chives – Oven Love

Gyoza Pan-Fried Dumplings

Natalie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:56:00 +0000

I don’t know if you noticed, but I don’t make much Asian food around here (remember Project Food Blog?). That’s not because I don’t like it, I just get a little intimidated by it and don’t know where to get reliable recipes. I’ve made a few Asian items- classic Kung-Pao Chicken, Lighter Sesame Chicken, Beef & Broccoli– but that’s where it ends around here. I need a mentor or something, seriously!

Dumplings are one of my favorite Asian items. I love ordering them as a treat when we go out, but I’m also a big fan of frozen dumplings- Trader Joe’s gyoza dumplings are an old favorite. I guess what intimidated me most about making them at home was the pleating process. When I actually gave it a try, it was easy to get the hang of (after a few initial mess-ups, of course). The only other challenge was making sure they didn’t stick to the pan. I usually try to limit the amount of oil I use in a recipe, but this is one of those instances where I made sure to have a generous amount of oil in the pan.

I also love the fact that these dumplings can be frozen and cooked directly from the freezer- my favorite type of freezer recipe! You can just pull them out and prepare the same way you would if they were fresh. This recipe would be a great addition to your next freezer cooking day. I think I’ll be adding it to my list of freezer favorites.

Learn a lesson from me and don’t be intimidated! Try these out soon.

Gyoza Pan-Fried Dumplings

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

via ‘Let’s Cook Japanese Food!’

Author: Amy Kaneko

Recipe type: Appetizer, Main Dish

Serves: 8

Ingredients

½ pound napa or green head cabbage, shredded and then finely chopped and squeezed between paper towels to remove excess moisture
¾ pound ground pork
2 green onions, including green tops, minced
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps minced
½ bunch fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sake
1 teaspoon soy sauce
About 50 round gyoza or other Asian dumpling wrappers, each about 3 inches in diameter (the thinnest ones you can find)
1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil for cooking each batch
2 tablespoons water for cooking each batch
soy sauce, rice vinegar and/or hot chili oil for dipping

Instructions

To make the filling- in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, green onions, mushrooms, chives, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sake, and soy sauce. Using your hands, mix together just until thoroughly combined. Avoid handling the filling to much.
Place the stack of wrappers on a work surface and keep covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel or paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Holding a wrapper on the palm of one hand, place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. With a fingertip, swipe one-half of the edge of the wrapper with a little water, and then fold over the other edge to meet the dampened edge, enclosing the filling and pinching to seal securely. With your fingers, make 3 or 4 evenly spaced pleats along the sealed edge and place the dumpling, flat side down (the opposite of the pleats) on a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat until all the filling has been used up. (At this point, you can freeze them on a rimmed baking sheet, place in the freezer, and then transfer the frozen dumplings to a zippered plastic bag and return to the freezer for up to 1 month. Cook them directly from the freezer, allowing a few minutes longer cooking time when the pan is covered.)
To cook the dumplings, heat a frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the canola and sesame oils, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with the oils, and allow them to heat. When a drop of water flicked into the pan sizzles instantly, arrange about 12 dumplings in the pan, lining them up neatly and placing them flat side down and pleated edge up. Cook undisturbed until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the water, then immediately cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for a few minutes longer until all the water has evaporated and the dumplings are dark brown and a little crusty on the bottom.
To serve, slide a spatula under the dumplings, being careful not to tear the wrappers, and flip them browned-side up onto a large plate or platter, still lined up. For the dipping sauce, set out containers of soy sauce, vinegar and hot chili oil. Provide each diner with a small dipping bowl to assemble a dip to taste.

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Natalie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:52:00 +0000

It’s been quite a month over here. Lots of vegan and vegetarian recipes, some personal, vegan-related drama and some probably not veganize-able (what?) Nutella cookies. I’m closing out all of this nonsense today with a recipe that can work for all diets; carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike.

I’ve made this recipe twice in the recent past. If you asked, my husband would tell you that’s pretty rare around here. I like to experiment.. almost too much, sometimes. These dumplings were so good and such an excellent use of our garden chard that I had to do a repeat. They’re also very popular with the little guy.

The directions look horrendous and long, but I think it’s worth the effort. This would be a good weekend meal, or something to make when you have extra hands to help in the kitchen. When you bite into the dumplings, what you taste most is the bacon/pancetta. You’ll never know you’re getting all of those vitamins and minerals from the chard. I haven’t tried making them vegetarian or vegan, but I believe they’d still taste excellent that way. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out.

This dish has a garden/fresh feel to it that I think you’ll enjoy during the warmer temperatures.

And if you don’t remember, May is all about pies in the Great Food Adventure! I can’t wait to dig in, find the perfect crust, and share all of those luscious summer pie recipes with you. If you have any favorites from around the web, feel free to link to them in the comment section!

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Eating Well Magazine

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Dumplings: 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup water
2 oz capicola, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, finely chopped (remove for a vegetarian meal)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅓ cup dry white wine
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese (remove for a vegan meal)
⅛ teaspoon salt
36 wonton wrappers
Broth: 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion greens
8 teaspoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

To prepare dumpling filling: Finely chop enough chard leaves to measure 3 cups; set aside. Finely chop enough chard stems to measure ¼ cup. (Reserve any remaining leaves and/or stems for another use.)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in meat, if using, and cook until the mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, lemon zest and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and the reserved chard leaves and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat dry, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta (if using) and salt.
To prepare dumplings: You’ll need a clean, dry work surface, a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour and a small bowl of water. Cut the wonton wrappers in half on the diagonal. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Lay 6 wrapper halves on the work surface. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the filling in the middle of each. Moisten a fingertip and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half to contain the filling, forming a smaller triangle. Press the edges to seal. Pinch the 2 farthest ends together, making a tortellini-like shape. Place the dumpling on the prepared baking sheet; cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
To cook & serve dumplings: Bring broth and water to a lively simmer in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir the liquid while carefully adding half the dumplings. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and divide among 4 soup bowls. Repeat with the remaining dumplings, dividing among 4 more soup bowls as they are done. Ladle about 1 cup of the broth into each bowl. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens) and Parmesan, if using.

Mini Frittatas

Natalie — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:14:00 +0000

It’s March! That means it’s Brunch month in my Great Food Adventure. To tell you the truth, I’m relieved. Those macarons last month were giving me drama.

I think brunch is one of the greatest ideas ever. I only wish I could enjoy it more! I’m always ravenous in the morning and the bean never sleeps in, so our morning meal usually happens around 7am. But I do love the idea of having a beautiful spread of breakfast and lunch options, lots of eggs, beautiful fruits and veggies, pastries and carbs galore!

Here’s my first brunch offering for you- mini frittatas. These are great for a brunch spread- individually sized and protein-packed. A perfect way to start the day and a nice foil for all of the usual brunch sweets. The preparation is simple- saute the veggies, whisk up the eggs and milk, combine and bake. Brunch in a snap.

I am pumped about all the eggs I’ll be consuming this month. Love me some brunch!

What’s your favorite brunch food?

Are there any brunch recipes you’ve been dying to find?

Mini Frittatas

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

55 mins

adapted from Rachael Ray

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 12

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
½ cup cooked ham or sausage, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
16 large eggs
2 cups milk
Crushed red pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°:. In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the ham/sausage and chives. Let cool, then add the cheese and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and milk until frothy; season with salt and pepper.
Spray 2-3 muffin tins (depending on the size) with cooking spray. Divide the meat and veggie mixture evenly among the muffin tins and sprinkle each with a pinch crushed red pepper. Ladle the egg mixture to about ½ inch from the top of the tin. Bake until puffy and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.