Its a Wrap

Dumpling Party

These dumplings really set the tone for a fun, interactive evening with a small group of friends. Involve your guests in prepping ingredients, wrapping the dumplings, tending to the crackling fire & ensuring everyone has a drink in hand. Below I offer a vegetarian pumpkin version along with a pork sausage version. At your next get together why not serve these along with other Asian inspired snacks, including edamame & shumai.

Thai-Spiced Kabocha Pumpkin Dumplings

Remember the soy braised Kabocha Squash we made recently? It is quite plentiful, so we roasted the other 1/2 of the squash with a sprinkle of olive oil & salt. The roasted squash scoops out quite nicely & saves well. Half of the squash provided enough filling for two rounds of these for two different parties.

ingredients:

1/2 kabocha squash, roasted

1/3 can coconut milk (feel free to use lite)

1 tsp Thai red curry paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece ginger, minced

2-3 drops fish sauce

1 package wonton wrappers (we used nasoya brand)

1 egg white

1. pre-heat oven to 350F to roast kabocha squash with a sprinkle of olive oil & salt. cook until squash is soft to the touch of a fork.

2. once cooked, let squash cool until easy to handle. once cool, scoop the cooked squash from the shell - the skin should peel off very easily. 

3. mix in coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, ginger & fish sauce until you have formed a very thick paste.

4. Fold into wontons according to these four easy steps below:

Step 1:

Fill each wonton wrapper with a spoonful of filling

Step 2:

Fold over the wonton wrapper into a triangle 

& using your finger seal with egg white

Step 3:
Press triangle ends together to form a dumpling shape 
& seal with egg white

Step 4:
Line on a greased baking sheet & 
brush dumplings with remaining egg white

4. bake for about 9-12 minuted until the edges have slightly browned

Maple Pork & Red Pepper Dumplings

ingredients:

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tube maple pork sausage (without casing)

1 package wonton wrappers (we used nasoya brand)

1 egg white

1. saute the red pepper & onion in olive oil until the onion begins to brown

2. add the sausage & cook through until browned on all sides

3. set aside the pork until it is cool enough to handle

4. fill the wonton wrappers following the 4 steps above & bake for about 9-12 minuted until the edges have slightly browned

BLTs

BLTs with 
Sweet Potato Fries

Bacon, Arugula & Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches 

with Dijonnaise on Flax Seed Bread

We recently popped into Seasonal Pantry, an inspiring supper club & shop in DC's Shaw neighborhood. We picked up a slab of bacon & quickly agreed BLTs were in order. Here is our take on this American classic.

ingredients:
1 slab of bacon
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
slices of bread, toasted
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
2 cups loosely packed arugula

1. if using a whole slab of bacon, slice into thin strips. cut off the skin (save for another use!). cook bacon strips to desired crispness.

2. mix mayo & mustard to make a dijonnaise. spread mixture onto toasted bread.

3. the trick here is to layer the ingredients onto the bread in such a way to keep the sandwich in tact as you are eating -- tomato on one side, bacon on the other, arugula in the middle.

ShoeString Sweet Potato Fries 

with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

ingredients:

1 sweet potato, sliced into thin strips

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 dash soy sauce

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt & pepper, to taste

1. pre-heat oven to 350F

2. line baking sheet with sweet potatoes & coat with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste

3. bake sweet potatoes until tender to the touch of a fork & crisp around the edges.

4. in a small mixing bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, soy sauce, cayenne pepper & garlic

5. serve sweet potato fries with a dallop of honey-mustard 

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photo collage credits: Lonny Magazine

A Winning Chili Recipe

"The Warhol"

I have often heard one of the greatest secrets to entertaining made easy is the rule of 50-50, that is 50% homemade & 50% ready made or catered. When applied to home cooking, this mantra can result in truly winning combinations. This aptly named chili recipe is no exception. The Warhol is compliments of our friends Jess and Pat, a fetching duo bringing cheer & merriment to any party.

ingredients:

2 lb chicken breast, chopped

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, chopped

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 14 oz can black beans

2 packets Campbell's creamy chipotle skillet sauce

1 packet Campbell's fire roasted tomato skillet sauce

1. sear the chicken & sausage, but do not cook through fully

2. combine the chicken & sausage with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot

3. cook on low heat for approximately 5 hours. stir occasionally

4. serve with craft beer & enjoy!

Gumbo

Andouille Sausage, Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo

{slightly adapted from Cook & Be Merry}

The ingredient list on this one is a bit intimidating in length & cost, but well worth it. For us, this recipe braved new culinary terrain, including the creation of a roux base & the addition of spices only towards the very end of the cooking process. Serve this up over rice for a big crowd or better yet make with the intention of the leftovers. This gumbo tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to sit together over night.

ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 large white onion, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 tsp cayenne 
1/3 cup dry white wine
handful fresh thyme, minced
2 bay leaves
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 8 oz bottle claim juice
1/2 can chicken broth
2-3 andouille sausage links, cut into coins
4 chicken tenderloins, cubed
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp total ground coriander seeds, white peppercorns, black peppercorns, in more or less equal parts
1 tsp paprika
1/5 tsp mustard powder
4 green onions, diced
18 frozen shrimp (it is more convenient to eat if these are peeled in advance, but it enhances the flavor to cook in shells)
yield: 4 generous servings

1. heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until very hot, but not yet smoking. add flour & stir constantly until mixture is dark brown & fragrant.

2. add onion, peppers, garlic & cayenne powder to the roux and cook until onions begin to brown. stir frequently, the onions will release liquid as they cook, so there should not be a need to add more liquid.

3. add wine, thyme & bay leaves. stir until the wine absorbs. 

4. add tomatoes, clam juice, broth, sausage & chicken. lower heat & simmer until chicken is cooked through. the acids from the wine & tomatoes will smell overpowering. 

5. as the chicken cooks the gumbo will taste a bit flat, presenting a blank palate for spices & making this gumbo truly come alive. add the Worcestershire sauce & spices. it will seem like a lot, but we found the flavors to absorb nicely. taste & adjust.

6. in the last few minutes of cook time, add the green onions & shrimp. simmer until the shrimp cook through & turn opaque. 

7. turn off & let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

8. serve with rice if desired & garnish with parsley or more minced green onions.

Crowd Pleaser

Pulled Pork Nachos

Yesterday's post on pulled pork is a tough act follow. Then this happened - pulled pork 'nachos'.

I use the term nacho lightly as we used potato chips as the base & these were not smothered in cheese. We layered pulled pork onto kettle cooked potato chips, then topped with chopped pickled red onions & chopped cilantro. 

It was outrageously good. This one is guaranteed to be a real crowd pleaser - one to surely keep in active rotation for low-key, meat-friendly crowds. Perhaps a Super Bowl Party?!

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Flying Pig Photo Credit: Andrei Sinioukov

Aaron's Pork Rub

Pulled Pork & Pickled Red Onions

In mid-October, we had the pleasure of attending the wedding of our super hip friends, Sarah and Aaron, at a neighborhood pizzeria & wine bar in Chicago. Sarah is an interior designer and Aaron a purveyor of all things pork. Inspiration abounds when spending time with them. Their wedding was befitting to their personalities and wedding guests received the gift of Aaron's killer pork rub and rib rub. 

Pulled Pork

With an eye toward opening his own rib joint one day, Aaron is tight-lipped about his rub recipes. The good news is that there is no shortage of dry rub recipes on the internet, each claiming an edge over the next. Look for a balance of sweet, salt & spices, for heat and depth. Counter intuitive to its namesake, the dry rub prevents slow cooked pork from drying and ensures it is tender and juicy. 

When making pulled pork, I opt for the shoulder cut. Cover the pork with the dry rub and gently massage the rub into the meat, let sit overnight. In the morning pop the pork into a slow cooker, feel free to add 1/2 cup water. 6-8 hours later you have the makings of a glorious meal. As the pork finishes, use a fork to pull the pork apart & separate into bite sized chunks. Mix pork with the juice in the bottom of the slow cooker - feel free to pour off excess liquid & remove and discard any large fat chunks. Continue to cook for up to 1 hour, until the juices are absorbed.  

Pickled Red Onions

ingredients:
2 red onions
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp salt
2 cups water
star anise, bay leaves, whole cloves, whole black & white pepper corns (optional)

1. thinly slice the red onions

2. whisk together vinegar, honey, salt & water

3. heat vinegar mixture over low heat & add onions and optional ingredients, as desired. cook until onions soften & become uniform in color (hot pink!)

4. serve onions over pulled pork in a warmed corn tortilla. garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro.

5. leftover onions will keep in the fridge for several weeks. 

In the spirit of the season, both dry rubs and pickled red onions could make for very special homemade gifts for any foodies in your gift exchange circles. Williams-Sonoma agrarian line sells any basics & accessories you may need to package homemade canned & bottled gifts.