Dumplings/ Wontons

I remember when I was in sixth grade and we were latchkey kids. I would watch my brother and another little girl (both 3 years younger than me) after school. I would make snacks for us, nothing spectacular, mac and cheese out of the blue box, Thai style ramen noodles, eggs... things like that. I loved cooking even then. I remember frying up dumplings. after I wrapped them so carefully, we dipped them in ketchup- yuck, the ketchup part not the fried dumplings. Looking back on it a sixth grader frying up food in hot grease with no supervision probably not a good idea, but here I am unharmed. I guess since Chinese New year is fast approaching I thought I should get a head start. I made some dumplings to freeze and steamed some for lunch today. With a much better, though simple dipping sauce.

You can stuff your wonton wrappers with whatever you choose, I just used what I had on hand, nutella is always a good one for a sweet wonton... but I wasn't frying just steaming. The girls inhaled them. I didn't measure anything so... I am just going to list the ingredients and you can guesstimate.

Steamed Dumplings/ Wontons

3/4 pound ish of ground pork, beef, chicken, turkey, shrimp- or a combination
1 small carrot finely grated
4 sugar snap peas diced
1 clove garlic grated
1/2-1 inch ginger, peeled and  grated
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 egg
wonton wrappers

Grate or finely mince carrot, sugar snap peas, garlic, and ginger.  

Add remaining ingredients, except the wrappers.

Take one wrapper at a time and brush water on the top two corners, you should be looking at it like a diamond.

(Keep the other wrappers under a damp cloth or in a plastic bag so they don't dry out)

Put about a about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrap.

Fold two opposite corners together, pressing out as much air as you can, or else your dumplings will explode due to the air expanding inside.

Now fold the little arms of the triangle together and press to seal. Easy peasy.

(I have an actual steamer with an insert but what a pain to drag out, I also have a multi tiered steamer, again pain to drag out and clean. I even have a bamboo steamer but I am so germaphobic I don't use it- so I decided my collapsible steamer was the choice for this small batch.)

Spray the steamer basket with a little cooking oil. Set it in the water and bring to a boil.

Steam them covered for 10 minutes.

Flash Freezing-  For freezing I put them on a baking sheet not touching. After they were frozen I put them in a zip top bag. The steaming is the same just add a minute or two and check them. Don't thaw before you steam either, they get mushy.
You can put these in broth for soup, or fry these up frozen or as soon as they are wrapped also.

The Sauce-
soy sauce
sliced fresh ginger
a dash of sesame oil
sesame seeds
a tiny bit of water- not needed but the girls and I don't need much sodium so I dilute it.
mix it up and dip.

Steamed Dumplings/ Wontons

3/4 pound ish of ground pork, beef, chicken, turkey, shrimp- or a combination
1 small carrot finely grated
4 sugar snap peas diced
1 clove garlic grated
1/2-1 inch ginger, peeled and  grated
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 egg
wonton wrappers

Grate or finely mince carrot, sugar snap peas, garlic, and ginger.
Add remaining ingredients, except the wrappers.
Take one wrapper at a time and brush water on the top two corners, you should be looking at it like a diamond.
(Keep the other wrappers under a damp cloth or in a plastic bag so they don't dry out)
Put about a about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrap.
Fold two opposite corners together, pressing out as much air as you can, or else your dumplings will explode due to the air expanding inside.
Now fold the little arms of the triangle together and press to seal. Easy peasy.
(I have an actual steamer with an insert but what a pain to drag out, I also have a multi tiered steamer, again pain to drag out and clean. I even have a bamboo steamer but I am so germaphobic I don't use it- so I decided my collapsible steamer was the choice for this small batch.)
Spray the steamer basket with a little cooking oil. Set it in the water and bring to a boil.
Steam them covered for 10 minutes.

Flash Freezing-  For freezing I put them on a baking sheet not touching. After they were frozen I put them in a zip top bag. The steaming is the same just add a minute or two and check them. Don't thaw before you steam either, they get mushy.
You can put these in broth for soup, or fry these up frozen or as soon as they are wrapped also.
The Sauce-
soy sauce
sliced fresh ginger
a dash of sesame oil
sesame seeds
a tiny bit of water- not needed but the girls and I don't need much sodium so I dilute it.
mix it up and dip.