Spinach And Tofu Dumplings Food

VEGETARIAN STEAMED DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Cut the tofu in half horizontally and lay between layers of paper towels. Place on a plate, top with another plate, and place a weight on top (a 14-ounce can of vegetables works well). Let stand 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, cut the tofu into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the carrots, cabbage, red pepper, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.
• To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the tofu mixture in the center of the wrapper. Shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.
• Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/4 to 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Spray the steamer's surface lightly with the non-stick vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a heatproof platter and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

SPINACH DUMPLINGS WITH TOFU AND RICE NOODLES

Steps:

• Spinach dumpling skin dough:
• Wash the spinach well. Drain and pat dry. Add the spinach, salt, and 1 cup (240 ml) water to a blender or food processor and blend until it forms a smooth puree. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth, reserving the liquid in a measuring cup, which should yield at least 1½ cups (360 ml). Put aside the drained spinach for the filling.
• In a large bowl, add the flour and gradually stream in 1 cup (240 ml) of the reserved spinach liquid, using one hand to mix.
• Then gradually add the remaining spinach liquid a little at a time, using both hands to knead for about 5 minutes, until it all comes together and forms a smooth dough. You may not use all the liquid. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• After resting, remove the plastic wrap and knead the dough in the bowl a few more times. Cover again with plastic wrap and let rest for another 10 minutes. You may repeat this process one more time for a chewier dough, but the chewier the dough is, the stickier and trickier it will be to work with.
• Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap while you prep your fillings.
• Do Ahead: The dumpling skins are best used day of, but if you can't make the dumplings right away, it's best to store the dough in unrolled pieces, generously dusted on all sides with flour to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic or place in a covered container and store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Spinach dumpling filling:
• Prep a bowl of ice water. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium heat and add the carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes, then immediately remove the carrot to the bowl of ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. Meanwhile, marinate the green onion in the sesame oil for 5 minutes.
• Add the bok choy to the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute, then remove and add to the ice water. Once cooled, squeeze the bok choy between your hands or in a dishcloth to drain it of all water.
• Finely chop the carrot and bok choy, then add them to a bowl and combine with the reserved spinach.
• Add the vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, ginger, green onion in sesame oil, salt, and white pepper powder to the bowl of vegetables and mix to combine by stirring in one direction to promote better cohesion of the filling.
• Set a small pan over low heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and fry until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Carefully strain and discard the peppercorns and pour the infused oil into the bowl of dumpling filling. Stir to combine.
• Allow the filling to cool slightly, then crack in the egg and mix in one direction to combine.
• Do Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use, up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Roll out your dumpling skins:
• Using your hands, roll the dough into a long and even snake-like cylindrical shape until it is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
• On a large wooden board or a clean work counter, use a knife to cut even, 1-inch (2.5-cm) segments of the dough. (Note: You can also rip pieces off by hand, but it requires a certain experience, accuracy, and speed. Cutting with a knife is definitely easier.)
• Sprinkle a little flour on the board or work surface to prevent sticking (but don't go overboard). Place each segment on the board with the cut part facing up (like a little stubby piece of firewood), and use the heel of your palm to flatten it slightly on the board.
• Hold a small cylindrical roller with your dominant hand. With your other hand, hold the piece of dough by the edge. From the opposite edge, gently roll the piece of dough with your roller toward the center and then back, then turn the dough slightly and roll again toward the center and back. Repeat this several times until the dough becomes an almost-perfect circle, 2½ to 3 inches (6 to 7.5 cm) in diameter. The idea is to roll the dough out evenly from the sides so it is smooth and round, with the center slightly thicker than the edges (around 1⁄8 inch/3 mm thick overall).
• Repeat this process for all pieces of dough and use immediately in folding dumplings.
• Wrap the dumplings:
• Prep a tray or a plate by sprinkling flour on the bottom to prevent sticking.
• Put a dumpling skin on the palm of your hand.
• Use a spoon (or chopsticks) to scoop 1 to 2 tablespoons of your filling mixture into the middle of the skin. Fold the skin in half so the two sides meet and can be pressed into each other to bind. Squeeze the rest of the sides together as well. Make sure the sides are pressed fully into each other to avoid the dumplings breaking, and avoid any filling touching the edges, as the oil in the filling could prevent the sides from sticking properly. (Note: If you're using store-bought skins, wet the rim of the wrapper with a little bit of water to help the edges seal. The goal is to maximize the amount of filling in your dumpling, but not put so much that the dumpling breaks or cannot be pressed together.)
• Place the finished dumplings in your prepared tray or plate, being careful to space them apart so they don't stick.
• Do Ahead: These are best cooked and eaten fresh, but you can also place the entire tray of folded dumplings in the freezer, covered carefully with plastic wrap. Once the dumplings are frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Boil dumplings:
• Bring a large pot of water to a simmer, with the water on the verge of boiling. Right before the water boils, gently add the dumplings-this timing is crucial to prevent cracking. Keep the dumplings moving so they don't stick. When the water comes up to a boil again, add ½ cup (120 ml) cold water and stir. Repeat two more times. Once it comes up to a boil the fourth time, the dumplings should be floating and ready to eat, but if you're nervous, go ahead and cut one open to check. The entire process should take 10 minutes. Fish out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve with dumpling sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, and roasted sesame seeds.

SPINACH AND TOFU DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• MAKE THE DUMPLINGS:.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
• Add the spinach and cook for 20 seconds.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a colander.
• When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze it dry, then coarsely chop it. Keep the water hot.
• Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl and stir in the tofu, cornstarch, jalapeños, soy sauce and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Working with 4 wonton wrappers at a time, dampen the edges and mound 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper.
• Fold 1 corner of each up over the filling and seal to make triangles.
• Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• In a small serving bowl, stir the soy sauce with the vinegar and honey.
• Return the water to a boil.
• Add the dumplings and simmer over moderate heat, stirring gently, until the edges are al dente, about 3 minutes.
• Carefully drain in a colander and transfer to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce.

CHILE CRISP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Arrange the tofu slices in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel or between double layers of paper towels. Roll tightly in the towel as if rolling a sleeping bag, then squeeze it over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Let stand 10 minutes for the tofu to continue releasing liquid. If the towel gets soaked, transfer the tofu to another dry towel.
• Toss the spinach, chives and salt in a colander. Let stand for 10 minutes, then squeeze the greens in the colander over the sink to release as much liquid as possible. Transfer the greens mixture to a large bowl. Add the drained tofu, squeezing it to crumble into bits as you add it, then mix evenly with the greens. Add the celery, soy sauce and chile crisp, and stir until evenly mixed. Taste, and add more soy sauce and chile crisp, if you'd like. The filling on its own should be very flavorful because the wrappers are not seasoned at all.
• Set up a dumpling assembly line with the bowl of filling, wrappers and a small bowl of water. Using a dessert spoon or other small spoon, scoop a mound of filling, then press it against the side of the bowl into a tiny football. Set the filling in the center of one wrapper. Use your fingertip to dampen the edges with water. Bring together the sides over the filling to enclose in a half-moon. Pinch the center together, then press the edges together to seal, pleating decoratively if you'd like. Sit the dumpling upright on your work surface. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. Cook immediately or freeze in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until hard, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
• You can cook as many or as few dumplings at a time as you'd like. Choose your pan size accordingly: An 8-inch skillet will fit 8 to 10; a 10-inch will fit 14 to 16. When ready to cook, coat a well-seasoned cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet with a thin, even layer of oil. Arrange the dumplings in the pan, pleated side up, spacing 1/3 inch apart, and filling the pan. Add enough cold water to the pan to come 1/3 inch up the sides (about 1/4 cup for an 8-inch pan; 1/2 cup for a 10-inch).
• Cover the skillet and cook over medium until the rapid firecracker popping diminishes to a steady, low crackle, indicating that all the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Uncover and check to see if the bottoms are browned and the dough is slightly translucent all the way to the top. If so, remove from the heat. If not, cook uncovered 1 to 2 minutes longer. Let stand for a minute so the dumplings release from the skillet naturally. Transfer to a plate, browned side up. Make your own dipping sauce with any combination of soy sauce, chile crisp, vinegar and sesame oil, and enjoy with the hot dumplings.

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.