The Year of The Dragon

Just in time for Chinese New Year, my Mom and Dad were generous and bought me a fantastic electric wok so I can make authentic Chinese meals at home. It's been fun experimenting and learning to make authentic dishes. 

I came up with this recipe by just mixing different ingredients that I liked together until it was balanced and tasted good. If you're interested in the authentic American Chinese restaurant version that is below.

Erin's Pot Stickers with Plum Sauce

1 pound ground pork or chicken ( I wouldn't recommend mixing them, but some do)

1/2 head of Napa cabbage (release their water by sprinkling lightly with salt, squeezed)
10-12 chive strands or you could use 2 stalks of scallion
1 1/2 T. fresh, finely grated ginger

1 carrot shredded really fine
1  T. soy sauce
1/2 T. sesame oil

1/2 tsp Chinese chili sauce

2 cloves of garlic

                    
1 package of round wonton/dumpling wrappers

1 T. corn starch for dusting the pot stickers
1-2 T.vegetable oil (for frying)

 3/4 c. warm water for steaming

Combine all these ingredients in a Cuisinart and pulse lightly until combined, don't over process into mush. 

I used a small plastic dumpling press I found at a garage sale to make these up.  I places 1 tsp full of mixture in my wrapper and then wet the edges and pressed it in this dumpling maker. I dusted them with corn starch and placed them on an oiled plate and covered them. It goes really fast with this handy press. Place your large saute pan on medium heat and heat a small bit of your oil. Place the dumplings in the pan, cook until they are browned on the bottom, pour in a small amount of liquid and seal with a lid for 2-3 minutes. The dumplings should be eaten right away. They don't last very long in my house. My son and husband gobble them up almost as fast as they come out of the pan....you should see them eat my cream cheese wontons too.

My Homemade Pot Sticker Sauce

1/2 jar of my homemade plum syrup mixed with 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, a dash or ground ginger and garlic powder and some crushed pineapple. Heat on the stove until bubbly. 
If you want a jar of my syrup, write me an email and I'll make sure you get one.

Traditional Restaurant Style Pot Stickers photo and recipe by Martin Yan
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
1 cup mushroom 
1/2 cup each of minced carrot, 
and red bell pepper
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. oyster sauce
40 wonton wrappers
Water for sealing wrappers + water for steaming
3 T. vegetable or canola oil for frying
Video Here
Shred your cabbage and pour over the salt, let it sit until the liquid gives out. Squeeze the cabbage and discard the liquid. Combine all ingredients.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Sprinkle with corn starch and place on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

 Heat a 12 inch saute pan on medium heat. Place 1/2 T. of oil in the pan and once it's hot place 10-12 the dumplings in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, being sure not to let them touch each other. Do not touch or move once they've been placed. Cook them for 2 minutes and then gently add water and turn the heat to low, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Dump out any excess liquid and continue process with the rest of your batch of dumplings.

Sauce Options

Balsamic, 1 tsp Thai chili sauce

Light soy sauce, chili garlic sauce (sriracha), sesame seed oil

Light soy, crushed garlic, crushed ginger, sunluck plum sauce or sunluck sweet & sour sauce

Pineapple preserves, pinch of crushed garlic, orange zest, and 1 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar

Stir Fried Broccoli via Easy Chinese by Bee Yunn Low

2 T. sesame seeds toasted

2 T. vegetable oil

3 gloves garlic, minced

1 small piece of ginger, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin into strips

1/2 cup carrot medallions

3/4 cup snap peas or snow peas

2 lbs. broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces

Squeeze of lemon

1 T. cornstarch 

1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Spread sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and beginning to release oil, about 1 minute. Remove to a plate to cool.
Warm vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in bell pepper, carrot, peas and broccoli and stir well until coated in oil. Cook, stirring, until broccoli is slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour in broth mixed with lemon and cornstarch; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper; serve warm.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 breast of chicken cooked and shredded (saute the chicken breast in the wok until it's cooked through, you can season with salt and pepper and slather a little bit of hot mustard)
2 eggs beaten with 1 tsp warm water (after the chicken is cooked in the wok, add the scrambled egg, rolling the pan until the egg coats the whole bottom. Use a spatula to loosen the edge of the egg and flip over. When cooked, removed roll in a cigar shape, slice and set aside. 

2 cups cooked rice- I prefer long grain and I cook it the night before and let it sit in the fridge before I saute it with the vegetables. 

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup snow peas

1/3 onion diced very small

1 scallion, sliced thin

1 clove of crushed garlic

sprinkle of red chili pepper

1 small knob of ginger minced (you can substitute 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)

2 T. veggie or canola oil

1 1/2 T. soy sauce (this is all about taste, you might like more, I like it lighter)

1/4 tsp. sesame oil

2-3 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In a wok or large skillet, heat canola oil and saute onion, carrots for about 3-5 minutes. Add your garlic and ginger and stir until it smells fragrant. Toss in your peas, rice, soy, sesame oil, red chili powder, snow peas, chicken and rice wine vinegar. Continue to cook the rice mixture until it's seasoned the way you like with salt and pepper, add the chopped scrambled egg and garnish with your sliced green scallions.

*Note: It's important to cut all veg and measure out all ingredients before you get started cooking. 

Sweet & Spiced Asian Shrimp

1 1/4 lbs large shrimp , shelled and de-veined with tail part of shell left on if you like
4 wooden skewers , soaked (10-12 inches)
1 can of cubed pineapple
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger , peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water 
You can either grill the shrimp on your outdoor grill or bake them on broil in the oven. Since it's the winter right now I went ahead and broiled my shrimp in the oven. 
You want to skewer the prepared shrimp, alternating the pineapple. 
In a small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, ketchup, ginger, five spice powder, and 1 T. vinegar. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to a small dish and add water and remaining 1 T. vinegar for the dipping sauce. 
Turn your oven on broil. Brush the shrimp and pineapple skewers with the sauce mixture and lay the shrimp on a grill rack that has been sprayed with cooking oil on top of a baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes on one side and then flip the skewers and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is golden and pink. I sometimes let the shrimp go a little longer until they are slightly charred on the edges. You don't want the shrimp to be over cooked, but a little char tastes really yummy. Serve the shrimp with the dipping sauce or over rice with snow peas that have been sauteed in garlic and a tad bit of oil and cracked pepper.

Kiwi Pops

1 3/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 kiwis

Recipe & Photo by Country Living

1/2 cup (about 4 limes) fresh lime juice

Make the syrup: combine 1 cup of water with the sugar in the small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Set aside to cool.

Make the ice pops: Using a paring knife, cut kiwis into quarters, reserving a few slices for the bottom of the ice pop. Take the quartered kiwis and remove the white inner and seeds. Place kiwi and syrup in a food processor and puree to a liquid. 

Combine puree, lime juice and reaming cup of of water and put it in to a bowl with a spout.

Pour mixture into small plastic bathroom rinse cups and insert a small wooden craft stick into one of the reserved kiwi slices and place it in the cup. 

Freeze until solid, about 4 hours. 

If you use a small paper cup, it should just put right out or peel off around the edge. If you purchase the plastic cups, dip the cup in a bowl of hot water for a brief second and it will pop right out. Refreshing!