How to Accidentally Make About 50 Chicken Potstickers

The first step - and this is very important - is to pay absolutely no attention to any recipe on the subject. The second step is to have no idea the tiny amount of filling that actually fits into a round wonton wrapper. The third step is to start cooking and the fourth step involves a great deal of "I can't believe we ate that many." (We didn't eat all of them, for the record.)

In reality, I basically followed this recipe from Food.com. This is a great way to use up leftover chicken, pork or beef, and its very likely that all you'll have to buy is the wrappers! You may even make a zillion on purpose so you can freeze some. I made a pan-full, and when we were done cooked up the stragglers for our lunches tomorrow. This made a lot more than I was expecting because I did not realize how little stuffing fits in each wrapper, and just how much filling I was making. I guess that's why the wrappers come in packages of 100.


Because we live in a grocery store dead-zone where apparently ground chicken isn't something that people want, I used just under a pound of chicken tenders, which I shredded. The slight chunkyness of the pieces made me skeptical that the meat could really cook through with this method, so I sauteed the chicken pieces in a sesame teriyaki sauce before assembling, and cut down the soy sauce by half. I also added a small carrot and a rib of celery, both finely chopped, and about a teaspoon of lime juice to the filling mixture. I was able to find round wraps (mine were made by NaSoya brand) so I used those instead of egg roll wraps. Egg roll wraps would make cute little packets, if you put all the the filling in the center and gathered the wrapper above it with the corners sticking up. But they would also be a fair bit bigger.


These aren't really all that different from the baked egg roll recipe I posted about in early May, at least in composition and procedure. Just don't go thinking that because you successfully rolled an egg roll that wrapping up a potsticker will be easy peasy. At least, it wasn't for me, and I ended up with a few sadly torn ones. Such is life. I'm sure that every person who has ever rolled an egg roll or wrapped a potsticker will tell you that their way is the right way, so I trust you will develop your own system. Just be gentle and take the time to figure out just how much filling your wraps can hold.

But now to the important part: These were yummy. I think the lime juice in the mixture made a big impact, and in the future I think I could use even more veggies - possibly even double, to about 2 ribs of celery, 2 carrots, and 4 green onions. Much like the egg rolls, these are much easier than they might seem, and will be ready in about the same amount of time it takes to get to the takeout place and back.


Quote of the Day: I prefer the Chinese method of eating....You can do anything at the table except arm wrestle. ~ Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I've seen recipes like this one floating around out there on the internets, so I figured I could kind of fake it. This approach worked much better than with last night's quinoa burgers.

That said, I'm not sure just how Thai these really are. For me, they are a fresh twist on one of my all-time favorite foods, the taco. Plus, as you might have noticed, cilantro, lime, and Sriracha are some of my favorite flavors, and I welcome any opportunity to use them.

This recipe happens to be very low-carb, which may be appealing to you, and if you pay attention to what soy sauce you are using, it is also gluten-free. Sriracha is apparently gluten free, and while many brands make gluten-free varieties of soy sauce, every one produced by La Choy brand is gluten free. Still, if this is a concern, read your labels to be sure.

I served this with hot brown rice, which you will cook according to package directions. You could also use quinoa or something similar.

Ingredients:

4 whole leaves of Romaine, Boston, or Butter lettuce, washed

1/3 - 1/2 lb ground turkey

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 peanuts, chopped

1 handful fresh cilantro, washed and coarsely chopped

2 green onion, thinly sliced, or about 1 tbsp. chopped chives

1/4 - 1/2 tsp sriracha, plus more for serving

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp soy sauce

Canola oil

Directions:

1. In a medium to large frying pan, saute pan or wok, drizzle a bit of canola oil. Over medium heat, brown your turkey, breaking apart with a spatula.

2. Meanwhile, you can arrange your topping ingredients - your cilantro, chives, peanuts, and red onion - in small bowls for serving, if you wish. This is also a good time to wash your lettuce leaves. (We used two Romaine leaves each.)

3. In a small bowl or glass (okay, I used a jar) combine your lime juice, garlic, and soy sauce.

4. When turkey is cooked turn off the heat and drain the meat of excess oil, except for about 2 teaspoons. Pour in your lime juice mixture, add the carrot and bell pepper, and mix to combine before transferring to a serving platter.

This would be a fun dish to serve at a party with friends, or with family, if your family is sort of fun and not afraid of mess and/or Asian food. I think you could also use fish sauce, or basically any other Asian sauce in your lime juice mixture. A little sesame oil would also be good. (Since I don't know exactly what "Thai" is, I can't act like I won't use potentially foreign ingredients in these wraps in the future.)

 Basically, you should make these. They're fresh, yummy, easy to make and fun to assemble. Also, you could very easily pack this as a take-along lunch: just keep your turkey mixture separate from your lettuce, and pack a little container or baggie of mixed toppings, and as long as you're not trying to eat it in the car or something crazy, you're good to go. You might skip the rice unless you are able to heat it up come lunchtime, but I think the turkey would be just as good cold. Tah-dah!

Quote of the Day: Lettuce is like conversation; it must be fresh and crisp, so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it. ~ Charles Dudley Warner 

Semi-Asian Slaw Salad & Chicken Kabobs

My Mom makes this super fab salad with a bag of broccoli slaw, Ramen noodles for crunch, and some kind of magical and mysterious dressing that is tangy, slightly salty, and sweet. It's a really good salad. Like eat-a-giant-bowl-of-it-in-front-of-the-TV-late-at-night good. It could almost take the place of popcorn, in that regard. But not quite.

For my dressing, I started with a sesame soy salad dressing. I also marinated the chicken for the kabobs in some of the same dressing. I used an all-natural one made by Olde Cape Cod, just because I couldn't stop myself from buying the bottle with the lighthouse on the label. And I regret nothing.

For the salad, I added a few other things to the dressing partially to thin it out, and to give it more of that tangy-sweet kick. You want the consistency to be quite thin so that it just barely coats all the slaw-ed veggies without being too heavy. I truly wish I'd had some sesame oil on hand, but since I didn't, I improvised. Just be sure to add each ingredient in small increments so you can get to exactly the flavor that you want.

Ingredients:

Dressing

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Sesame/Ginger/Soy type salad dressing (For marinating the chicken and as a base for the salad dressing)

Honey

Chili oil - Just a few drops

Soy sauce

Salad

Sesame seeds

Slivered almonds

1 green onion, sliced

Crumbled Ramen noodles

1 small can mandarin orange slices, drained

1 bag broccoli slaw veggies. (For an easy egg roll recipe using the same veggies, try this. You could even use leftover slaw salad!)

Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces and marinated in sesame dressing

Directions

1. Stick chicken onto bamboo or steel skewers and cook in a grill pan or skillet over medium-low heat until cooked through. (You could also use a George Foreman Grill, too).

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until you are happy with the flavor.

3. In a large bowl, combine veggies, mandarin oranges, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with dressing and combine until ingredients are just coated.

4. Plate the salad, then sprinkle with slivered almonds, Ramen noodles, and green onion. Serve with kabobs.

To the dressing, you could also add fresh ginger, hot sauce, or some garlic, if you're in the mood.

For us, this made three servings, which to me is just about perfect. We had a yummy dinner and Brady will have a yummy lunch tomorrow. When I'm home during the day I enjoy my lunchtime meal experiments, so this works out well for everybody. 

In other news, tomorrow is my birthday! I suppose I'm not mentioning this for any particular reason other than to say that we will be having dinner at my very favorite Philadelphia restaurant, The White Dog Cafe, which I am very excited about. We don't go there often (I think I've been four times or so) but each time has been a fantastic experience. I can't wait!

Quote of the Day: “Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.” ~ Anonymous

Veggie Stir-Fry with Chicken & Brown Rice

I've shared this idea before, but it has everything to do with this post, so I'm sharing it again:

As a kid, I used to watch The Frugal Gourmet on TV with my Dad fairly often. I recently read a quote from the chef on the show, Jeff Smith: “Please understand the reason why Chinese vegetables taste so good. It is simple. The Chinese do not cook them, they just threaten them!"

When it comes to anything Asian-ish that involves vegetables, this seems to be the key. Even with Indian dishes like vegetable curry, I find the more al dente versions much more satisfying. So tonight I tried to keep this in mind while I was putting together a super-tasty stir fry.

Of course, the sauce is also of huge importance to the success of your stir fry, so you could say that I sort of cheated. I used a couple tablespoons of plum dipping sauce that I had left over from these fabulous baked egg rolls that I made last week. (I know, there's lots of sugar in it, but I'm careful with sugar so I'm okay with that). I added a drizzle of soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and a tiny splash each of apple cider vinegar and hot chili oil. To thin it out just a tad, I added a splash of water (just a second under the tap) and about 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. I know, I just said I was trying to thin it out - but the cornstarch will let the sauce evenly coat your veggies before thickening back up into a delicious sauce. Since I didn't really "make" the sauce, I'll leave that bit up to you, and focus on the yummy veggies. We had ours with brown rice, which you'll cook according to the package directions.

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias

3 stalks of celery, cut on the bias

1 green or red pepper, or some of each, sliced

1 handful bean sprouts

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (ours came from an extremely well-endowed chicken, so I used just one)

sesame oil

olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat sesame oil, olive oil and garlic until it just starts to crackle. Add chicken and saute until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set chicken pieces aside and cover, leaving juices in the pan.

2. Add chopped vegetables, except for the sprouts. Over medium heat, stir-fry the veggies for about 4-5 minutes, or until JUST tender. Test a piece of carrot if you're not sure.

3. Add stir-fry sauce to the veggies, mix in the sprouts, and cook for about one more minute, or just long enough for the sauce to thicken a bit.

4. On each plate, add a scoop of brown rice, and put veggies on top. Then add the chicken, and drizzle remaining hot stir-fry sauce over it. Dinnertime!

You could use shrimp or sliced pork tenderloin instead of chicken, or make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and adding a handful of cashews to your veggies while they're cooking. To be honest, I was surprised at just how juicy the chicken was. In this case I think the sesame oil is the key to keeping thinly-sliced chicken moist and tasty.

Stir-fry is a staple quick, easy, and relatively healthy dinner. With brown rice, you have everything you need. Yes, as a student I have considered making stir-fry veggies with a side of Ramen noodles in the past, but when the cost-per-serving of brown rice is so low, I can't justify all the empty white carbs that Ramen brings to the table. (Get it?) ... (Sorry.)

My only real regret is that I didn't have any ginger, fresh or dry, on hand to add to the sauce. I definitely recommend adding about 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root for a little kick. We both added a little Sriracha at the table.

Quote of the Day: "This country isn't a melting pot. Think of this country as a stir fry. That's what this country should be. A place where people are appreciated for who they are." ~ Jane Elliott 

Baked Shrimp & Veggie Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

I'm not too sure where the inspiration to make egg rolls came from, but I sure didn't fight it. Wrapping up food in other food is one of my favorite pastimes, so I guess it was just a matter of time before I tackled these crispy, tasty Asian treats. I remember making gyoza (potstickers) with my Dad when I was a kid, so I felt up to the challenge, even if I hadn't the slightest idea how to roll an egg roll.

These are not your typical egg rolls. In my opinion, they are much better - lighter, and just as crispy-flaky, but baked, not deep fried. This means less oil, which means less fat, and also much less cleanup. I chose to use carrots and bean sprouts with a bit of green onion, but you could also use Asian cabbage or even a cup and a half of an Asian bagged salad mix, like the kind with broccoli matchsticks in it. (That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that before?) You can use ground chicken, beef, or pork, or go all-veggie.

YUM. Also that is some sort of reflection in the sauce, not a foreign body.

I used Nasoya egg roll wraps, but you can use any brand of Asian style egg roll wraps. They provide a decent-looking recipe on the package, but I made a few changes. Instead of ground pork, I used shrimp, and I think I skipped a couple of ingredients altogether. No matter! These were delish, and MUCH easier than I was expecting, though I wouldn't really call this a "quick" meal fix. Most of the time of cooking these went into chopping carrots!

This recipe makes 6 egg rolls. Of course, if you use mini wraps, it will make more.

Ingredients:

6 egg roll wrappers - Nasoya or other brand

12-15 shrimp, shelled, and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. grated ginger root

2 T olive oil, and another T later

1 T sesame oil

About 1 cup bean sprouts

Directions:

1. Combine 2 T olive oil with sesame oil in a frying pan or wok. Add garlic and ginger. Heat on low for 1-2 minutes, then turn off heat. (This gets the oils from the garlic and ginger to mingle with the olive oil, making the flavor richer and more evenly infused).

 [This is a good time to chop your veggies.]

2. Stir-fry shrimp in oil mixture until JUST cooked - entirely pink and white, and opaque. This should take about three minutes. Add veggies and stir-fry for another two minutes, then let the mixture cool.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. This is the fun part - really!

Lay the wrap on the counter with one point facing you. Spoon the filling across the wrap from left to right, leaving a bit of space from either side for wrapping. Take the bottom point of your wrap and fold it over top of the filling. Fold the sides in towards the middle and roll the filling towards the top point of the wrapper. The biggest threat to your successful wrapping will be bits of carrot trying to poke through, but this is easily fixed.

To prevent the egg roll from unwrapping, dip your finger in a little water or oil and use this as glue to seal the top point of your wrap and any openings where you feel the wrap needs to be glued together.

The risk of unwrapping is much greater if you're frying these, but it is still a good idea to make sure there aren't any major gaps in your wrapper. It's just not as critical.

5. Place egg rolls seam-side-down on a greased baking sheet, brush with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes. Ours took 12 minutes to get lightly golden and crispy. They definitely need a minute or three to cool down before they can be eaten, but they should be eaten as soon as possible thereafter for maximum deliciousness.

[While they're baking is a good time to throw together a salad, if you want to.]

Then there's the dipping sauce.

I can't claim much responsibility for the sauce, as fantastic as it was. I combined about half of a 7.5 oz. jar of Asian plum sauce (in the Asian condiment section of your grocery store) with about a teaspoon of soy sauce, and a half teaspoon of chili oil for just a little bit of heat. It. Was. So. Good. These even got a wordless, semi-comatose-looking mouth-full thumbs-up from Brady!

Plum sauce: The secret to maximum deliciousness.

These took about an hour from start to finish, and were well worth the effort. I will readily admit that mine looked more like "egg packets" than "egg rolls," so I guess I just need more practice! I served them with a green lettuce and radish salad with sesame ginger dressing.

Semi-Asian Rice, Veggie & Tofu Bowls

Last Saturday afternoon, Brady and I happened upon a new and different-looking restaurant on the edge of the UPenn campus. (Apparently its so new that I can't find a decent photo online yet.) We were planning to go to our local Pho restaurant for some deliciously spicy Vietnamese soup, but because of a family emergency, it was closed that day. 

Giant. Bummer. 

Next on the agenda after lunch was an event at the UPenn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, so we walked farther in that  direction in hopes of finding something to snack on. There is not a lot to choose from in the area - a pizza place, a frat-boy infested Mexican place, and a Salad Works - so we were surprised when we saw T-Bowl: Passionate about Food at Tea. Since we are both interested in both food at tea, we decided to give it a try. When we first walked in, we were both a little confused. Was it a salad bar? A stir-fry place? Well as it turns out, it's the best of both, if you ask me. 

The concept is this: First you choose white or brown rice (brown rice all the way, I say), then you have your choice of a multitude of veggies, each added for about $1 each. Choices for proteins include egg, chicken, shrimp, tofu, various types of nuts, and beef. Then comes the sauces, which were numerous, and very difficult to choose just one. For my brown rice, edamame, green onion, carrot and shrimp concoction, I chose an African chile and garlic sauce, which was fantastic. Like, really awesome. So awesome that I tried to recreate some fraction of its deliciousness to go with dinner tonight.

Once you've designed your meal, it is "grilled" (lightly sauteed, really) in organic vegetable broth and your sauce of choice and brought to your table. Though I think their prices are a bit high, the flavors were so bold and distinct that I can't help but try it at home.

So here is my game plan for doing it at home: 

Lightly seasoned brown rice topped with (sauteed) snow peas, shredded carrot, green onion, and some cubed, pan-fried tofu. I am planning on using a low-sodium chicken stock, since that's what I have on hand, and cooking the tofu in sesame oil. The part that I was less certain about was the sauce. 

There is something you should know about me. I don't really measure, as such. Unless I'm baking, everything in my kitchen is subject to my (fallible) artistic license. I recommend reading my recipes the same way: Unless it is a tried and true bread recipe (coming soon!) don't take anything as gospel truth. Make it your own. That said, some combination of the following ended up in the sauce:

1.5 tsp Sriracha, or "Rooster Sauce"

2 tsp Grated ginger root

1 tsp Orange zest

2 tsp Lemon juice

a few shakes of Curry powder

a few shakes of Cumin

1 more-effective-than-expected shake of cayenne pepper

1 clove of Garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tsp Tahini

a hefty drizzle of Sesame oil

a less hefty drizzle of Soy sauce

              ... And a bit of cilantro.

I used a small blender (a 2 cup Ninja food processor) to make the sauce.

First I started the rice, then I fried up the tofu, and set it aside. Sometimes it seems crazy to me that brown rice can take 40 minutes to cook, but in favor of the dubious contents of those microwaveable rice bags, I don't mind it so much.

After draining the excess sesame oil from the tofu pan, I mixed about a tablespoon of the sauce above with about 1 cup of the chicken stock, brought it to a boil, and reduced it by about a third. After that I tossed in a couple handfuls of snow peas and some sliced carrot, which I cooked as LITTLE as humanly possible.*

When the veggies were done I plated the rice, tossing tofu and veggies on top, and topped it all with a little chopped scallion.  Of course, I poured a large amount of the sauce/stock juices on the rice, and the extra sauce I served along side. Yum!

I can't really say that this turned out just like our tasty lunch at TBowl, but it was definitely a tasty adaptation. And if you use vegetable stock instead of chicken (someone correct me if I'm wrong) it is also a vegan dish.

*As a kid, I used to watch The Frugal Gourmet on TV with my Dad fairly often. I recently read a quote from the chef on the show, Jeff Smith: “Please understand the reason why Chinese vegetables taste so good. It is simple. The Chinese do not cook them, they just threaten them!" So, I threatened my vegetables, and it paid off big time.