Chinese Pork and Shrimp Wontons

My mom and my late grandmother both love wontons. As a child, we had wontons on a regular basis at home during the winter months. As a kid, I can't say I really loved wontons since I usually burnt my tongue trying to eat the little suckers; I am impatient when it comes to food.

I remember watching my mom and my late grandmother spend half a day making a big batch of wontons, most of which were frozen for future meals or for busy nights when dinners needed to be on the table quickly.

I never realized how easy it is to make wontons if you used packaged wrappers. Be forewarned though, making wontons does takes a little effort and time. The batch I made turned out 54 wontons and took me about an hour and half to make from start to finish. I made enough wontons for two meals that fed my family of three. You can also stretch the wontons by adding egg noodles to each serving, which reduces the amount of wontons you have to serve.

I have to say these wontons are absolutely delicious. The shrimp adds a nice texture to the wontons and my husband declared it the best wontons he has ever had. I'm delighted by his comment since my Mother-In-Law makes pretty darned good wontons. Since I spent my life eating wontons, I consider myself a wonton connoisseur, this wontons even met my high expectations. This is definitely a recipe I would remake over and over. I think these wontons would have made my late grandmother proud.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 lb finely minced deveined unshelled shrimp
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 package of wonton wrappers (look for wonton wrappers that are a little thicker)

Bowl of water
Cutting board
Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix the pork, shrimp, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, egg and sesame oil. Stir until it is thoroughly mixed and the mixture resembles a paste.

2. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Set up your wonton wrapping station: cutting board, and a bowl filled with cold water.

Top left clockwise: baking sheet with parchment paper, pork and shrimp filling, wonton wrapper, water, cutting board.

3. With a small teaspoon, spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the center of the wonton. Seal the wonton with water. There are two ways I like to fold my wontons:

Method 1:

Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrappers. With the tip of your finger, dip it into the bowl of water and paint two adjoining edges with water so it forms a "V".

Fold the wonton in half into a triangle, making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles, press firmly and seal. Create an indent in the middle of the triangle.

Dab a little bit of water on one corner of the wonton, fold and seal. Place the wonton on the parchment paper.

Repeat with the remaining wontons. Wipe up any water from your cutting board with a paper towel.

Method 2:

Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrapper. With your finger tip, brush half of the edges with water so it forms a "U".

Fold the wonton in half into a rectangle, making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles, press firmly and seal. Create an indent in the middle of the rectangle where the filling is.

Dab a bottom corner with a little bit of water, fold and seal. Place the wonton on the parchment paper.

Repeat with the remaining wontons. Wipe up any water from your cutting board with a paper towel.

4. Place wontons on the baking sheet, making sure to leave a little space between each wonton. Repeat with the wrapping the remaining wontons.

To serve:

Ingredients
Chicken, pork, seafood or vegetable broth
Sesame oil
Wontons
Broccoli, bok choy or other green leafy vegetables
1 package of egg noodles (optional, see note below)
Green onions for garnish (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

1. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add wontons to the pot, and reduce heat to medium. Cook the wontons for 3 to 4 minutes before adding in green vegetables (broccoli, shanghai bok choy) or chopped green onions. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil to the broth and cook until the broth comes back to a boil, the vegetables are crisp tender and the wontons float. Ladle some soup and wontons into each bowl. I find that each adult needs about 9 to 11 wontons for a substantial meal and 6 to 8 wontons for a light meal.

If you want to serve egg noodles with the wontons, cook the noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles between each bowl. Ladle soup and wontons into each bowl. If you are serving egg noodles along with wontons, you can serve less wontons for each person. I usually serve 5 wontons per adult if I am also serving egg noodles.

To Freeze:
Freeze wontons in a single layer on a cookie sheet for at least 3 to 4 hours. Once the wontons have frozen completely, you can place them in a Ziploc bag or freezer safe container. The wontons can be frozen in a freezer for up to 2 months. To cook the wontons straight from the freezer: place the frozen wontons directly into boiling broth and allow it to cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Source: Slightly adapted from China Sichuan Food

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Feta and Roasted Veggies

The first time I made this salad, it was in the middle of August, the hottest time of the year here in Vancouver. I have no idea what prompted me to make this salad and deciding to roast the vegetables in my oven instead of turning on the BBQ.

As my house heated up, roasting veggies in my oven seemed like a really bad idea. I was sweltering from the heat, questioning my sanity. All was good once I took a bite of this pasta salad; then it all seemed worth it.

If you want to make this pasta salad in the summer, I would HIGHLY recommend grilling your vegetables and the shrimp on the BBQ grill. Or even better, grill extra vegetables and shrimp for dinner and use the leftovers in this pasta salad the next day.

I have made this recipe a few times since, and used my oven to roast the vegetables once the weather cooled off. It makes a nice, light, but satisfying meal that doesn't weigh you down. The roasted vegetables really shine through with the simple Dijon vinaigrette. You can substitute chicken in lieu of shrimp but I have to say that shrimp and roasted vegetables are a winning combo!

This pasta salad tastes delicious served either warm or cold. I find that it tastes best if it is allowed to sit for an hour or so for the pasta to absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Make sure to keep this salad chilled in the refrigerator.

Ingredients
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/8" rounds, or half moons
1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 lb wheat or gluten-free pasta (rotini, penne, or rotelle pastas all work well)
1 lb shrimp, unshelled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, finely diced

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Toss zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers in olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil in the oven on medium for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred. (An even better idea is to grill your vegetables on the BBQ, especially in the Summer!)

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

3. Pan fry the shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Set aside. (You can also skewer the shrimp and grill it on the BBQ.)

4. Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette: rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

5. Toss the roasted veggies, pasta, shrimp, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion with the Dijon vinaigrette. Serve warm or cold.

Source: Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes

Sloppy Joes

Meals at dinner time can become repetitive for most families, mine especially. We have our usual favorites: Parmesan Crusted Sole Fillets, Hellmann's Parmesan Chicken, Fried Rice, Chow Mein, pasta, homemade hamburgers and pizzas.

Hamburgers were on the dinner rotation until I decided to switch it up and make sloppy joes instead.  Believe it or not, until I made this recipe, I have never had sloppy joes! I had no idea what I was missing out on.

This recipe was a hit with all of us, especially my little man, who loves ketchup or any foods with lots of ketchup. Saucy, hearty and filling, this recipe is sure to please even your pickiest eaters. I served the sloppy joes on a toasted hamburger bun with a salad on the side. You can also serve it with roasted potato wedges if you are feeling rebellious.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 - 1-1/4 cup chopped bell peppers (I used yellow and orange bell peppers)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

3/4 to 1 cup ketchup
1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

4 to 6 Hamburger buns

Directions
1. In a medium non stick pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain off any liquids and fat. Add in onion, bell peppers and cook until the onions and peppers are soft.

2. Add in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Grilled Chicken Avocado Wrap

Everywhere you go, everyone is offering low-carb in an effort to court the weight conscious crowd. I find that I rarely buy wraps these days since I can replicate the $8 wrap easily at home, for a fraction of the price.

I kept seeing the same recipe showing up on my Pinterest feed where I pinned the exact same recipe no less than 3 times within a month. I made a mental note to cook some extra chicken breast to make these grilled chicken avocado wraps for a quick weekend brunch.

With only 5 ingredients, this grilled wrap is as simple as it can be. I loved that it took no more than 10 minutes to assemble and heat up on the panini grill. I think the main reason why this wrap tasted so good is because it is grilled. Friends, this wrap actually tastes as amazing as it looks. It is definitely worth a bazillion repins on Pinterest.

Ingredients
4 large flour tortillas
1 large chicken breast, cooked, sliced or diced
1 large ripe avocado, cut into slices
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 fat, juicy lime
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat a panini grill.

2. Divide the chicken breast, avocado, mozzarella cheese and cilantro equally among the four tortillas.

3. Squeeze a little lime juice over the chicken breast and avocado.

4. Wrap tightly (like a burrito, tucking in the ends) and heat on the preheated panini grill.

5. Remove from the panini grill once the ingredients have warmed through and the cheese has melted. Serve warm, eat and repeat.

Source: Adapted from Closet Cooking

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

This is the salad that I have been eating all summer long. Well, ever since I discovered it at my Sister-In-Law's house back in June.

My Sister-In-Law always serves at least two amazing salads at her dinner parties. The list of salads on her menu rotate as she experiments with different recipes. This leads me to constantly asking her for recipes and helping myself to countless servings shamelessly as a dinner guest. My worst offense has been with this particular salad, where I was responsible for eating most if not all of it. If I recall correctly, other people wanted a second serving as well. Well, first come first served.

Since I couldn't get enough of this salad at my Sister-In-Law's, I had to make it for myself many times to satiate those pesky cravings.

This salad taste best when you use fresh, in season corn and tomatoes. Serve this salad as a side or a main entree, as it's guaranteed to please even the fussiest eaters. I hope your guests will be a little more considerate than I was at sharing.

Ingredients
2 corn off the cob (check out how to cook corn in 3 minutes) or 12 oz (360 ml) can of peaches and cream corn, rinsed and drained
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced into small pieces
12 oz (360 ml) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/8 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped into bite sized pieces

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin*
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions
1. Combine corn kernels, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and cilantro in a bowl.

2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Pour the dressing into the vegetables and mix. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator for best flavor. Stir in the avocado right before serving.

*For those with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, Clubhouse/McCormick sells spices free of peanuts and tree nuts. This may change without notice, please check with company for up to date information and always read all labels carefully before consuming.

Source: Lola via Frugal Allergy Mom

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Lemongrass Pork

We have avoided dining at Vietnamese restaurants for the past year. The last time we went, I ordered Pho, and my husband ordered his usual: Vietnamese rice noodle salad. As a precaution, we brought our little man's food with us, since we realized the risk of cross contamination is high with peanuts being used in Vietnamese dishes.

When my husband's rice noodle salad arrived, it was topped with a generous handful of chopped peanuts. We quietly freaked out and removed our little man from the restaurant, leaving my husband to scoop out the peanuts from his bowl and eat his meal in solitude.

To this day, we are still baffled how both of us forgot that Vietnamese rice noodle salads contain peanuts. We vowed not to put our family into that situation again and make Vietnamese food at home.

With a little help from the internet and a little planning, a peanut-free rice noodle salad was on our dinner table. The only exception was that this time around, our whole family had the chance to enjoy a safe meal together.

MAKE AHEAD TIP:

I usually serve this rice noodle salad after grilling a big batch of Vietnamese lemongrass pork. If you grill the pork the night before, this allows dinner to be ready in as short as 20 minutes as the grilled pork, pickles and dipping sauce are ready to go. All you have to do is heat the spring rolls, cook the noodles and assemble the dinner.

Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 package rice noodles
1 package of spring rolls
8 generous pieces of cooked Vietnamese lemongrass pork (try this recipe)
1 cucumber, sliced
1 head of lettuce, shredded (iceberg or romaine)
1 batch of Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles (try this recipe)
1 batch of Vietnamese dipping sauce (try this recipe)
Sriracha hot sauce, to serve (optional)
Hoisin sauce, to serve (optional)
Mint, to serve (optional)

Directions
1. Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Different brands of rice noodles contain different ingredients. Always read the label!

2. Bake or pan fry the spring rolls according to package directions. Cut the spring rolls into bite-sized pieces.

Nut-free spring rolls from Costco Canada.

3. Heat the Vietnamese lemongrass pork in the microwave until warm. Slice thinly into bite-sized pieces.

4. Place rice noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Top each bowl with spring rolls, lemongrass pork, cucumber, shredded lettuce and Vietnamese carrot daikon pickles.

5. Serve with Vietnamese dipping sauce, sriracha hot sauce, hoisin sauce and mint.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

10 Minute Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

Vancouver, or Raincouver, as it is fondly known by locals is going through a heat wave this summer. We have had sunny skies for more consecutive days than I can count and being the heat wimp that I am, I have my fingers crossed for cooler weather and some rain.

With such intense heat, the last thing on my mind is standing over a hot stove. I aim for quick meals that require little stove action which taste delicious and are quick to prepare. This recipe has become a family favorite and my husband declared this as one my of best recipes.

Thinking back on my childhood, this was one of my mom's favorite go-to meals in the summer as well: easy and delicious. Her version uses peanut butter instead of seed butter, but I would highly suggest using seed butter (that contain sesame) as it tastes much better and more friendly for those with peanut/tree nut allergies!

Ingredients
454 g spaghetti or thin egg (Chow Mein) noodles
1 large cucumber, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 stalks green onions (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Sauce
1/3 cup seed butter (preferably one that contains sesame)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, or hot pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Boil water in a large pot over high heat. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain and soak the noodles in cold water until it is cool to the touch. Drain again.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the seed butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, black pepper, ginger and hot sauce together. Stir and simmer the sauce until it is smooth.

3. Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and toss with cucumber, carrots, green onions and cilantro (if using). Garnish with sesame seeds. This can be chilled or served at room temperature. Personally, I find this noodle salad taste the best after chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Source: Adapted from Food

Vegetarian Jai (Buddha's Delight)

It was 2013 and I was preparing to make my first Chinese New Year dinner for my husband and I. My husband mentioned that growing up, my Mother-In-Law always made Jai (or Buddha's Feast or Buddha's Delight), as part of the Chinese New Year dinner.

Jai (Buddha's Delight)

Jai is a vegetarian dish typically eaten on the first day of Chinese New Year to usher in good luck. Each ingredient represents a wish made for the new year. Though the ingredients vary from recipe to recipe, the most important ingredient in Jai is black moss (which sounds like fat choy = wealth in Cantonese).

After my grandmother passed away in October 2007, one of my regrets was not writing down any of her recipes. I did not want the same thing to happen to the rest of our family recipes so my husband and I started a Google Drive account to document all the family recipes.

Since Jai played an important role in my husband's Chinese New Year celebrations, I wanted to make it a part of our Chinese New Year dinners to carry on tradition.

Given I have never tasted this dish, who better else to ask than Mother-In-Law?

As I expected, my Mother-In-Law subscribed to the Chinese way of cooking. She does not use standardized measurements and cooked by sight and taste. My Mother-In-Law described how she makes Jai and what ingredients she used. With the help of a website she sent me as a starting point, I made my first Jai.

Let me tell you, my first attempt at Jai tasted awful.

It tasted awful solely because I did not wash out my rehydrated dried vegetables thoroughly, which resulted in gritty tasting Jai.

Sediment from the shitake mushrooms: not what you want in your Jai.

When I explained the issue to my Mother-In-Law, she chuckled and kindly explained that I needed to wash each rehydrated vegetable at least 5 to 10 times, sometimes even more. That was why my Jai tasted gritty as the dirt from the rehydrated vegetables was in my dish.

Needless to say, I have learned from my mistake and now wash all my rehydrated dried vegetables very thoroughly. Having made Jai three years in a row, my husband and I are both very excited to eat Jai as part of our Chinese New Year celebrations.

Chinese New Year celebration

Ingredients
1 cup, dried wood ear
1 cup, dried lily buds
1 cup, dried black moss (fat choy)
2 cups, dried Shitake mushrooms
2 sticks of dried bean curd sticks
1 lotus root (about 6 inches in length)
1/2 package, tofu puffs, cut diagonally
5 leaves of sui choy, washed and cut into large bite sized pieces
2 bunches of dried vermicelli noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 inch of ginger, finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 red bean curd squares and 1/4 cup bean curd liquid
2 cups reserved shitake mushroom liquid, strained (see note below)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar

Red bean curd

Directions
Preparation
1. Set out 4 large bowls and place wood ear, lily buds, black moss and and shitake mushrooms into each bowl. Fill each bowl with boiling hot water and cover each bowl with a plate. Soak for at least 2 hours.

Top left clockwise: wood ear, lily buds, black moss, shitake mushrooms

Note: Failure to wash the ingredients thoroughly will result in a gritty tasting Jai.
2. After two hours, take out the rehydrated shitake mushrooms and save the soaking liquid. Wash the shitake mushroom thoroughly, at least 5 times under running water. Make sure to scrub under the gills of the mushroom to wash away any dirt. Squeeze dry. Cut the larger mushrooms in half and set aside.

3. Drain the water from the black moss. Rinse the bowl and fill with fresh water. Wash and massage the black moss. Repeat at least 10 times as the black moss is the dirtiest of all the dried vegetables and the hardest to clean. Squeeze dry and set aside.

4. Wash and scrub the wood ear thoroughly with your fingers under running water at least 5 times. Squeeze dry. Cut off the stem end (tough part) of each wood ear and discard. Cut the rest of the wood ear into large bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Cut off the tough part of the wood ear.

5. Wash the lily buds thoroughly under running water at least 5 times. Squeeze dry and set aside.

6. In a large container, soak the dried bean curd sticks in cold water. Use a plate to weigh the bean curds down and fully immerse them under water for at least 30 minutes or until soft. Cut into large bite sized pieces and set aside.

Rehydrate in cold water until soft.

7. Wash and peel the lotus root. Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices. Rinse under running water and drain. Set aside.

8. Soak the vermicelli noodles in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain.

Top: Lotus root, lily buds, black moss, shitake mushrooms. Middle: wood ear, tofu puffs, sui choy. Bottom: vermicelli, bean curd sticks, red bean curd (in jar).

 
Cooking
9. In a large pot over medium high heat, add vegetable oil, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant.

10. Add shitake mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes.

11. Then add in lily buds and stir fry for 2 minutes.

12. Next, add in wood ear and stir fry for 2 minutes.

13. Stir in the lotus root and stir fry for 2 minutes.

14. Mash the red bean curd squares in a bowl and mix with the bean curd liquid until it forms a thick paste. Add the red bean curd paste to the pot and stir until it is mixed through.

15. Take the reserved mushroom liquid and pour it through a sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth. (If you don't have either, a clean kitchen paper towel, like Bounce or Sponge Towel will work as well).

16. Pour the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and strained mushroom liquid into the pot and stir.

17. Stir in the black moss.

18. Add in the tofu puffs, sui choy and stir until it is well mixed. Cover and bring the mixture to a simmer.

19. Gently stir in the bean curd sticks. Be careful not to break the bean curd sticks when stirring. Bring the Jai to a simmer.

20. Once the Jai reaches a simmer, stir in the vermicelli noodles and turn off the heat. Mix the noodles and cover with a lid.

21. Keep the pot on the stove to cook the vermicelli noodles until al dente. Serve hot with rice.

Any leftovers can be frozen for up to one month. Sadly, we never have leftovers.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Vegetarian Pasta Salad

We went to the library yesterday afternoon to return some DVDs we had borrowed. As we were walking past the Newly Acquired section (where they showcase all newly acquired books and DVDs), a book caught my eye.

The book that caught my attention is called "201 Organic Baby and Toddler Meals". While my little man played in the kids area, I quickly flipped through the book. This book is full of delicious recipes geared towards babies and toddlers but all of them sounded delicious for grown-ups as well.

The recipes were so enticing that I stopped by a grocery store on my way home to pick up some bell peppers and milk.

I picked this recipe as I love cold pasta salads, especially ones loaded with colorful vegetables. This recipe came together quickly after a light amount of chopping and is even more delicious the next day. I was happy with how this recipe turned out and this recipe has earned a spot on my regular recipe rotation.

Sidenote: For those of you who read my post on my $150 grocery challenge, you would be interested to know that I spent $16.99 on produce, milk and miscellaneous grocery on Day 2. Milk apparently costs $9.24 every week for our family of 3! Wowzers!! This means that I have only $72.86 remaining for my grocery, entertainment and dining out budget to last for the remainder of the month (with 28 days to go)! I think that I might be in a bit of trouble!


Ingredients
500 g dried pasta (shells, rotini or mini farfalle pasta)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 tsp dried Italian seasoning or dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
1 medium sized head of broccoli, stems diced and cut into small florets
1 medium carrot, diced small
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Drain pasta and immerse cooked pasta in a container of cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder together, salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Combine pasta, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, broccoli, carrot and dressing together.

This pasta salad tastes even better the next day.

Source: Slightly adapted from 201 Organic Baby and Toddler Meals