Hello Amazing Rockstars,
Happy New Week! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend are enjoying a great week thus far.
As many of you know, I am a foodie. I LOVE FOOD. I love grocery shopping, I find wandering markets wildly fascinating, and I savour the moments of creating something out of random ingredients. I also LOVE sharing a great meal with others…it’s one of my favourite things in life.
One of my heroes in life just so happens to be my very own mother-in-love (Drew’s birth mum and my mum by marriage). Andi (short for Andrea) is a beautiful soul who is a living, breathing, shining example of strength, courage, wisdom, compassion, and unconditional love. We can often be found chatting about everyday life, our latest bargains, and of course….food. One of things I love about Andi is her willingness to try out new recipes. This simple yet interesting act inspired me and continues to inspire me to try something new…regularly. Thus, every week, I can be found concocting in the kitchen and adding to my growing repertoire of Connoisseur Deliciousness.
On deck this past weekend: Vegetarian Dumplings!
Drew and I LOVE dumplings. We love the crispy outside and tasty filling on the inside. So on Sunday, we decided to make our own. Actually it was kind of my idea but I managed to convince my amazing husband to partake (it helped that the Houston Texans game was on and we filled them while watching the game).
Here is the recipe for Joann & Drew’s Famous Dumplings.
Ingredients:
3 cups of cabbage. shredded
2 cups of leeks, sliced finely
2 cups of carrots, shredded
1 cup of cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of ginger, grated
1 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp fish sauce (or you can use soya sauce)
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 packs of store-bought wonton wrappers (or you can try making your own with this recipe)
Heat oil (sesame and olive oils) in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic, lemongrass, and ginger and stir until fragrant.
Add remaining vegetables and sautee until wilted.
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Adjust (add more) if needed.
Sprinkle fresh ground pepper and mix well.
Let filling cool.
Add just less than a tbsp of filling into the centre of the wrapper and seal the edges with a little bit of water (which acts as a natural glue).
To freeze, simply place dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, you can store the frozen dumplings in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for future use.
To enjoy your fresh dumplings, you can prepare them using various methods: boiling, steaming, sautéing, or deep-frying. Drew and I like ours crispy on the outside so we opt for the sautéing.
In a skillet, heat oil until it makes a sizzle (you can hear it by placing the tip of a dumpling in the pan). If it sizzles, the pan is hot enough. (Note: If you put the dumplings in and the pan is not hot enough, they will stick.) Add dumplings and move pan around. The dumplings will crisp up fairly quickly and will be ready to flip to the other side.
Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. (We personally like a sweet chilli sauce, which you can get at your local grocery store in the Asian foods aisle or you can make your own. Here is a recipe to try out)
Now the BEST part…dig in and enjoy:)
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