Recipes: Chinese dumplings and more

tradItional chinese dumplings

Makes 40 dumplings.

These dumplings, called jiaozi, are a favorite in northern China, where the entire family is involved in the preparation. They are served on New Year's Eve. From "Chinese Feasts & Festivals," by S.C. Moey. Note: Wonton wrappers can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets.

Marinade:

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

• 1 tsp. rice wine or dry sherry

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

•¹/₂tsp. ground white pepper

Filling:

• 10 oz. ground pork

• 7 oz. Chinese Napa cabbage, minced and squeezed dry

• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger root

• 3 green onions, minced

• 40 wonton or dumpling wrappers, see Note

• Soy sauce or oyster sauce

Directions

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, rice wine or sherry, black pepper and white pepper; mix well. Pour the marinade over the ground pork and mix until well combined. Cover with a cloth and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes in refrigerator, then add the cabbage, ginger root and green onions; mix well.

To make the dumplings: Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of a wrapper and dab the edges with a little water. Fold the wrapper in half to form a semicircle, enclosing the filling, and press the edges together to stick. If using a square wrapper, fold in half diagonally to form a triangle. Repeat until all the filling is used up.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Carefully drop 10 to 15 dumplings into the boiling water and gently stir so that they do not stick together, then cover and return to a boil. Add 1 cup of cold water to the pot, cover and bring the dumplings to a boil again.

Repeat to bring the dumplings to a boil for the third time, then when all the dumplings float to the surface, remove them from the pot.

Transfer the dumplings to a serving platter greased with a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together. Continue to cook the remaining dumplings in the same manner.

Serve immediately with dippling bowls of soy sauce or oyster sauce on the side.

Variation: To make pot stickers: This is same recipe except that pot stickers are pan-fried in a skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes until browned on bottom and cooked throughout. To ensure that they are well cooked, cover the skillet for part of the time while frying them.

Nutrition information per serving of 5 (without dipping sauce):

Calories203Fat6 gSodium450 mg

Carbohydrates25 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium40 mg

Protein11 gCholesterol 43 mgDietary fiber2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1½ bread/starch, 1 medium-fat meat.

GRILLED SPICY SWEET SOY SAUCE MARINATED CHICKEN

Serves 6 to 8.

From "The Asian Grill," by Corinne Trang.

•¹/₂c. thin soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. thick soy sauce

•¹/₄c. Shaoxing rice wine or sake

•¹/₃c. sugar

• 1 tbsp. dark sesame oil

• 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1 green onion, trimmed and minced (white and green parts)

• 1 to 1¹/₂tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger root

• 1 red Thai chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

• 8 whole chicken legs or whole breasts

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the thin and thick soy sauces, rice wine and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the sesame oil, garlic, green onion, ginger and chile. Stir well.

Using a skewer, poke holes in the chicken legs or breasts. Place the chicken and marinade in a resealable gallon plastic bag. Squeezing out the air, seal the bag. Holding on to the ends, shake the bag to coat the pieces evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, turning the bag over every 30 minutes or so to redistribute the marinade.

Prepare an indirect fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Grill the chicken breasts or legs until crisp and cooked through, turning the meat frequently to prevent burning, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a serving dish.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories244Fat16 gSodium1,430 mg

Carbohydrates17 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium127 mg

Protein13 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/starch, 1½ lean meat, 2 fat.

yo-pao shrimp

Serves 4.

From "The Shun Lee Cookbook," by Michael Tong.

• 12 jumbo shrimp in their shells

• Vegetable oil

•¹/₃c. ketchup

• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. rice wine or dry sherry

• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar

•¹/₄tsp. salt

• 4 green onions, white part only, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces

• 8 (¹/₈-in.) thick slices peeled fresh ginger root, cut into thin 1¹/₂-inch-long strips

Directions

Using kitchen scissors, snip along the back of each shrimp shell. Devein the shrimp and remove any feelers, keeping the shell attached. Using a paring knife, cut deeper into the deveining incision, slicing almost, but not completely through the shrimp. This is called butterflying the shrimp.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 2 inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 375 degrees. Add the shrimp and fry until they open up and turn white, about 30 to 40 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the shrimp to a colander to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.

In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, rice wine, sugar and salt. Return the wok with the oil to high heat. Add the green onions and ginger and stir-fry until the green onions are wilted, about 20 seconds. Stir in the ketchup mixture. Add the shrimp, and stir-fry to coat them with the sauce. Transfer to a serving plate and cool to room temperature.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories167Fat11 gSodium440 mg

Carbohydrates12 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium27 mg

Protein7 gTrans fat58 gDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb, 1 lean meat, 1½ fat.

braised mushrooms and pepper strips with tofu

Serves 6.

From "Modern Asian Flavors/ A Taste of Shanghai," by Richard Wong.

• 2 oz. dried Chinese black mushrooms

•¹/₂c. vegetable oil, divided

• 10 baby carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces

• 3 bell peppers (green, yellow and red), thinly julienned

• 2 tsp. salt, divided

•¹/₂tsp. sugar

• 9 oz. baked, seasoned (soy or five-spice flavor) or plain, firm tofu, cut into matchstick-size pieces

Directions

Soak the mushrooms in 3 cups water in a medium bowl for at least 1 hour. Strain, reserving the mushroom-soaking liquid. Remove the stems and cut the mushrooms into ¹/₄-inch thick slices.

Heat ¹/₄ cup of the oil in a large flat-bottomed wok or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the mushroom-soaking liquid, then stir in the carrots and bring to a simmer.

Add the peppers and another ¹/₂ cup mushroom-soaking liquid, and return the mixture to a lively simmer. Cook until the peppers begin to wilt. Stir in 1¹/₂tsp. salt.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally , for about another 4 minutes. Stir in the sugar, then fold in the tofu. Add the remaining ¹/₄ cup oil, if desired. Cook and stir to allow the flavors to melt and the vegtetables to cook through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the remaining ¹/₂ tsp. salt, if needed.

Pour the mixture into a deep serving bowl or platter, wrap it with plastic wrap to capture the steam and further enhance the flavors, and let the mixture cool. Serve at room temperature.