Jamies PotStickers!

Jamie David has always loved Potstickers, and searching around for vegetarian options, I found many recipes. This is a combination of many, and it turned out really well. Make enough, and this can be a main course, but it is usually served as an appetizer.

This is a super easy recipe, with a few pre-sliced ingredients, pre-made wonton wrappers, and a tasty sauce that just mixes up a few flavors.

First begin by dicing 1 cup onion

and

1~2Tbsp Ginger, depending on your taste.

Then sautee them together for 2 minutes in a tbsp of Sesame Oil before the onion softens a tad and the ginger starts releasing an aroma

Get ready 2 cups each of sliced cabbage, carrots and mushrooms.




Add these veggies to the pan, along with 2 Tbsp of Shoyu and 2 Tbsp of Mirin

Sautee for 4 or 5 minutes until everything gets nice and soft.

Some recipes added the cabbage later so there was more of a bite in the dumpling, but I like everything soft.

Now using water to wet the edges of Wonton wrappers, place a tbsp of the finished filling inside the wrapper, and fold the edges together.

Pictured are a few ways to do it, round, pleated circular edge, boats, and triangles.

Get a grouping ready and fry them in a tsp or more of oil, but not too much! This is not the main cooking process! Fry them for 2~3 minutes depending on how hot the oil, the bottom should be golden brown.

Add 1/4 cup~1/3 cup water depending on the size of the pan. Turn up heat if it isnt already on medium high, and cover.

Steam dumplings for 3~4 minutes until the water has fully evaporated.

Serve immediately with a prepared sauce of 2 parts Soy Sauce and Mirin, 1 part Sesame Oil, Sriracha to taste.

You know you have cooked them correctly and tightly enough if the wrapper has shriveled on top and the bottoms are golden brown and not burnt.

Vegetarian Cha-Siu Bao

Baozi, the delectible buns of Dim Sum fame, were for a long time my favorite Asian cuisine. When picking out shrimp of the hum bao was too much for me, I just gave up on eating them all together. What a shame. White fluffy dough, wonderful innards, just an amazing thing to put in ones mouth.

In fact, I started this blog with the intention of learning how to create Cha-Siu Bao, and because we still have not toiveled (kashered) any meat pans, I have decided to make a vegetarian version. Cha-Siu bao could best be translated as BBQ Pork Bun, and are a favorite of many Chinese dim sum enthusiasts. Bao as a food is said to have first been made nearly two thousand years ago, with various forms cropping up in the Northern and Southern regions. This particular bao, which means wrapping or bun, that we are making today hails from Southern China, as it has a sweet flavor and is filled with Cha-Siu, which is Cantonese Cuisine. It gets its fluffiness from the two stages of rising, utilizing both baking powder as well as yeast. Watch the video for instructions- its the first flip usage! Enjoy!



Dough
1 3/4 Cups Hot Water
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Yeast
2 Tbsp Shortening
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
6 Cups Flower


Filling
1 Small Onion Chopped
1 Bag Morning Star Strips


(Double from this point on because you are doing this sauce twice)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice Wine
1/4 Cup Hoison Sauce
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Red Food Dye (optional)


(The second time we need that sauce thicker and different)
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
1 tbsp Flour

Miso Noodle Soup

I am sorry it has been so long, but with the wedding and screwiness with Picasa, this is my first post in a LONG time. This has got to be one of my favorite soups that I have ever made, spicy, full of flavor, and several different tones come through on this one.  Arrange it beautifully and you can make anybody happy.
Hope you enjoy.
A quick note about Miso, along with Udon, which I talked about in an earlier post, the Miso we know today likely originated from a process brought to the Japanese isles by Buddhist monks sometime in the 6th century (wikipedia). Going through several different forms before being ground into a paste to be used as an ingredient on its own, most miso you eat today is mass produced, but still very tasty.



Boil Water
Add Kombu strips according to directions as well as mushrooms
Add Shoyu
Strain out solids before pouring
Add Miso and cook to directions

Boil Noodles of your choice
Strain Noodles and set aside

Sautee Onions and Tofu that has been marinading with Shoyu, Sriracha
Sautee Protien until cooked.

Arrange Noodles on bottom of bowl and veggies along with protien on top of the noodles, adding green onions.
Pour hot broth over noodles and enjoy the hell out of this soup as well