Spicy Tofu Wontons Food

SPICY TOFU WONTONS RECIPE

Steps:

• Notes: I used half a block of a 1 lb firm tofu. Make sure you dry out the tofu and drain on paper towels before crumbling up and using.
• In a bowl, crumble the tofu and mix with the cornstarch, green onions, and ginger. Taste and season with salt and white pepper. You want the mix to be slightly saltier than you think.
• Take a wonton wrapper and place 2 teaspoons of the tofu filling in the middle. Dip your finger into water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Bring one corner of the wrapper to the other corner to form a triangle. Fold in the other two corners, wet, and pinch to seal, trying to get any air bubbles out. Alternatively, just wet the edges of the wrapper and bring together and pinch into a small pouch. Keep the wrappers and finished wonton covered with saran wrap as you work, to keep them from drying out.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium high heat.
• While the water is coming to a boil, mix together the spicy chili oil ingredients.
• When the water is at a rapid boil, add in your wonton. Stir gently so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the wonton float.
• Drain well and toss in the spicy chili oil. Enjoy with extra cilantro, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds if desired.

SPINACH AND TOFU WONTONS IN BROTH

Steps:

• Steam the spinach above 1 inch boiling water until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water and squeeze dry, taking up the spinach by the handful. Chop fine and set aside.
• Blot the tofu on paper towels. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, sugar and salt to taste in a small bowl and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then stir in the sesame oil. Place on the stove near your wok or skillet. Place the garlic, ginger and scallions together in a container near your wok or skillet.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the grapeseed, canola or peanut oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the tofu and spread out in a single layer. Let it sear for 1 minute, then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to color. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and sesame seeds and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute, breaking up the tofu a little bit more with your spatula, then stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat.
• To fill the wontons, lay out about 6 wonton skins on your work surface and place a level teaspoon of the tofu/spinach mixture in the center of each one. Brush the perimeter of the wonton skin with a very small amount of beaten egg or with the cornstarch mixture. Fold the wonton in half if using round skins, or diagonally corner to corner if they are square, and pinch the edges together all the way around to seal. Now put a little dab of egg or cornstarch mixture on the two opposite corners of the triangle or the two ends of the half-circle, fold the package in and pinch the tips together. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Continue filling the wrappers until all of the spinach and tofu mixture is used up. If not cooking right away place the baking sheet in the freezer.
• Bring the stock to a simmer in a soup pot or a wide saucepan. Season to taste with salt or soy sauce. Add 6 to 8 wontons per serving and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, flipping them over once to ensure even cooking. Spoon wontons into soup bowls, ladle in broth and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

SPICY TOFU WONTONS

Steps:

• Drain the tofu.
• Blend the mushrooms, chestnuts, garlic, and tofu in a food processor until roughly blended, there should still be a few chunks.
• Place the blended ingredients in a bowl and add the soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, and mustard, and mix.
• Wet the corners of the wonton wrappers with a little bit of water as you need them.
• Spoon a little more than a teaspoon of tofu filling into the middle of the wrapper.
• Fold the corners of the wrappers and seal with a fork.
• Place them on a greased pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 375°F (You can also steam them, for a softer texture, or even deep fry them for a quick cook.).
• Enjoy them with sweet Thai chili sauce or with more Chinese mustard.

PEANUT CURRY TOFU IN SPICY WONTON CUPS

Steps:

• Begin by freezing the tofu: Place the tofu in a single layer on a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Freeze until firm (minimum 1 hour, preferably overnight).
• Thaw in the refrigerator until soft, 6-8 hours.
• Once thawed, squeeze and/or press the tofu to get rid of excess water.
• Crumble or grate into small pieces to achieve the texture of cooked ground meat.
• Prepare the wonton dough: In a large bowl, combine the salt and cayenne with the flour.
• In a small bowl, crack the egg, add 1/4 cup water and beat gently.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour, add the egg mixture and mix to combine.
• Add additional water as needed to make a pliable, but not sticky dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead the dough into a ball.
• Keep kneading until smooth (several minutes), then place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 20 minutes, but preferably for 1 hour.
• Prepare the curry base: In the bowl of a food processor, whiz 1/4 cup peanuts with curry powder and vegetable oil.
• Turn this mixture out into a large bowl and add the chutney, ricotta and lime juice.
• Stir to combine, then cover and set aside.
• Prepare the ground tofu for the curry: Season the tofu with a pinch of salt and pepper, then saute it in 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over high heat for about 5 minutes to cook and brown it lightly.
• Add the cooked tofu to the reserved curry base, stir well to combine and allow to cool.
• Roll out and cut the wonton wrappers: Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces, then cut the pieces in quarters.
• Place one of the quarters on a well-floured surface, and roll out with a rolling pin into a 13-by-13 inch square.
• Cut the dough into 4 by 4-inch squares, and save the scraps to roll out again at the end.
• As the wrappers are prepared, dust each one with flour or cornstarch, stack them and cover with a cloth.
• Repeat until the dough is used up and at least 24 wrappers are created.
• These can be prepped in advance, stacked as noted, wrapped in plastic film and either frozen or kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Shape and bake the wonton cups: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Take 12 wonton wrappers and stack them in 2 piles of 6 wrappers (reserve the remaining 12 wrappers for a 2nd batch or for another use).
• Using a sharp knife or a rolling cutter, cut the wrappers in quarters, to yield 48 2-by-2 inch squares.
• Spray a mini muffin pan (1 inch muffins) with nonstick cooking spray and mold one wonton square in each muffin cup.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes until the wontons are golden.
• Remove to a wire rack for cooling and continue making the wonton cups until the squares are used.
• Assemble: Appetizers can be assembled up to 1 hour before serving.
• Spoon a generous 1 tsp of the curried tofu into each wonton cup, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and green onions.
• Place wonton cups on a mirrored tray or flat platter and serve.