Asian Night!!!

Asian Food! Morgan and I had some friends over awhile ago and we decided we wanted to make some yummy Asian food. There were a few recipes I had wanted to try and one that was so good I look for any chance to make it again! We ended up making steamed pork dumplings, stir-fried beef with ginger and celery (yum), and crunchy summer rolls, and it was all yummy. The steamed pork dumplings were something I ate a lot in Taiwan (or something very similar), I had wanted to try my hand at making them for a good, what, 4 years now since I've been home from Taiwan??? They turned out better than I'd even hoped for! The one thing I would alter is the filling, it was a little bland for my taste. I'd add more veggies, specifically chopped leeks, and some salt (or if you prefer more soy sauce - it is the Chinese salt after all) and white pepper probably.

That wasn't our prettiest spring roll, by the way... however the others weren't that much prettier either

I actually got these bamboo steamers for fairly cheap from an Asian food market. I just set it on top of that pot and it works perfectly.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

DOUGH

• 2-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup water

FILLING

• 7 oz round lean pork
• 1 1/2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• about 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup chopped napa cabbage, plus 2 whole leaves (these are to steam the dumplings on, so you'll actually need as many as it take to cover whatever surface you're steaming your dumplings on)
• 1/4 cup chopped green spring onion, including tender green tops
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

To prepare the dough, sift together 2 cups of the flour and the baking powder into a bowl. Make a well. Using a large spoon, mix quickly to form a workable dough. it should be soft enough to work easily, but not so sticky that it will adhere to the work surface. add additional flour if it is too moist until the correct texture is achieved. Turn it out onto a very lightly floured work surface and knead until firm and elastic, about 2 minutes. cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest while you make the filling.

To prepare the filling, in a food processor, process the pork to a smooth paste. Add the ginger, vegetable oil and soy sauce and mix well. Gradually add up to 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to form a soft, moist filling. Add the chopped cabbage, green onions, and sesame oil and pulse until evenly mixed, but not puréed.

Cut the dough into 1- inch pieces. On the floured board, lightly roll out each piece of dough into a round 3 1/2" in diameter and 1/16 of an inch thick, making it slightly thinner at the edges. When all of the rounds are rolled out, cover them with a clean, dry cloth to keep them from drying out. You should have about 20 rounds.

To form each dumpling, place a dough round in the palm of 1 hand and put a spoonful of the filling in the center of the dough round. Using 3 fingers of the other hand, gather the edge of the dough together in small pinch-pleats, bringing it together at the top so that it encloses the filling. Twist the dumpling into a point at the top. Gently tap the dumpling on the work surface so that it forms into a round shape.

Bring water to a boil in the base of a steamer. Meanwhile, line bamboo steamer baskets or metal steamer racks with the whole cabbage leaves and top with the dumplings, leaving some space between them. Set the baskets or racks in the steamer, cover tightly, reduce the heat so the water continues to simmer steadily, and steam until the dumplings are slightly puffy and feel soft-firm (you know, soft-firm) to the touch, 7-9, minutes.

Carefully remove the baskets or racks from the steamer. Serve the dumplings in the baskets, or transfer them from the metal racks to a plate. Serve at once with vinegar or soy sauce in small dishes alongside for dipping. (I use a mixture of mostly soy sauce, and oyster sauce, with only a slight amount of sesame seed oil - little goes a long way- and some ginger paste. This mixed up makes my favorite dipping sauce for almost anything Chinese you'd like to dip - including spring rolls.)

This next recipe, I love and have made many times. It requires some specific ingredients, like light soy sauce, white pepper, and rice wine, but I've found that not only have I used these for other things besides just this recipe, but even if I only used it for this recipe I'd still buy it and make this over and over. One other thing about this dish, it is even better the day after. In fact I kinda prefer it on day 2, the flavors set in so nicely, you won't be able to have just one bite. Also I put this on steamed white rice, they're a perfect pairing. Well everything Chinese pairs perfectly with rice... in fact the verb "to eat" (chi fan) literally translates to "eat rice" (fan = rice) because if you were eating in China, you're most likely eating rice.

Stir-Fried Beef with Ginger and Celery 

• 10 oz well-trimmed boneless beef steak such as rump or sirloin (pork is also really good) 
• 2 tsp light soy sauce (there actually is a light and a dark soy sauce)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp water

SAUCE

• 1/4 cup chicken or beef stock
• 2 tsp rice wine (Uwajimaya trip needed perhaps - trust me, this dish is worth it)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp superfine sugar (I use regular powdered sugar)

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 8 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
• 3 green onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• salt and ground white pepper to taste

Cut the beef across the grain into paper-thin slices, then cut each slice into pieces about 1 1/2" long. Place in a dish, add the soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda, and water, and mix well. Set aside marinate and tenderize for about 20 minutes.


To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl mix together, stirring slowly, the stock, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar.


In a wok over high heat, warm the oil until it shimmers and begins to smoke (but not until it catches fire, btw). Add the ginger, green onions, and celery and stir-fry until beginning to soften, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside.


With the wok still over high heat, add the beef and stir-fry, keeping the meat moving and turning in the wok constantly, until barely cooked, about 1 minute. Return the vegetable to the wok and stir-fry for about 20 seconds to mix well with the beef.


Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and stir until it is lightly thickened and glazes all the ingredients, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and white pepper.


Transfer to serving plate and serve at once.


This last recipe we made because we wanted to try a yummy, and not too complicated spring roll (the non-fried kind). The recipe is unique, if you don't like cilantro,  you won't like this because the main flavors are the cilantro and the mint. We actually chose to add shrimp and it made the roll, seriously. Rolling these, takes some patience if you've never done it before (perhaps even if you have).


Crunchy Summer Rolls

• 12 rice-paper roll wrappers
• 1 head lettuce, leaves separated and ribs removed
• 2-3 carrots, cut into julienne strips
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways and seeded, and cut into julienne strips
• 3 spring onions trimmed and cut into julienne strips
• 1 cup beansprouts
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp (about 2-3 per roll)
• dipping sauce (see my version of yummy dipping sauce after the steamed pork dumplings recipe - or use straight up soy sauce, if you'd like)

Pour some lukewarm water into a shallow dish. soak the rice papers, 2-3 at a time (we did only one, as they started sticking together), for about 5 minutes until they are pliable (ours were dissolved after almost 1 minute so I'd say just test the texture, when its no longer hard, or when it's "pliable", you're good!). Place the soaked papers on a clean dish towel and cover with a second dish towel to keep them moist (again, ours were so soft and sticky we just wrapped them after each wrapper was ready- soak, wrap, soak, wrap).



Work with one paper at a time. Place a lettuce leaf towards the edge nearest to you, leaving about 1" to fold over. Place a mixture of the vegetables on top, followed by some mint and cilantro leaves, and shrimp.

Fold the edge nearest you over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly to the edge on the far side. Place the filled roll on a plate and cover with plastic wrap, so it doesn't dry out. repeat with the remaining rice papers and vegetables. Serve with a  dipping sauce of your choice. If you are making these summer rolls ahead of time, keep them in the refrigerator, under a damp dish towel, so they remain moist.

The steamed pork dumplings and the stir-fried beef with ginger and celery recipes are from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook called "Savoring China" by  Jacki Passmore, and the spring roll recipe is from a cookbook called "500 Chinese Recipes" (and yes it is intense) contributing editor Jenni Fleetwood. Might I add I bought the Savoring China book on Amazon used for like $3!!! Not including shipping of course, but it was so worth it!!! The other cookbook I found at Ross, $7.99 :)