Japanese Dumplings and Tropical Vegetable Rolls

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

Ingredients

• 4 cups, loosely packed, minced Napa cabbage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 9 ounces ground pork
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (with a Microplane grater)
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon green onion (green part only), minced
• 2 teaspoon miso paste (red/dark miso paste)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 40 dumpling wrappers

Dipping Sauce:

• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• Several drops of chili oil (optional)

Directions

1. Toss the minced cabbage with the salt in a large bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze the cabbage firmly to drain and discard the excess and then transfer the cabbage to a deep bowl. Add the pork, ginger, garlic, green onion, miso, sesame oil, sriracha, and sugar. Mix everything together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

2. Have a small bowl of cold water ready. Lay a dumpling wrapper on a dry work surface, and place a heaping teaspoon of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper. With a fingertip moistened with water, trace a line along half of the edge of the round wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to enclose the filling, and pinch the wrapper in the center to seal the edges together at that spot. Holding the filled half-circle in the left hand, pleat the top of the wrapper from the middle out, pressing it to the flat edge of the wrapper at the back. Set aside the stuffed dumpling with the pleated-wrapper edge up.

3. In a large skillet with a tight fitting lid, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place as many of the dumplings that can fit without touching in the skillet with the pleated-wrapper edge up. Cook the dumplings for 3 minutes, or until nicely browned on the bottom. Check the progress by lifting 1 or 2 dumplings by their pleated edge.

4. Once the bottoms are nicely browned, carefully pour in 1/4 cup of the water and drizzle in 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil around the edge of the skillet. Place the lid on the skillet to trap in the steam and then quickly lower the heat to keep the liquid at a bare simmer.

5. Check the dumplings after 2 minutes. When the wrappers appear slightly translucent and the meat feels firm when pressed lightly with a spoon, remove the lid and raise the heat slightly. Continue to cook until all the water has evaporated and only the oil remains (about 2 minutes). Remove and transfer to a platter. Serve the dumplings hot accompanied by the dipping sauce.

Dough Ingredients

• 200 g. All Purpose Flour
• 100 ml boiling hot water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. Sesame seed oil

Directions

1.Place flour in a large mixing bowl with salt and stir. Add boiling hot water and combine them all together with a pair of chopsticks to make like crumble.

2.Add sesame seed oil and continue to mix them all together. When it becomes crumbled, use your hands to put them together to make a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and rest for about 30 minutes.

3.Remove plastic wrap and knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. When the dough surface becomes smooth, cover with plastic wrap again and rest it for further 30 minutes.

4.Divide the dough into two. Roll out flat on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thin with a rolling pin.

5.Cut out the dough into a round shape using 4-inches diameter large cookie cutter. Brush off excess flour before using it to wrap the filling.

Tropical Vegetable Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 package rice paper wrappers, prepared according to package directions
• 12 ounces shredded carrots
• 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 ounces rice stick noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 papaya, peeled, cored and cut into strips*
• ½ of a head of red cabbage, shredded
• 6 ounces baby bok choy, shredded
• fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Lay the softened rice paper wrapper on a clean work surface. Layer ingredients horizontally on the wrapper, along the edge closest to you. Fold in the sides of the wrapper and tightly roll the rice paper away from you and transfer to a plate, seam side down. Using a very sharp knife, cut the rolls in half on a diagonal. Serve cold with peanut dipping sauce.

* = frozen and defrosted papaya may be substituted. Simply cut into small pieces so they fit into the roll.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• ¾ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
• ¼ to ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 1/2 medium limes)
• 4 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons chile-garlic paste
• 1 medium garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well-combined.

Ingredient List

Pantry

• ¾ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 4 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons chile-garlic paste
• 1 medium garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon miso paste (red/dark miso paste)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 40 dumpling wrappers
• 2 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• Several drops of chili oil (optional)

Produce

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 1/2 medium limes)
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (with a Microplane grater)
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon green onion (green part only), minced
• 4 cups, loosely packed, minced Napa cabbage
• 1 papaya, peeled, cored and cut into strips*
• ½ of a head of red cabbage, shredded
• 6 ounces baby bok choy, shredded
• 12 ounces shredded carrots
• 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• fresh cilantro leaves
• Fresh Mint

Grocery

• 5 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 ounces rice stick noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 package rice paper wrappers, prepared according to package directions

Meat

• Ground Pork