Potstickers

About every 3 out of 4 Fridays per month, I find myself standing in front of what has become a very familiar section of the grocery store. The frozen natural food section where I grab a bag of these dumpling/potsticker snacks. I always think I will be motivated to come home after a Friday afternoon, cook something delicious, but it never fails...there I am. Again. Grabbing another bag of those damn frozen potstickers.


And then something happened. I stumbled upon these vegan, circular wrappers that are used to make things like wontons and potstickers! I had been wanted to make my own version of these frozen delights I instinctively grab almost every week, but I had been having trouble finding wrappers that did not contain milk or eggs. And then I found them and knew what had to be done.

So it finally happened. I broke the cycle, and made my own version of the snacks I was used to buying Friday nights. The recipe is easy to adjust, the filling can consist of anything you really want, but the follow recipe is simply what hit the spot for me. Also, disclaimer here...I am in no way saying this is authentic, it simply tastes like those little frozen gems of deliciousness that I used to buy. But no longer! These dumplings are so much faster than you would expect. Especially if you can find a bag of pre-thinly sliced veggies (I think mine technically is called "Broccoli Slaw"), then you do not even have to worry about slicing everything up super thinly. Now onto the good!

What you will need:

1 1/2 c. broccoli slaw (very thinly sliced broccoli, carrots, and purple cabbage)
1/3 block of firm tofu
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
3/4 tsp. Braggs liquid aminos
1 pack circular potsticker wrappers
1/2 c. water + a little on more on the side to seal the wrappers

Add 1 tbsp. of oil to a non-stick pan, add your ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add your cubed tofu. The tofu should be cut into fairly small cubes, about 1/4" cubes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add your veggies aka broccoli slaw. Add the seasoned rice vinegar and Braggs, stir to make sure everything is coated evenly. Cover and let steam for another 6 - 8 minutes, depending on how soft you like your veggies. I cooked mine until somewhat soft, but it still had a bit of bite. This was a nice contrast to the soft shell that the potsticker filling is in.

(a little close up of the yummy filling)

Set the filling aside, and now it is time to play with these potsticker wrappers. The first few turned out a bit funky, but then I got into a groove and they looked nicer and nicer as I went along. Also, you want to have a little bowl of water handy at this point. You will dip your finger in the water, then line the edge of the wrapper with your finger. This allows the wrapper to stay sealed, almost line you have added "glue" to make the edges stick to one another.

Begin by laying out a wrapper. Add about 1 tbsp. of the filling to the center of your circular wrapper, line the edges of the wrapper with water, gently fold in half. I press the top center together first, which sets up the wrapper for the rest of the folding. Now you can go two directions. One: simply press the edges together, forming a semi-circle. Two: you can try to be all fancy schmancy like I did, and press the wrapper together while pleating the edges about 4 - 5 times. Either way, this is simply an aesthetic decision and didn't effect my love for these little semi-circles of yumminess.

Ok, moving on. The filling makes about 12 - 15 postickers, depending on how talented you are in getting the filling to stay in the wrappers. Add another tbsp. of oil to your pan and heat to medium high. Set your potstickers in the pan, as many as it can hold. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the bottoms of your potsticker begin to turn golden brown. Turn down the heat to medium low, that way the bottom will not burn and also because next you will be adding a 1/2 c. water. And as we all know from experience probably, hot oil and water equals splattering oil everywhere, probably somewhere on yourself as well. Ok, let this cook on low for a few minutes to give everything a chance to lower in temp, while still crisping up the potstickers. Add the 1/2 c. water, cover the pan and let cook for an additional 5 - 7 minutes or until all of the water is gone.

See...that was easier than you thought, right? So easy in fact, I have already made them at least 5 times already. And I am so happy to know these are quick, easy and I am no longer tied to getting my fix from the frozen section. Now go make these, throw on a movie and enjoy!

Hot & Sour Rice Noodle Soup

This is one of those dishes that began as a thrown together, this is all I have on hand kind of dish...but it turned out surprisingly good! And I kept making it again...and again...and again. So here it is, a spicy flavorful Asian inspired rice noodle soup that cooks up quickly and is perfect for an unexpected chilly night. Also, this is my disclaimer that this soup is kind of spicy (just how I like it!). But if this is not for you, start by gradually adding 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes until it is at a spicy-ness level that suits your mood.

What you will need:
12 oz. bag stir fry veggies, frozen
5.5 oz. canned baby corn
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
8 c. veggie broth
1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar
7 oz firm tofu (1/2 block)
4 oz. thin rice noodles
salt/pepper to taste


I used a frozen bag of stir fry veggies, first because it is what I had at home, but then because I liked how many different veggies you can conveniently get in one handy bag! My stir fry veggie blend included: broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, mushrooms, celery, onions, and red peppers! Phew...that's quite the list of veggies! But my love of baby corns is strong, and I added a small can, cutting the baby corn into thirds.

Start out by pressing and draining your tofu. While that is going on, add the frozen veggies and baby corn into a large pot. Cook over medium heat until veggies are soft. Add the veggie broth, seasoned rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic. (Remember at this step, reduce your amount of red pepper flakes if you don't want it too spicy!) Cut your tofu into small cubes, and add to the soup. Turn to medium low heat, cover and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes to give the soup and tofu to absorb all of the yummy flavors going on.

Add 4 oz of thin rice noodles (this has usually been about 1/2 of a pack for me). Let simmer for 5 minutes until noodles become soft. This makes about 4 generous servings of deliciousness.


The end. It is that simple, and you have a wonderfully spicy, rice noodle soup to enjoy!