Dumpling Madness!

Dumplings are definitely among my top 5 foods in the world! It is consumed by the billions every year and is popular amongst all types of people. I went through a huge dumpling craving right before the spring semester began, so I decided to make a bunch of different types altogether! And then the week after that I made a bunch of dumplings for Chinese New Year, so I had quite a few dumplings in January! So I’ve decided that the next few weeks will be full of dumpling recipes! Today’s post will describe simple folding techniques for the dumplings, how to fry and steam the dumplings, and a couple sauce ideas! The blog posts after this one will be filling recipes for the dumplings. Enjoy your dumplings~!

How to fold dumplings

There are tons of different ways to fold dumplings, but I will describe three different simple folding ideas so that you’ll be able to put together your dumplings. Don’t worry if they look beautiful or not, what matters is how yummy they’ll be when they’re done! For all the dumplings, make sure you have dumpling wrappers, a small bowl of water, a plate for the wrapped dumplings, and a nice bowl of your filling!

Crescent Moon

This is the simplest of them all! Place 1-2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, use your finger to wipe some water along the rim of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half. Gently but firmly pinch the dumpling shut so that the dumpling won’t break while cooking. You’re all set!

Ruffled

This one is a bit more complicated, but still fairly simple! It’ll take you a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it! Repeat the process above for the Crescent, then fold the sealed edges (where you just sealed the dumpling shut) like a paper fan. Make sure you squeeze shut so that the ruffles stay together. Done!

Tortellini

This one is more complicated as well, but it’s super adorable and gets easier with practice. Create the Crescent, and then sit the dumpling up so that it stands on its own with the sealed edges pointing upward. Bring the two tips on the sides over, overlap them and seal with water. You now should have something that looks like a tortellini!

How to fry dumplings

Frying dumplings could never be easier! You just have to set everything up and let it sit for the allotted time, and then you’re done! To start, get a non-stick frying pan with a lid, cover the bottom with oil, and begin arranging the dumplings on the bottom of the pan (it’s okay if they’re touching each other). Add 3 tbsp water, set the pan over medium heat, and cover. Just let the dumplings cook now. Once you hear a popping sound coming from the pan, set your timer for 7 minutes. Once that time is up, evacuate the dumplings off the pan and onto a plate. And look at that, you’re all done!!! If you need to keep them warm, tent the dumpling plate with foil and place in a 200ºF oven. They’ll stay warm and yummy as you make more dumplings!

How to steam dumplings

This is a very simple way to cook your dumplings! Steaming is always used for soup dumplings, but this method can also be used for any dumpling you’d like! You’ll need a steaming basket to do this, so make sure you get one. They aren’t expensive and are definitely worth the purchase. To start, line the bottom of the steaming basket with Napa Cabbage leaves, and then place the dumplings on top of the leaves, making sure they don’t touch each other. Place the steaming basket over a wide pot of simmering water and steam for 8 minutes. Keep the dumplings in the steam basket when serving; it adds to the effect!

Sauce ideas

There are two common-but-popular sauces that are excellent pairings for all the dumpling recipes I’ll be putting up soon, so I’ll be sharing those with you! Enjoy!

SOY-VINEGAR DIP

            Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      ¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!

TOASTED SESAME-SOY DIP

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wing vinegar

·      1 tsp toasted sesame oil

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

·      1.5 tsp chili oil

·      Pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!

Kitchen Hacks Part VII

Hello~! It's been a while since my last hacks post, so here it is! Hope these tips will help you out when you venture into the kitchen ^_^

1.     To prevent your eggs from rolling all over the counter, either use a recycled egg carton container (in which you can place the egg shells afterwards) or rest the egg in a thick large rubber band.

2.     If you want to create round, not-broken poached eggs, crack the egg into a small dish and pour the egg slowly and gently into the pot of simmering water.

3.     To easily remove pinbones from a fish, drape the fish, flesh-side up, over an inverted size-appropriate mixing bowl. This causes the bones to stick up and out so they’re easier to see and remove.

4.     Prevent your fish from sticking to your grill by placing a few thin slices of a citrus fruit on the cooking grate and resting the fish on top.

5.     If you’d like to hasten the ripening of hard fruits, place the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag with ripe fruit, such as bananas, and let it sit for a day.

Not Baked?! Grilled Bread with Honey Butter

I’m sure that you’re aware of the fact that breads for the most part are baked, but what about this recipe? That’s right, we’ll be grilling bread! There is absolutely zero baking involved; all the cooking will be done on your stove. This bread is dense and delicious and you can pair it with another dish, or turn it into a flatbread! And it comes with a lovely pairing of honey butter, but feel free to make the butter and use it for other things; it is just so good ^_^ Have fun!

Ingredients:

·      1 ¼ cup warm water

·      1 tsp active dry yeast

·      3 cups bread flour

·      2 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tsp salt

·      1 tsp dried herbs (I used parsley, oregano, thyme, and basil)

·      1 tsp minced fresh garlic

·      ½ tsp pepper

·      1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, softened

·      ½ cup honey

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl until dissolved. Add the flour, olive oil, and salt, and mix until a dough ball can be formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and no longer sticky. Place the ball in a clean bowl lightly greased with oil, turn once to coat, and let it rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, you can make the honey butter. Place the honey in a small pot on the stove and heat to 235ºF (soft-ball). Once it’s reached temperature, quickly transfer the honey to a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until cooled to room temperature. Add the butter and continue to beat until thoroughly combined. Place in a small bowl and set aside for now.

Combine the dried herbs, garlic, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat a grill (or a stove-grill pan, which is what I used) on medium heat. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into flat rounds. Let each round rest for a minute, then roll as thin as you’d like (you can leave it fairly thick if you want to eat it by itself, or you can roll it really thin if you’ll use it for a pizza/flatbread). Brush the tops with olive oil, and place them oil side-down onto the grill, brushing the tops with oil. Keep moving the rounds on the grill to prevent sticking and burning and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the herb-mixture with a bit more oil and continue to grill until fully cooked. Remove from the grill and enjoy by itself, with the honey butter you made, or add toppings while cooking! Yummy~

Traditional Japanese Breakfast: Grilled Mackerel

When it comes to breakfast, the Japanese have it down! Their typical, traditional breakfasts are not only full of various dishes, but they also are incredibly healthy! You get to eat lots of different foods in the morning, and you can have fun making small dishes both the night before (to save yourself time) and the morning of. So today’s recipe is the main dish of the breakfast: grilled mackerel! Lightly salted, it’s fresh and has a beautiful light flavor, and I definitely recommend it. Give it a try; it’s simple and yummy!

Ingredients:

·      1 ¼ fresh mackerel fillets

·      Salt and pepper

·      9 oz bean sprouts

·      3 oz snow peas

·      2 tbsp sunflower, or vegetable, oil

·      1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

·      2 tsp soy sauce

Season the fillets with salt and pepper. For this next step, you can either grill the fillets on the stove over medium-high heat, or you can bake them in a 450ºF oven for 15-20 minutes. While the fish is cooking, do these next few steps. Cut off the tips of the bean sprouts. String the snow peas, blanch them in boiling water, place in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and slice finely on the diagonal after patting dry. When the fish is almost done, cook the garlic in the oil in a frying pan until fragrant. Add the bean sprouts and snow peas and cook quickly. Season and transfer the vegetables to a serving platter, and place the fillets on top. Now you’re all set! Eat up!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

And now finally, here is the final Cupcake Musketeer! Today is a classic: Red Velvet Cupcakes! I remember when I was younger not understanding what red velvet meant, and since it wasn’t vanilla, I didn’t eat them for the longest time. Now I absolutely love them (especially with cream cheese frosting; can’t do without it!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

·      ¾ cup heaped superfine sugar

·      2 egg yolks

·      Pinch of salt

·      2/3 cup buttermilk

·      1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·      ½ tsp baking soda

·      ½ tsp white wine vinegar

·      1 tsp red food coloring

·      ½ cup milk

·      1 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour

·      Pinch of salt

·      7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

·      1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

·      3 ½ oz white chocolate, melted and cooled

·      ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Combine the 1 tsp vanilla extract and cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and superfine sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed. Ad the yolks one at a time, beat for another minute, and add the cocoa mixture. Stir the salt into the buttermilk, then add 1/3 of the buttermilk to the butter mixture, followed by 1/3 of the flour, and repeat this until everything has been combined. Stir the baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring into the batter, then pour the batter into the cupcake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature before applying the frosting.

To make the frosting, first whisk the milk, flour, and salt over medium heat for a couple minutes until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Let cool. Beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the cooled chocolate, milk mixture, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth and fluffy. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, dust with confectioner’s sugar, and take a large bite!

Such Chocolaty Chocolate Cupcakes!

Here is Cupcake Musketeer #2: Triple Chocolate Cupcakes! These babies are rich, fun, and (if I may be so bold) seducing with their chocolaty ways. Just like the Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes, these are simple to make with not too many ingredients and hassle. Have fun!

Ingredients:

·      3 oz semisweet chocolate

·      1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter

·      1 cup superfine sugar

·      3 eggs

·      ½ tsp baking powder

·      1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

·      1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

·      ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·      Chocolate frosting (homemade or store-bought, whatever you have time for!)

·      Mixture of mini white, milk, and dark chocolate sprinkles to decorate

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double broiler, and allow this to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the sugar until well combined. Add one egg at a time and mix until you’ve created a smooth batter. Sift into the batter the baking powder, flour, and cocoa powder, then fold in the chocolate chips. Fill the cupcake pan with the batter and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature before icing. Spread chocolate icing on top, roll the tops in the sprinkles, and you’re all set!