. Add the cabbage, chicken, green onions, cilantro, ginger, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to the mushrooms.

Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined. The filling will be on the wet side. At this point you can fry a small amount to adjust the seasoning, if you like.

To form the potstickers, place a generous teaspoonful into the center of each wrapper; make sure to leave the edges clear otherwise the dumplings will be difficult to seal. Lightly moisten the edges with water and then fold them together in half, pressing the edges together firmly. If you wish to pleat them, then have a look here. Smooth half moon shapes are fine if you find the pleating process as difficult as I do.

To freeze your finished potstickers, place them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer and not touching each other. Place the sheet into your freezer for about one hour, then remove and place the frozen potstickers into freezer bags for further freezing.

To cook the potstickers, heat a small amount of sesame oil in a heavy non-stick skillet with a tight fitting lid over a medium-high flame.

Place the potstickers into the skillet in a single layer, then add about 3-4 tbsp of water. Cover the skillet and reduce the flame to about medium or a touch lower. Steam the dumplings for about  5-7 minutes if they are fresh; 8-11 minutes if they are frozen (do not thaw them out first). Adjust the flame as needed to keep the bottoms from burning; the bottoms should just be nicely browned and slightly crispy.

If there's still a bit of water in the skillet when you remove the lid, then just cook another minute or two until the liquid has evaporated.

Serve with the dipping sauce, (see below).

potsticker dipping sauce
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin or rice wine
3-4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 green onion, sliced
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp chili paste, or to taste

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve with the potstickers.

Egg Drop Soup

(4 servings)

This delicious soup can be on the table in minutes. The prep time is less than five minutes and all you really need to do is bring it up to a simmer, twice.

4 cups chicken broth, (1 qt)
2 - 3 tsp minced fresh ginger, to taste
2 - 3 green onions, sliced
1 - 2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 large eggs
2 tsp soy sauce
1  tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp corn starch
salt and pepper, to taste

Reserve about a 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Set aside.

Combine the remaining broth with the ginger, green onions and red pepper flakes in a pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium flame.

While the soup is heating up, whisk together the eggs, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.

When the soup reaches a simmer, pour the egg mixture slowly into the hot soup in a thin stream. Give everything a good stir.

Combine the cornstarch with the reserved chicken broth and stir the mixture into the soup. Allow everything to return to a simmer again. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Remove from heat and serve.

Chicken Fried Rice

(3-4 servings)

Here's another fried rice recipe. I can't seem to get enough of them lately. This one contains tasty strips of browned chicken breast and a slightly higher proportion of veggies to rice. Yum!

Although it appears this recipe contains a ton of steps, this meal only took me about 25-30 minutes to prepare from start to finish!

chicken

1 egg white, reserve the yolk

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp rice wine

1 small chicken breast, about 3/4 lb.

fried rice

about 2 tbsp oil (split) for frying, such as coconut oil

2 carrots

1 red bell pepper

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 small broccoli crown

2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp hot chili sauce, give or take (to taste, optional)
1 egg plus the reserved egg yolk, beaten
1-2 tbsp soy sauce

2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce and rice wine in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Set aside.

Slice the chicken breast (across the grain) into thin slices and add to the egg white mixture. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Wash, scrape, then slice the carrots into thin rounds. Set aside.

Wash, and remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Cut into small dice. Set Aside

Wash and cut the broccoli into small florets. Set aside.

Heat 2-3 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok. When the oil is nice and hot, drop in the chicken pieces. Fry them until they are golden brown. When they are done, place them onto a plate and cover loosely.

Lower the heat and add another teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the carrots and fry them for about a minute. Stir in the red bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Saute for another minute then add the broccoli. Saute the mixture until the broccoli heats up. Place them into a large bowl and wipe out the skillet or wok. At this point the vegetables will be under-cooked and crunchy.  They will continue to cook in the bowl as they steam, and later on you will return them to the skillet or wok with the rice mixture where they will continue to cook further. At this point you just want to heat them up and get them started.

Add about 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet or wok. Set the flame to medium and when the oil is hot add the rice. Fry the rice until it begins to dry out a bit. This will happen quickly if the rice is a day or two old. If you cooked the rice the same day it will be moister. You might have to lower the flame somewhat to keep it from burning. Cook and stir the rice until it stops steaming and most of the moisture has evaporated (the vegetables will moisten things up again).

If you are using a hot sauce, stir it into the rice now. When it's evenly combined, make a well in the center and pour the beaten eggs there. Using a wooden spoon scramble them and mix them evenly into the fried rice. Stir in the reserved vegetables. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the vegetables and rice. Increase the flame and continue to cook while stirring, until the mixture is hot and the vegetables are done to your liking. I like mine with a bit of crunch.

Stir in the chicken you have set aside and cook just long enough for it to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and cilantro. Serve.

Vegetable Fried Rice

(4 servings)

The last time I spoke with my sister, she mentioned she likes to make fried rice. What she described sounded delicious and I realized I couldn't remember the last time I made any. Fried rice is terrific when you think about it. It's economical, easy to make and a great way to use up leftovers for a really tasty meal.

There are a few things which come to mind when making fried rice. Vegetables are best cut into similar sizes for even cooking. Leftover rice from a day or two ago is ideal because it's drier, however you can use rice made on the same day. Just fry it a bit longer until most of the extra moisture has evaporated.

2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into small dice
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups bean sprouts
2 - 2 1/2 cups cooked (and cooled) rice
1 tsp or more, hot chili sauce (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
2-3 green onions, sliced

Heat half of the oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-low heat. Stir in the ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so. Stir in the red pepper and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the corn and peas and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the bean sprouts.

When the sprouts just begin to wilt, remove from heat and place the vegetables into a large bowl. The vegetables will be under-cooked and crunchy.  They will continue to cook in the bowl as they steam and when the rice is fried you will return them to the skillet or wok where they will cook further. At this point you just want to heat them up.

Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Set the flame to medium and when the oil is hot add the rice. Saute the rice until it begins to dry out a bit. This will happen quickly of the rice is a day or two old. If you cooked the rice earlier in the day it will be moister. You might have to lower the flame somewhat to keep it from burning. Cook and stir the rice until it stops steaming and most of the moisture has evaporated.

If you are using a hot sauce, stir it into the rice now. When it's evenly combined, make a well in the center and pour the beaten eggs there. Using a wooden spoon scramble them and mix them evenly into the fried rice. Stir in the reserved vegetables. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the vegetables and rice. Increase the flame and continue to cook while stirring, until the mixture is hot and the vegetables are done to your liking.

Remove from heat and fold in the green onions. Serve.

Chicken with Orange Sauce

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(about 3 servings)

I didn't have any Chinese chili sauce when I made this, but I did have a tube of harissa which I used in it's place. The result was an unexpected kick in the heat department (I added almost 2 tsp at once) but quite bearable for me. I'm pretty much a wimp when it comes to very hot dishes and in this case the heat was quite pronounced (more so then when I've used chili sauce) yet I could still make out the other flavours. If you decide to give harissa a try, then add it in small amounts, tasting as you go, until you find a balance which agrees with you.

I have never prepared this dish with anything other than chicken thighs. They turn out incredibly tender. I keep meaning to give chicken breasts a try, I imagine they might turn out tender as well.

Beef and Broccoli

(2-3 servings)

I enjoyed the tofu and broccoli so much last week I decided to make the dish again, but with beef this time. The beef was marinated  and I added some sesame seeds and ketchup to the sauce to change it up a touch.

Tofu and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

(2-3 servings)

Yesterday I picked up a box of cereal while I was out shopping for groceries. That cereal put me into my lazy mode and I ended up having it for dinner as well as breakfast this morning. I was about to have it for lunch when I thought it's probably best to eat something green for a change.

This tofu and broccoli was easy to prepare. I got everything ready before I heated the wok because once I did, it cooked very quickly.

Chinese Corn Soup

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(about 6-8 servings)

Plump, fresh sweet corn is showing up everywhere. I managed to get a hold of 6 ears of organically grown corn for almost nothing; they were practically giving it away! This wonderful Cantonese soup came to mind while I was choosing my corn, so afterwards I made my way to the butcher to pick up a nice free-range chicken breast.

I imagine this could be made with frozen or canned corn although I have never tried that. Fresh corn is just too good to pass up, and worth that extra bit of prep time!

Asian Style Scallop and Shrimp Dumplings

(about 30-36 dumplings)

These dumplings are similar to Har Gow, although the wrappers differ somewhat. I ran out of wheat starch, so I added more tapioca starch. The resulting wrappers seemed a bit thicker to me as well as "chewier", but in a pleasant way.

I kind of liked the wrappers and noticed they didn't seem quite as delicate when I steamed them; I wasn't afraid they might fall apart if they stayed in the streamer a tad too long. On the other hand, one of the wonderful aspects of starch wrappers is the ability to see through them, and because of their thickness these weren't quite as translucent as they might have been.

*The dumplings do freeze well. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 20-30 minutes. Then bag them for further freezing. I usually double or even triple this recipe to have a good supply on hand for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Mango Pudding

(4 servings)

I'm not entirely sure if this is still considered a Chinese dessert if I swap out the evaporated milk for coconut milk. In any case, the coconut milk compliments the mango very nicely.

1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
5-6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
2 small mangoes, peeled, chopped, then pureed
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, (12 oz can)

1 small mango, peeled and cubed or sliced

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break it into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover them with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Heat the water and sugar. Add the agar agar and simmer until the agar agar has dissolved; about 5-9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mango puree and the coconut milk.

Pour into  serving bowls and let stand until it sets. Serve with sliced or cubed mango.

Har Gow; Shrimp Dumplings

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(about 42-48 dumplings)

While I was still living in Toronto, I took several evening cooking courses at George Brown College. Among them were two dim sum classes.

I loved those classes, and it wasn't until I left Toronto that I realised just how wonderful they had been. These were "hands on" classes where each student had their own workspace and prepared their own food, very unlike the classes I have come across in Dallas where you basically shell out a small fortune to squeeze between 15-20 individuals to watch someone else cook or prepare something.

Had I known how "special" these classes were at the time, I would have taken a lot more of them.

Har Gow was one of the dishes I learned to make and I still make it rather frequently. It freezes well, so I often double or even triple this recipe.

Filling
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp glutinous rice wine, or sherry
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp tapioca starch

Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Wrappers
3 cups wheat starch
4 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp lard, or shortening, or olive oil
2 cups boiling water

Serve with
chinese mustard
chili paste

Combine the wheat and tapioca starch in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water; add the lard, shortening or oil. Mix until a ball forms. Knead until the dough feels smooth; a minute or so.

Keep the dough under a damp cloth and break off small pieces, and roll them into little balls. Place each ball into a tortilla press, and press; this makes perfect circular wrappers. If you don't have a press, then roll each piece out by hand with a rolling pin. The ones I make in the tortilla press do make a slightly thicker wrapper, but that's the trade-off for getting them done faster.

Place a small amount of filling into the centre of each wrapper and fold starting at one side; keep one edge smooth and fold the other edge in as you work your way to the other side. Don't be tempted to overfill these; the smallest amount of filling will prevent the edges from sticking together.

*At this point the har gow can be frozen. I place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, not touching and freeze  for 10 minutes or so before packing them into freezer bags for further freezing.

Spray the bottom of a steamer lightly with oil or cover with cabbage leaves, and arrange the har gow in one layer with a bit of space between. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. *I add a minute if I'm steaming them directly from the freezer. Be careful not to steam them for too long as the wrappers can disintegrate.

Serve these with chinese mustard and chili paste.

Almond Jelly with Fruit Cocktail

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(6 servings)

This light and refreshing dessert was always one of my favourite dim sum dishes in Toronto. Sadly, I haven't seen it here in Dallas, so I end up making it once in a while.

I imagine it would be very good with fresh fruit, but I get a bit nostalgic for the way it was served at dim sum with the canned fruit. In recent years I have bought the fruit cocktail in the refrigerator section; it seems to be better quality.

This dessert should be made with agar agar, not gelatin as the texture between the two is quite different. I purchase the agar agar in bars. Every few months I drive to a large asian supermarket (Hong Kong Market) in the northeastern part of Dallas to stock up on stuff.

2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 gms agar agar, (this is the easiest measurement because of how it's packaged, bars or powder)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1- 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

2 1/2 cups fruit cocktail
3/4 cup evaporated milk

If you are using the bar form of agar agar, then break into several pieces and place them into a bowl. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove them and squeeze out the excess water. Tear into smaller pieces.

Combine the water, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the agar agar has dissolved; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the evaporated milk and 1 tsp almond extract. Taste and add another 1/2 tsp almond extract, if needed.

Pour into a 9" square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

Cut into cubes and combine with the fruit cocktail. Serve with evaporated milk.