Tova's Potstickers

When I was visiting Tova in Carrboro a few weeks ago she made up a big patch of potstickers. I was surprised how easy they were and how authentic they tasted! As soon as I got back to Boston I replicated the recipe for a New Years Eve dinner party. Below is a simple vegetarian filling, but I also made a ground turkey version of this filling from the Gourmet cookbook.

1 package of "baked tofu", teriyaki or soy/sesame flavor, crumbled
bunch of green onions, chopped
small handful of cilantro, chopped
a few cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded

1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4 C soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
package of wonton or potsticker wrappers

Stir all ingredients together, minus the egg and wonton wrappers. Taste for flavor, adjust and then stir in egg. Mix 1 T cornstarch into 1/4 C water and brush this onto edges of wrappers.

For detailed on how to fill and fold potstickers, check out this blog post with directions and photos from Steamy Kitchen.

To fry the dumplings, heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add a bit of vegetable oil, then squeeze as many potstickers that will fit into the pan, trying not to have any touching, (or else they'll stick together). Fry for 60-90 seconds until golden brown on the bottom. Add 1/4-1/2 C water, put lid on immediately, lower heat a bit and cook about 3 minutes. Remove the lid, cook off any excess water, and then remove potstickers. Repeat until all potstickers are cooked.

Tova's special dipping sauce: mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, sriacha. Taste and adjust.

Soy-Sesame Grilled (or Broiled) Eggplant

I always love the idea of eggplant but often don't like the way it's prepared. I wanted to make something asian-inspired, thanks to the delicious eggplant dish we had in July at Pok-Pok. I found this recipe in Andrea Chesman's "Serving Up The Harvest" and it was great!

2 large-medium eggplant, sliced 3/8" thick
Canola or peanut oil
5 T soy sauce
2 T dark sesame oil
2 T Chinese rice wine
1 T rice vinegar
1 T chili paste with garlic (or 1/2 T chili powder)
1 1/2 T sugar or honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, whites and tender greens, finely chopped

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill or preheat the broiler. Brush eggplant with oil.

2. Grill the eggplant until browned, 5-7 minutes on each side. Or broil the eggplant on high (2-4" from the top) until brown, 5-7 minutes on each side. The eggplant should be slightly crusty on the outside but soft and moist inside.

3. Slice the eggplant into bite-sized pieces (I left mine fairly large so I could put them on bread). Transfer to a bowl.

4. Combine soy sauce through scallions in a small bowl. Mix well. Pour over the eggplant and toss to mix.

5. Let stand for about 30min to allow the eggplant to absorb the flavors of the marinade. You can refrigerate the dish for up to 3 days. You can serve warm or cold.

Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Vegetable Lo Mein with Edamame and Mustard Greens

Charlie and I made this for dinner last week and it was a big hit! Healthy, yummy, and not too hard. You can substitute other veggies for the edamame and mustard greens if you want, and add chicken if you're looking for more protein.

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
3 cups chopped mustard greens (or other dark leafy greens)
1 (14-ounce) package fresh Chinese egg noodles (or fresh angel hair pasta)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T dark sesame oil
2 T canola oil
1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
1 container shiitake or other fancy mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 cups (1/4-inch-thick) red bell pepper strips (about 1 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed (you could also try asparagus or broccoli)
3 T hoisin sauce

Preparation:
1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add greens, and cook for 1 minute or until greens wilt. Remove greens from water with a slotted spoon. Plunge the greens into ice water; drain and squeeze dry. Set greens aside.
2. Return water in pan to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook for 2 minutes or until done. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain and rinse with cold water, and drain well. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sesame oil, tossing to coat, and set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; stir-fry 5 seconds. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in greens and edamame; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in reserved noodle-cooking liquid, noodle mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and hoisin sauce; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Adapted from a Cookling Light recipe.