Homemade Pot Stickers

I found pot sticker wrappers at the Asian market and had to try making them fresh at home. They are delicious but are very time consuming (you can save some time by buying shredded carrots and cabbage). On the plus side the wrappers come in packs of 40-50 so there are plenty of leftover and they are freezable! For a family of 2 you can get at least 3-4 dinners our of the recipe. Make sure you use fresh turkey so you don't freeze it twice. The meat will be too touch after being frozen the second time.

What You Need

1 package Fresh Pot Sticker Wrappers

1/2 head of Cabbage (Shredded)

3 Carrots (Shredded)

3/4 lb Fresh Turkey (Not Frozen)

6 Mushrooms

2 Egg Yolks

1 1/2 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice

Oil

Sauce

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce

1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds

2 Green Onions

What To Do

Step 1: Shred cabbage and carrots. I use a mandolin for the cabbage and a cheese grader for the carrots. Chop the mushroom into small pieces. Mix together.

 

Step 2: Cook turkey on medium heat until well done. Add turkey to veggie mixture. Add and mix in Chinese 5 spice and fresh ginger.*I use a grater/zester to add the ginger and guesstimate roughly 1 1/2 tsp.

Step 3: Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Brush 1/2 of the outside edge of the wrappers with the egg yolk. I use the back of a spoon but you could also use a pasty brush. I like to lay out several wrappers at once to make things go a bit faster.

Step 4: Place 1-1.5 tbsp of filling into each wrapper. It is better to under-fill rather then over-

fill. *If you have extra filling you can serve it as a side salad with the pot stickers.

Step 5: Ok here is where things get tricky. Fold over the wrapper and crimp the edges. Be firm so they stick together. Let them sit for a few minutes before cooking them. I usually fill all the wrappers, then cook the wrappers I stuffed first. As they sit the egg yolk will dry and keep the wrappers close.

Step 6: Fill the pot with a 1/4-1/2 inch of oil. Heat oil on medium to high heat. Once the oil it hot add pot stickers (only the ones you will eat tonight). Don't let them touch or they will get stuck together while cooking. Brown on both sides, remove, then place on a paper towel to remove access oil.

Step 7: Mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame seeds and chopped green onion in a small bowl. Give it a quick stir.

Step 8: Enjoy! (see step 9 for freezing leftovers)

 

Step 9: Lay leftover on a piece (or several pieces) of Cling Wrap. Place another piece of Cling Wrap on top and seal. Place in freezer bag and store for 1-2 months.

Sausage and Brussel Sprouts Pasta

Quick, easy and healthy!

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

4 servings of Pasta (whichever kind you prefer)
3 chicken sausage
1/2 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup Pesto

What To Do

Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook until al dente.

Step 2: Cut up sausage into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Cut Brussels sprouts in half.

Step 3: Cook sausage and Brussels sprouts until golden brown.

Step 4: Mix pasta, sausage, Brussels spouts and pesto together. Enjoy!

Crazy Thai Goodness

I decided to try making this at home after having it at a Thai restaurant. It is really easy and quick to make.

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

4 Chicken Breasts
8 oz Fresh Spinach
2 cups rice

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbsp Water

What To Do

Step 1: Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove top according to the instructions.

Step 2: Cook chicken on medium heat until fully cooked. Cut chicken into bite size pieces.

Step 3: Cook spinach on low heat with the lid on. Once the spinach has wilted but still looks fresh and green remove from the stove. Strain the spinach to get as much liquid out as possible.

Step 4: In a small bowl add the peanut butter, rice vinegar, Thai sweet chili sauce and water. Mix with a fork or whisk for about 5 minutes. It will start to look stringy (see below) but after a few minutes it should become smooth and creamy. If it appears too liquidy, even after several minutes of mixing, add a little more peanut butter. If it is too thick add water, a little at a time, until it reaches a good consistency. Stir until creamy and uniform.

Before

After

Step 5: Mix the chicken, spinach and peanut sauce together in a pan. Make sure to break up the spinach so it is evenly distributed. Serve over rice and Enjoy!

Best Thai Salad Ever

This is the best salad ever! It is so tasty, healthy and delicious. It takes a while to get all the veggies ready but it is a very simple recipe.  Try changing out the chicken for shrimp, pork or beef!

What You Need
Makes 4 servings

Salad
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 4 Chicken Tenderloins
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
3 Small Lettuce Heads , Chopped
1/2 Head of Cabbage, Chopped
2 Carrots, Peeled and Shredded
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1/2 Cucumber, Peeled and Chopped
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro, Chopped
1/2 cup Peanuts, Chopped
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 Serving Ramen Noodles, Dry

Salad Dressing
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbsp Water

What To Do

Step 1: Prepare all of your vegetables (wash, peel, chop, etc). Place in a large bowl.

Step 2: Season chicken with Chinese Five Spice. Cook on medium heat until fully cooked. Chop up chicken. Set aside.

Step 3: Heat up the olive oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Once hot add the ramen and sesame seeds. Stir continuously until golden brown (about 5-10 mins).

Before

After

Step 4: Make the salad dressing. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup add the rice vinegar, Thai sweet red chili sauce and sugar. Mix well with a fork.

Step 5: Make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl add the peanut butter, rice vinegar, Thai sweet chili sauce and water. Mix with a fork or whisk for about 5 minutes. It will start to look stringy (see below) but after a few minutes it should become smooth and creamy. If it appears too liquidy, even after several minutes of mixing, add a little more peanut butter. Stir until creamy and uniform.

Before

After

Step 6: Toss the salad, chicken and salad dressing together.

Step 7: Plate out each serving. Drizzle peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, ramen and sesame seeds over each serving. Enjoy!

Spinach Dip Pizza

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for spinach mascarpone dip. It looked delicious but I was feeling like pizza. So, I decided to combine the two. I added sausage, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes as the toppings.  It was delicious, very filling and made me feel healthier with all of the spinach :)

What You Need
Makes 2-3 servings

1 Pre-Made Pizza Dough (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
2 Chicken Sausages
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato
4 oz Sliced Mushrooms

6 oz Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach Dip
2 cups Shredded Spinach (you can use frozen or fresh)

4 oz Mascarpone

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Crushed Garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch of Nutmeg

What To Do

Step 1: Follow the directions for your pre-made pizza dough to prepare the dough.

Step 2: While the dough is cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large pan. Add shredded spinach, cook until wilted. Remove as much access liquid from the spinach using a cheese cloth or dish rag. Place spinach back in pan. Turn heat to low and stir in mascarpone until fully melted. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Then add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted. Take off heat and set aside.
*If you are using frozen spinach, remove access liquid from the spinach prior to cooking.

Step 3: Cut sausage into 1/4 inch slices. Cook the sausage until golden brown.

Step 4: Top pre-baked pizza dough with spinach dip, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, sausage and cheese.

Step 5: Cook at 350° until the cheese has melted and starts to bubble (about 20 minutes). Enjoy!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

We go through a lot of tortillas at my house. I hated needing them for dinner, not having them on hand, going to the grocery store to get more and finding them not on sale. I figured there had to be an easy way to make tortillas at home. I found this recipe and tweaked it a little to work better for me. They are super tasty and easy to make!

What You Need
Makes 12-14 tortillas

3 cups Flour
1 cup Hot Water
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder

What To Do

Step 1: Combine all dry ingredients into your mixer. Add the oil, then slowly add the hot water. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Flour the surface you are going to be rolling your dough on. Make a 2 inch ball out of the dough. Gently flatted the ball with you hand. Roll the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick and 6-8 inches wide. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. *You can cook the tortillas as you go or place them on Saran Wrap, alternating between Saran Wrap and precooked tortillas. I generally will cook them as I go but end up rolling them out faster then they cook. So I end up having a backlog in Saran Wrap.

Step 3: Cook the tortillas on Medium heat until browned on both sides. Store in a tortilla warmer until you are ready to serve them. Enjoy! *Tortillas will be good in the fridge for about 5-7 days or go to Step 4 for a bonus recipe!

Step 4: Use your leftover tortillas to make tortilla chips. Preheat over to 350°. Cut tortillas into triangle pieces (about 8 per tortilla). Place on a baking sheet, making sure they do not touch. Salt if desired. Bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned. Enjoy! *They are also great as an alternative to pita chips! I enjoy mine with humus.

Tomato and Basil Pasta

I came across this recipe a long time ago and thought I'd try it again last night. It takes about 45 minutes to make. Most of the time is spent waiting for the water to boil and the tomatoes to cook.


What You Need
Makes 2 servings

2 cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (or 1 basket)
2 servings of Bow Tie Pasta (or the pasta of your choice)
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp Italian Seasoning

What To Do

Step 1: Boil a pot of water. Add the pasta. Once cooked, drain the pasta.

Step 2: Preheat the over to 375°. Cut the tomatoes in half. Place the tomato halves in glass bakeware or a baking sheet with a lip. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Italian seasoning. Give the bakeware/baking sheet a good couple of shakes to thoroughly coat the tomatoes. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and soften.

 Step 3: Once the tomatoes are done, let them sit for a few minutes. Gently mash the tomatoes. You don't want to mash them to bits, you just want to get some of the juice out. Be careful at this step! The tomatoes can squirt and the liquid is hot!

Step 4: Add the tomato mixture and all the liquid in the dish to the pasta. Chop up the basil and add into the pasta as well. Mix well. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken, Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta in a Mascarpone Cream Sauce

This is a delicious and fairly quick recipe. It took me about 30 minutes to make. You can substitute the spinach for basil and/or the chicken for shrimp.

What You Will Need

Makes 2 servings

3 Chicken Tenderloins
1 tbsp Crushed Garlic (or 1 clove of garlic)

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato
3 cups Spinach
1 1/2 cup Dried Pasta of Your Choice

For the Sauce:
4 oz Mascarpone
1 tbsp Butter or Margarine
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
Dash of Nutmeg

What To Do

Step 1: Boil a pot of water. Once the water is boiling add the dry pasta.

Step 2: Heat up the olive oil and garlic in a pan on Medium heat. Once it is hot (about 1 minute) add the chicken. While the chicken cooks wash and chop the spinach. When the chicken is cooked remove it  from the pan, cut into pieces and place back in the pan on Medium-Low heat. Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until the spinach is wilted. 

Step 3: Heat the butter/margarine on Medium-Low heat until it is melted and starting to bubble. Add the mascarpone. Stir until the mascarpone has melted. Take the pan off the heat and add the grated Parmesan, stirring frequently. Once the Parmesan has melted stir in a dash of nutmeg.

Step 4: Drain the pasta. Mix the pasta, mascarpone cream sauce and chicken mixture. Enjoy!