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

Chinese Winter Melon Meatball Soup

As a child, I loved my mom's winter melon soup as it had flavorful meatballs, light broth and tender winter melons. My mom would always serve homemade Chinese steamed buns with her winter melon soup. It was one of my favorite meals growing up and I would frequently request it during the cold winter months.

When I saw winter melon on sale for $0.29/lb at Sunrise Market, the only thought that came to my mind on that wet rainy Sunday was my mom's winter melon meatball soup.

Like all Chinese moms, my mom does not use a recipe. Instead of calling her to ask her for her recipe rough measurements, I elected to use a recipe I found online. The soup I made tasted good and received great reviews from my husband (the non-soup person). This winter melon soup has a light mild flavored broth with flavorful and soft pork meatballs. The winter melon has been cooked tender and it was a nice soul warming soup for a cold and rainy day.

Even though the soup checked off all the same things that is in my mom's winter melon soup, it seemed to be missing something. Perhaps what was missing was my mom's labour of love. Food always tastes better when someone else makes it specially for you.

Ingredients
1/2 pound lean ground pork
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)
1-1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
1 egg

6 cups pork or chicken broth
2 pounds Chinese winter melon (Dong Gua), skin peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slices fresh ginger, cut into coins
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar

Directions
1. Mix pork, cornstarch, cilantro, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and egg in a bowl. Using your hands, mix the meat mixture until it is thoroughly combined.

I made a double batch and used half for Chinese Braised Stuffed Tofu. :)

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine pork or chicken broth, winter melon, ginger, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the soup reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. With a spoon or a cookie scoop, gently drop meatballs by the tablespoon into the soup. Stir the soup occasionally. Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the meatballs have fully cooked. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Creamy Kale Potato Sausage Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

Let's cut to the chase here.

This soup is THE BEST SOUP I HAVE EVER EATEN. (sorry for the caps but this is akin to Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch type of excitement. Except my love for this soup will last longer than TomKat's relationship).

Anyhow, please believe me this soup is amazing and make this A.S.A.P.

I ate two bowls of this soup on the first day and three bowls on the second day. Even my husband, who is typically not a fan of soups (except cream based soups which this is) raved about how delicious this soup is.

We loved the addition of kale in this soup as it was perfectly tender. This soup is rich, creamy, savory, flavorful and if I was not married to my husband already, I would totally marry this soup.

Ingredients
2 bunches of kale, cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces
9 medium sized potatoes, sliced to 1/8 inch thick
2 - 8 inch farmers sausages, sliced to 1/8 inch thick
3 cups chicken broth (I used 1 heaping tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base + Water)
5 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp Chipotle chili pepper
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh oregano)
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Place potatoes in a large pot filled with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until it is tender. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large pot, brown the sausages over medium high heat.

3. Stir in the chicken broth, milk, Chipotle chili pepper, oregano and black pepper. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure the soup does not boil over and remains at a gentle simmer.

4. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed.

5. Add in the potatoes and stir in the kale. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Eat and repeat. Then dream about this soup in your sleep.

Source: Slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman

Creamy and Cheesey Tortellini Soup with Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom

It is Family Day long weekend here in British Columbia, Canada. We are excited since this means an extra day off for my husband. This also gives us a little extra time for spring cleaning just in time for Chinese New Year which occurs on February 19th.

Yesterday was a busy day. For a Saturday, we woke up at 7 am when the little man got up with a stuffed nose that does not seem to be going away. This would have been okay had we not stayed up until 3 am watching a movie.

After a quick breakfast (made by my hubby), I went to Costco to do some grocery shopping and my husband stayed home to potty train our little man. The rest of the day was a blur between cleaning our house, working on the blog, visiting open houses, and before I knew it, it was dinner time.

We were all hungry and wanted something filling. I found a recipe for a creamy tortellini soup that sounded amazing. This is a hearty soup loaded with tortellini, chicken, spinach, mushroom and Parmesan cheese. My husband and I both loved the flavorful broth and this definitely hit the spot after a long day.

Happy Family Day from our family to yours!

Ingredients
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 medium onion, diced
8 large mushrooms, sliced
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine or broth
8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
500 g (16 oz) cheese tortellini
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
300 g (10 oz) baby spinach
1/2 cup cream or milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high.

2. Saute onions until it is translucent.

3. Add in the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft. Set aside.

4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pot.

5. Add in the chicken breast and saute until it is cooked through.

6. Stir in the mushrooms, onions, garlic, thyme, flour and 1/2 cup wine or broth. Whisk until the flour is well incorporated and no longer lumpy.

7. Pour in 8 cups of broth and bring it to a boil.

8. Once it reaches a boil, add in the tortellini and lower the heat to medium. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the tortellini is cooked through.

9. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese until it is melted. Then add in the baby spinach and stir it in. Lastly, stir in the 1/2 cup cream or milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Source: Slightly adapted from Closet Cooking

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

This recipe should have been titled Leftover Hot Pot Soup because it essentially was all the leftovers from having hot pot the night before.

I love soups in general, but this soup was extra delicious and flavorful. The broth I used for this fish ball noodle soup was the same broth that cooked the seafood and vegetables in the hot pot.

However, if you don't want to wait for hot pot night to make this delicious recipe, you can use chicken or seafood broth instead. There's nothing better than a nice bowl of piping hot soup on a cold rainy day.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 cups leftover hot pot seafood/vegetable broth*
1 cup water*
15 to 20 fish balls and/or shrimp balls
2 cups leaf lettuce (bok choy or sui choy/napa cabbage)
1 bunch enoki mushrooms
1 package of tofu puffs
454 g chow mein/wonton noodles

* If you don't have leftover hot pot broth, use 3 cups of chicken, seafood or vegetable broth instead.

Note: This soup is flexible and you can use as much or as little of each ingredient listed above. You can also substitute in other ingredients as well.

Directions
1. In a large pot, bring broth to a boil.

2. Add in fish balls, shrimp balls, tofu puffs and leaf lettuce.

3. In another pot, bring water to a boil and cook the chow mein or wonton noodles according to package directions. Drain.

3. Once the fish balls, shrimp balls and tofu puffs are cooked through and the leaf lettuce is soft, add in the enoki mushrooms.

4. In each serving bowl, add noodles and top with fish balls, leaf lettuce and enoki mushrooms.

Serve with sriracha hot sauce, if desired.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Meal preparation in my household is primarily my responsibility and I receive instant feedback on every meal I make. My husband and my little man have a simple rating system: love, dislike or indifferent. When they dislike something, my husband will take his sweet time and the little man is a little more candid: he spits it out. When they are indifferent, both will eat what is on their plate or bowl, but neither will ask for a second helping. But when they love something, both will gobble up second, third, and occasionally fourth servings, ask for "more" (little man) or rave about how good it is (my husband).

Well, they loved this cream of broccoli soup! My husband and my little man each had 3 bowls. I have to admit this is a delicious soup and given the feedback, it has definitely earned a spot in my recipe rotation.

Add a dollop of sour cream, or shredded cheddar cheese, whatever strikes your fancy.

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
8 cups broccoli, cut up into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used 1 cup cream and 1 cup whole milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pot.

2. Saute onion and celery until it is tender.

3. Add broccoli, chicken broth and bring to a boil.

4. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Puree the soup with a hand blender. Or puree the soup in batches in a blender. If you use the latter, make sure not to over fill the blender.

6. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in flour until it is fully incorporated.

7. Add in 1/3 of the milk and stir until smooth. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir until it is combined and fully thickened.

8. Add the contents from the sauce pan to the pot.

9. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I grew up with Cream of Mushroom Soup from a red can. Now, as much as I love the convenience using canned soup for other meals, when it comes to soups, I prefer the real deal.

The original recipe called for pureeing the mushrooms. I opted to leave the mushrooms sliced. I also added in an extra cup of mushrooms because we are huge mushroom fans.

I made this soup to go with the Pull Apart Onion Blossom Bread. It was the perfect meal on a cold winter's day.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
6 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp butter

Roux
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup half and half (I used 1/2 of cream and 1/2 cup of milk)

Directions
1. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat.

2. Add onions and saute until the onions are translucent.

3. Add in the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are soft and tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Pour in chicken broth, thyme and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

5. In a separate saucepan over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.

6. Whisk in the flour until it is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Pour in 1/3 cup of the half and half. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add in the remaining half and half until the mixture is lump free and smooth.

8. Ladle in 1 cup of the mushroom broth to the saucepan and stir to combine.

9. Pour the entire contents from the saucepan to the large pot of mushroom soup. Stir constantly to combine.

10. Bring the soup back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until the soup is thickened. Serve hot.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Potato Cheddar Soup

When it is cold out, I crave comfort foods. If I had it my way, I would have soup every day. I love all soups: bisque, stock/broth, chowder, bouillon or consomme. The only criteria is the soup has to be piping hot. My husband on the other hand, is only a fan of chowder type soups or bisques. This puts a damper on my love affair with having soup on a daily basis.

This potato cheddar soup received two thumbs up from both my husband and little man. It is a hearty and creamy soup that fills you up with warmth on a cold winter's day. The potatoes and cream gives this soup body while the carrot adds a touch of sweetness. This soup is full of flavor and tastes delicious with a nice loaf of bread.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 lb (1 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2 inch)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp dried dill
(Note: The original recipe calls for 1 leek, diced, white part only and fresh dill)

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.

2. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are beginning to brown and onions are soft.

3. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. (about 20 minutes)

5. Puree 1/3 of the soup until it is smooth.

6. Add the pureed soup back to the pot. Stir in the cream, reheating over low heat until the cream is heated through.

7. Remove the pot from heat. Garnish each bowl with cheddar cheese and dill.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Soup Sisters Cookbook