Chicken Gyoza (Pot Stickers)

The world is divided into two camps.  Those who are good at origami and those who suck at it.  It always gave me a headache, but one of my daughters is a whiz.  One year she made beautiful paper crane ornaments for our Christmas tree, and every January I carefully pack them away, in awe of her dexterity.  If you're lucky enough to be in the good-at-origami camp, these Japanese pot stickers will be a breeze for you to make.   But don't despair if you're in the suck-at-it camp, these are waaaay easier than a paper crane, and anyway, the folds are purely decorative, so you can say the heck with it if you want to and just leave them plain.

At our favorite Japanese restaurant they serve amazing feather light chicken gyoza.  We always order some for the table the minute we arrive.  They come four to an order.  And we have a family of four.  So no one ever, ever gets to have two.  It's really frustrating.  (Another order is out of the question, they're really expensive!)

This recipe made 27 pot stickers, which means we each get to eat 6.75 of them.  That's reason enough to make these delicious little dumplings at home.

The gyoza wrappers are sold next to the wonton and egg roll wrappers, usually in a corner of the refrigerated section of your grocery store.  Ask for them if your store doesn't carry them, that's how I got mine.  These are similar but not the same as the square Wonton wrappers.

The filling is made up of ground chicken, minced napa cabbage, along with some scallion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and fresh ginger.  I added a minced hot pepper.  A teaspoon of filling goes in the center of each wrapper, then the perimeter gets moistened and folded over.  One edge gets pleated by making little folds in the dough, and then is pressed firmly against the other side to to seal the gyoza.

If there's one thing that's harder than folding origami, it's trying to teach someone how to do it.  You'll just have to play with it until you figure it out.  It's not that hard, promise. 

Chicken Gyoza
makes approx. 27 dumplings
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup finely minced Napa cabbage
2 scallions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, seeds and all, minced (optional)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil

• Mix everything together in a bowl.

1 package gyoza wrappers

• Spoon approximately a teaspoon of the meat mixture onto the center of a gyoza wrapper.
• Dampen the perimeter of the wrapper with a wet finger.  Fold in half over the filling.
• Keeping the back side of the dumpling straight, bring together four or five small pleats on the front side of the dumpling, and press to seal.
• Cover the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil and heat on medium until the oil is hot.  
• Working in batches, place the gyozas, flat side down, in the hot oil and let them brown.  
• When the bottoms have become crisp and brown, pour about 1/4 cup water into the pan, and cover to let the dumplings steam.  
• After a few minutes, take the lid off and let any remaining water evaporate off.  Check the temperature with an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked.  It should be at least 160 degrees.   If not, put the lid back on and steam a little longer.
• Serve hot with dipping sauces.

Dipping Sauce #1 (Simple soy and vinegar)
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice wine vinegar
add minced garlic or grated ginger if you like

• Mix to taste, and garnish with sesame seeds. 

Dipping Sauce #2 (Sweet Chili)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

• Mix the cornstarch and water in a small glass and set aside.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 Tbsp red chili paste
1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce 
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp fish sauce
dash salt

• Mix the above ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 4 minutes, then add the cornstarch.  Let the thickened sauce simmer on low for another minute.  Cool and refrigerate or serve.

Homemade Gnocchi

One of my most devastating failures in the kitchen this past year involved a batch of  gnocchi.  I think it was sometime last fall or winter. It's taken me a long time to get over the sight of those slimy globs of orange dough that were supposed to be fluffy little pillows of butternut squash gnocchi.  Happily it seems I was able to put all that behind me and carry on...these classic potato gnocchi are fantastic

Gnocchi is an ancient form of dumpling that actually originated in the Middle East before migrating to Europe.  There are lots of different types, some made with spinach, ricotta, or even the ill-fated butternut squash.  These are made with fluffy baked potato scooped out of its skin and blended with flour into a nutmeg scented dough.

I love nutmeg, and I look for any excuse to use it.  Gnocchi is pretty much a blank slate, so whatever you season it with really shines..  I'm going to be a purist today---my gnocchi are going to swim in a Fresh Tomato Sauce loaded with basil.
 

This turned out to be an easy and satisfying project. Depending on your mood you can be an Italian grandmother carrying on a thousand year old tradition, or a kindergartner at the play-dough table.  Either way it's cool.

The dough gets kneaded for just a few minutes, long enough to be enjoyable, but not so long that it's a drag.  Then the fun begins, you roll out slim snakes of dough, and chop them into inch long bits. 

Lay them out on a baking tray, sprinkle them with flour, and you can either cook them right away, or freeze them.

If you're going to freeze them, put them in the freezer right on the tray for about 30 minutes until they're hard, and then pack them in heavy zip lock baggies.  When you want to cook them, all you have to do is pop them straight into boiling water directly from the freezer.

This recipe uses 2 russet potatoes.  Mine weighed 1 1/2 lbs, so I used 1 cup of flour.  If yours weigh more like 2 lbs, use 1 1/4 cups of flour. 
Homemade Potato Gnocchi   ~~~slightly adjusted from Gastronomical Sovereignty 
serves 4
oven to 400
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
salt and pepper

• Whisk the above ingredients together and set aside.

2 russet potatoes (mine weighed about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 egg yolk

• Wash and prick the potato skins.  Bake for about an hour, or until they are fully cooked and soft when you insert a fork.
• Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then cut them in half  lengthwise.
• Using a fork, scoop out the potato into a bowl, you want the potato to be fluffy, without large lumps.  (You can do this ahead of time if you want to)
• Add the egg yolk to the potatoes, working in with the fork until combined.  Keep the fluffy texture going.
• Add the flour to the potato and egg, working with your hands to combine it together into a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it for 3 or 4 minutes, until smooth.
• Break off about a fifth of the dough and gently roll it out into a long rope, about 3/4 inch thick.
• Cut the rope into 1 inch bits, and place on a baking sheet.  Dust with flour.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Now you are ready to cook, or freeze the gnocchi.
• To freeze, set the tray right in the freezer and let set for 30 minutes, then pop the gnocchi into freezer bags.  They can be cooked from frozen in the same way as fresh; don't defrost.
• To cook, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the gnocchi in batches for just 2 minutes.  They will rise to the surface when they are done.
• Serve hot with your favorite sauce, or just add butter and cheese. 

 Notes:  I'm really happy with these, they turned out light and delicious, and I love the option of freezing them in portion sizes.  Compared to lots of other recipes out there, this one is very easy and straightforward, it's going to be the base for further experimentation this winter.  Hope you try it!

Banana Spice Muffins

You know how it is, you always crave what you can't have.  I've never been able to eat bananas.  They give me a really bad stomach ache and I've avoided them like the plague.  My mother was the same way.  But if you search banana on this blog you'll find Banana Rum Cake and Banana Buttermilk Pancakes, and I often sneak banana into my favorite Bran Muffins.  No, I don't have a death wish, but recently I discovered that if I heat the mashed banana in the microwave for a minute or so before adding it to these recipes, I can eat it just fine.  Who knew?  Now I can't get enough of the stuff.  If you're one of the two other people on the planet who can't eat bananas, this is big news.

I love this particular mix of spices.  I've used cardamom where you'd usually find cinnamon, and it makes all the difference.  The first bite won't catapult you right back to the old Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, and that's a good thing.  The aroma is more exotic and sophisticated.  Grate the nutmeg over the batter with a micro-plane; you won't believe the difference it makes.  In fact I'm in the process of converting a lot of my spices over to fresh ground....more on that in a later post.

 

These are light, fluffy and moist.  The holy trinity of muffins, as far as I'm concerned.  They have a fall-apart texture which I love; the oat flour and oat bran help with that.  And the crumble topping gives the whole thing some added crunch and sweetness. 

Don't let the long list of ingredients throw you, it's mostly spices and basic stuff.  You can substitute plain flour for the oat flour, if you must, but I highly recommend keeping some around for baking.  It really creates the most wonderful texture.  I like to throw in a little oat bran or wheat bran into my muffins whenever I can, too, not only for the health factor, but because I think it makes them lighter.  

15 seconds in the microwave will bring leftover muffins back to a fresh out of the oven state.

Banana Spice Muffins
oven to 375
makes 12 muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup oat bra
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
heaping 1/4 tsp cardamom
heaping 1/4 tsp ground ginger
heaping 1/4 tsp allspice
heaping 1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• Whisk together the above dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. 

crumble topping:
1/4 cup oat flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp butter (I was out of butter and used coconut oil, it worked fine)

•  Mix together the flour, sugar, oats, nuts and butter with your fingertips until it is all combined and has a coarse crumb.  Set aside.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup mashed banana (about 2 small)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, banana, buttermilk and nuts.  Mix thoroughly.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix together just until blended.
• Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or use liners.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Top with the crumb topping and bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool on a rack.

Note:  I based this recipe on my Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, which are amazing.  If you don't like banana, try those, or my Spiced Vanilla Pear Muffins; they're all variations on a yummy theme.

My policy is to eat one hot from the oven.

You only live once.

Home sweet home

It always feels good to get home, even when that means a great visit has come to an end.  My two sisters and I haven't visited my Dad without our kids and spouses in a while, so it was really special.  The old family dynamics take over and the years melt away.

I made the serious mistake of not bringing my camera, so I can't do a beautiful travel post like some of my other blogger friends.  Suffice it to say, next time I'm making room in the carry-on for the camera.  The mountains of North Carolina are gorgeous and I was constantly frustrated at all the missed opportunities.

I didn't do any cooking, but on our last night my sister made a glorious pie with the local mountain grown peaches.  Since I didn't have a camera, the one below is a blueberry pie she made earlier this summer--- I love the rustic style of her crusts, and I'm inspired to make one this week.  We had to leave a whole half of that pie behind!

I tired to eat as much local food as possible, from grits and biscuits to trout and green tomatoes.  I know I'll be playing with the flavors in the next few weeks.  I almost stuffed a big jar of local honey into my carry-on, but I know they would have spotted it at security and I couldn't bear to lose it.  My dad's mailing it and I can't wait for it to get here.

I've got to go finish unpacking, and then go back down to the airport with my youngest daughter to get her back to college.  This will be the first year with either daughter that we didn't go along to help them move into their dorm rooms.  It feels uncomfortable, but I know she'll be fine.  If anything, I've been a little too 'helpful' when it comes to organizing their living spaces over the years.  This will be good for both of us ;)

I'm anxious to get into the kitchen, it's good to be back!

Crispy Goat Cheese Wontons with Chili Dipping Sauce

I'm going to be visiting my Dad and his wife in North Carolina for a few days, so this will be my last post till early next week.  As usual I'm going through the fridge to try and clear it out a little before I leave.  I bought the won ton wrappers a while ago, and thought I'd give them a try.  We started ordering cream cheese wontons with our Chinese take out when our kids were very little.  It was one of the few sure fire things we knew they'd eat.  Since then the whole family has become addicted to these crispy little dumplings filled with creamy cheese.  I don't think they're particularly authentic, but  they sure are good.

I used goat cheese for a little different flavor, and spiked the dipping sauce with chili.

Once you have the basic Asian condiments in your kitchen you can throw together all kinds of interesting and varied sauces on a whim.  I would say the bare minimum to keep around includes soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, some kind of hot chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and a knob of ginger in the freezer so you can grate a little off any time you need it.  My method is to use a little of this and a little of that, tasting as I go.   I decided to go spicy with this sauce since the wontons are mild.  Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce would go great with these, too.

These fry up in about a minute in an inch or two of hot oil.  You can add minced crab, shrimp, or lobster for a special occasion, or just add some scallion or chili peppers to the cheese.

The wonton wrappers have a wonderful pliable texture which makes them simple to work with.  Just place a small amount of filling in the center, and run a wet finger around the edges of the wrapper. Then fold it over, corner to corner and press the edges to seal.  The moisture binds the seal.

Then just bring up the two ends and overlap them, sealing with a another dab of water.

I made mine the day before and stored them in the refrigerator.

Crispy Goat Cheese Wontons
vegetable oil for frying
wonton wrappers
goat cheese (or cream cheese)

• Heat two inches of oil in a 2 qt saucepan to about 350 degrees.
• put a small dab of goat cheese in the center of each wonton wrapper.  Run a wet finger around the edge and fold the wonton in half diagonally.  Press with your fingers to seal the dough.
• Bring the two outer corners up and overlap them, sealing with a bit of water.  You can also leave the wontons in a triangle shape, if you prefer.  
• Drop the wontons in the hot oil and let fry for about a minute to a minute and a half, just until they are golden and crispy.  Flip them halfway through.  Drain on a paper towel.

 

Spicy Dipping Sauce

2 parts  soy sauce (I always buy Tamari soy sauce)

1 part rice wine vinegar

1 part sesame oil

1/2 part hot chili sauce

1/2 part honey

sesame seeds for garnish

• Mix everything together and serve in small bowls for dipping.  

This isn't one of those times when I'm going to tell you to make a dinner out of these.  I'm not that crazy.  But we loved them, and they're going onto my roster of appetizers for sure.  When I get back I'm going to play with these some more.
See you next week!

 

Belgian Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

This cake is one of the oldest and easiest desserts I make.  I have no idea why I've never posted it.  Maybe subconsciously I didn't want to share. 

This is a great classic to have in your repertoire.  It's a never fail recipe that's always been my go-to for dinner parties, and so incredibly easy.  I love the crackly top and silky interior.  It uses only 3 tablespoons of flour, and all I did this time to make it gluten free was to substitute almond flour instead of the all-purpose.  It's not as dense and rich as some flourless cakes, so you can actually eat a piece without feeling sick.  This one is very moist and slightly fluffy, with a mousse or souffle-like texture. 

I don't add any flavoring to mine, and I just do a dusting of confectioner's sugar to top it off.  But you can also use it as a blank slate to show off your creativity.  You could add vanilla,  espresso, liqueurs, even chili powder to add character. You could also top it with fruit, or drizzle it with a raspberry puree.  You could also drizzle it with white chocolate for drama.  And all kinds of flavored whipped creams would be perfect to go alongside.  But I like it best as a pure and simple expression of chocolaty goodness.

For years I made this in cupcake form, but a spring-form, or cheesecake, pan makes it a little more elegant, and this way none of the precious cake gets stuck on the cupcake wrappers!  It comes out of the oven puffed up high, but sinks down as it cools.  The surface will have large cracks--- and you have to embrace the cracks--- they're part of the aesthetic.

This one's been in the family recipe file for years, I think it may have originally been ripped out of a magazine, but at this point it's a distant memory...

Belgian Chocolate Cake
oven to 325
9 ounces bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate, cut in chunks
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up

• Put the butter and then the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.  Microwave for another 30 seconds, and stir again.  If it's not completely melted, put it back in for another 15 seconds, and stir until the chocolate completely melts. 

1 1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond flour (or regular flour)
5 large eggs, beaten with a whisk until well blended
powdered sugar for sifting on top

• Add the sugar and flour to the chocolate, then the eggs, and blend well.  The mixture will thicken.  Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pour into an oiled 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan.  Bake for about 50-55 minutes, until firm on top and cracks form across the surface.  Cool on a rack, then remove the outer ring.
• Sift powdered sugar over the top.

Notes:  It goes without saying that the toothpick test will not work with this cake.  When the whole surface is cracked and has lost it's shiny 'uncooked' look, it's done.  You can't really go wrong since this is supposed to be a super moist cake.

Now I feel so much better for finally having shared.  Enjoy it!

 

Minimal Monday: Baked Eggs in Fresh Yellow Tomato Sauce with Mixed Herbs and Goat Cheese

These eggs are baked in a fresh tomato sauce made with yellow tomatoes.  The recipe is below,  but you hardly need it.  Just a quick rough chop, 10 minutes of cooking, and then it gets blended smooth.  You only need a little salt and a clove of garlic to accent the fresh tomato flavor.

I ladled some sauce in the bottom of a small baking pan and put it in the oven.  I turned the oven to 375 and by the time it got to temperature, the sauce was spurting and spitting.

Take three eggs and pre-crack them into little cups so you can gently lay them in the hot sauce.  Spoon some goat cheese around the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop back in the oven for about 15 minutes. 

After you take them out, scatter your favorite fresh herbs over the eggs and serve hot, with crusty bread.

Here's the 15 Minute Fresh Yellow Tomato Sauce:

2 lbs ripe yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large clove garlic, shopped 
salt to taste

• Rough chop the tomatoes.  Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic and tomatoes.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes just begin to break down.
• Blend in a food processor until smooth.  Season to taste with salt.  
• Refrigerate until needed

Happy Monday!