Try This Recipe: Pork-Leek Dumpling Soup

This past week, Working Class Foodies aired an episode about the quest for authentic Chinese-style dumplings, and just watching made my mouth water. I have had a lifelong love affair with Chinese and Chinese-American food. I had to try this recipe. I made it last night, and it was delicious, authentic, fun - everything I could have hoped for.

But day-old dumplings can be a bit of a drag. Much like French fries, once they get cold, they're not as good and it's hard to revive them. My solution: soup. I had about a cup of leftover pork-leek mixture, and I chopped and froze two leeks while making the dumplings yesterday. I recently read an article from America's Test Kitchen about making a flavorful broth in half the time using ground meat instead of scraps. It all came out of the freezer and became a delicious soup for lunch.

Dumpling Filling:

1 lb. ground pork

1 leek, washed and finely chopped

Scallions, chopped, to taste

2 T minced ginger

2 cloves minced garlic

2 T soy sauce

Combine all ingredients until uniform; cover and store until you're ready to assemble your dumplings.

Dumpling Wrappers:

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 c water

Mix water and flour until a tight dough forms. Knead with well-floured hands until elastic and springy. Wrap tightly and let rest for 10 minutes, or until ready to assemble dumplings. Make as little or as many dumplings as you like, just remember the 7:2 flour-water ratio.

When ready to assemble dumplings, you're going to want some help. This works best if one person is rolling out the wrappers and another is filling the dumplings. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, on a floured surface divide the dough. This recipe easly makes 32 wrappers. Remember to keep the dough you're not working covered tightly, because dry dough is too tight to roll out.

Take one small chunk of dough and roll it out very, very thin. Put a lump of pork-leek filling in the center of the dough; dip the tips of your finger in water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the edges so they meet at the top, forming a package around the filling. If you want to make the soup, reserve at least a half-cup of the filling.

Once your dumplings are assembled, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook in small batches for about 6 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool, then to a serving dish. They are ready to enjoy with the sauce of your choice! (WCFoodies recommends a sauce with chopped scallions, ginger matchsticks, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar.) And the next day....

For the broth:

1/2 cup or more reserved pork-leek mixture

1 leek, washed and finely chopped

In a large pot over medium heat, lightly brown your pork mixture. Once the mixture is browned, add 3-4 cups of water and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until broth is lightly colored and flavored. (At this point, the Test Kitchen recommends straining the meat from the broth. I left it in. Your choice.) Add chopped leeks, simmer 5-10 minutes until leeks are soft. Season to taste with rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Add leftover dumplings; simmer until dumplings are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Try This Challenge: Frige Frenzy

We're wrapping up the semester here at Hofstra - classes ended Wednesday, and exams start Monday, or have already started, for those with proactive professors. My roommates and I are preparing to go our separate ways until late January, and that means... someone has to clean out the refrigerator. Jane tackled the yucky part over the weekend, tossing everythign rancid, moldy, and stinky. (I find we have a tendency to find cheese and forget about it. I almost cried when I tossed that delicious French feta from Highland Farms.)

Tonight, we moved on to the stuff that was still good. Last night at dinner we picked up some fixings from the salad bar - spinach, artichoke heart, red peppers, onions - and Jane turned them into amazing omlettes with the eggs and grated asiago we had waiting in the fridge. Every bite was unique, but amazing, and I'm thinking about all the wonderful things that mix of flavors could be, like bite-sized frittata appetizers if made in mini-muffin tins.

One of the things lurking in the bottom of our frige, which doesn't have a freezer but sometimes freezes things anyway, were the Eternal Plums. I bought plums many, many weeks ago - I think right before Halloween - that never got eaten, but never went bad. They weren't frozen, but I think the cold at the bottom of the frige put them in a kind of fruit stasis. We also still have an open box of pancake mix we took home after Iron Chef, so naturally... we made crepes. I'll be honest, I'm trying to lose some weight right now but I feel like this dessert, which isn't bad in moderation, is worth every calorie. Speaking of calories, new feature! Every recipe will now include nutritional information at the end. (Let me know if you like this, or if you don't want to know.)

Crepes with Plum Compote and Nutella

2 c. water

2 c. sugar in the raw

3 plums, pitted and diced (roughly 2 cups)

1 c. pancake mix

1 c. milk

1 large egg

Butter or cooking spray

In a large pot, dissolve as much sugar as possible into water. Heat over low, stirring frequently, until remaining sugar dissolves. Add plums, and barely simmer, stirring frequently, until fruit is cooked and syrup is dark and thick. For us, this took about 40 minutes. The test is that if you put a bit of syrup on a plate, let it cool slightly, and tip the plate sideways, the syrup should drip very slowly. This was so simple, but delicious, and we saved some for breakfast tomorrow. If I were to make it again, I would add cinnamon. Cinnamon enhances sweetness but does basically nothing to the nutritional content of food.

For the crepes, beat the pancake mix, milk, and egg util uniform. The batter should be slightly thinner than regular pancake batter. Put a pan over medium heat and, once warmed, lightly coat with butter or cooking spray. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of batter into the center of a pan, and use a spatula to gently spread the uncooked batter off the edges, making the crepe thin and wide. Flip, cook on the other side, and remove to a plate. Like pancakes, a crepe will "release" when the down side is done cooking, but too much prodding will make the more delicate crepe fall apart. The edges and top of the crepe should "dry" slightly, and no longer have the same shine that uncooked batter does. If you can easily get your spatula under the crepe, it's ready to flip. If you have to do too much wiggling, give it a few more seconds.

Once you have your finished compote and your empty crepes, spoon 2 tablespoons of plum compote and a half tablespoon of nutella (if you so choose) into your crepe. Roll it up and enjoy, because these puppies are delicious.

One plum and nutella crepe, as described above is 140 calories: 26 g. carbs, 4 g. fat, 2 g. protein.

Try This Challenge: Iron Dorm Chef

Sometimes, I really love college. Tonight was one of those times. Almost every Tuesday the RAs have some kind of program and I couldn't resist tonight's program - Iron Chef. There was a table covered in possible ingredients, including things like pre-cooked pasta and chicken to help everyone meet the 35-minute time limit. The secret ingredient: corn.

I have never had so much fun improvising before. My roommates were in a separate group, and I was paired with three strangers. (They were good sous chefs, though, just in case anyone who knows them is reading this.) When the secret ingredient was announced there was a mad dash for the ingredients table and I grabbed an apple and a can of whole kernel corn, thinking, "I can make something with this, right?"

One of my teammates started dicing the apple, another opened and drained the corn, and I started beating an egg. I added a splash of milk, a tiny bit of vanilla extract, and asked my third teammate to grab the box of cake mix. Extra points for anyone who has already guessed what I was making, just from this partial list of ingredients: Apple-corn fritters. After a few false starts I got them to fry up beautifully, these little buttery, battery mini-pancakes studded with sweet bits of apple and corn. For added sweetness I also included a sprinkling of demeraro sugar, and some whole wheat flour to thicken the batter further when the first fritters fell apart. And remember, kids - when frying, use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut. This is the one place where olive oil and butter are not your friends.

It was an exercise in applied theory, because I had never actually made a fritter before, but I plated the nicest three and my teammates worked on presentation while I figured "Why the heck not?" and fried up the rest of the batter.

My roommates put together an impressive feast: caramelized onions and red pepper with cumin in improvised tortilla-crepes, fajita style. (The wrappings were made with a combination of pancake batter and creamed corn.) For desert they had chocolate popcorn balls - yum. Smart girls that they are they snagged the leftover choco-popcorn and it is tempting me from next to the fridge. Somehow, though, my modest apple-corn fritters won the day and I have no leftovers to nibble. I do, instead, have my share of the grand prize: a purple inflatable ball shaped like a hippopotamus.

Dinner Tonight: Morrocan/Middle Eastern-Inspired Meal

This past weekend, I went home for a few days, and probably the best part of being home for the weekend (aside from showering in a private bathroom without flip flops) was going to the Grower's Market on Saturday. I picked up some sharp cheddar cheese and fresh apple cider for my dad, and shopped around for me: Some of Highland Farms' excellent French feta sheep cheese; North Star Orchards' sweet, crunchy Empire apples; and a honkin' big head of cauliflower. I admit, I was also tempted by exotic, three-foot stalks covered in brussels sprouts. Because they are a special horror to my mother, I have made it to 21 years old without ever having been confronted with a brussels sprout, and thanks to a recent post on Simply Recipes I am eager to try them.

Sunday I drove back to school (and learned on the way that in New York there is a maximum IQ for drivers licenses) with the cheese, the last apple, and half the head of cauliflower in tow. The money on my meal plan has been dwindling, along with my patience for the terrible food at school. So, what do you do when confronted with half a head of cauliflower and an eggplant brought by a visiting friend that's moving to punkyville? You make dinner, of course.

My starting point was the cauliflower. My favorite way to eat cauliflower is roasted; toss it in olive oil, season however you want, and roast in the oven around 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tender and delicious. Cauliflower and eggplant together remind me of Morrocan cuisine (a strange association since I've never actually had Morrocan cuisine, just read about it) so I lightly seasoned the cauliflower with cumin, chili powder, and a tiny touch of garlic.

I admit my continued cluelessness about Morrocan food, but that doesn't mean I'm not enthusiastic. The eggplant dish, which I jumped into with both feet, came out serentipitously well. If you know what Morrocan food is like, tell me if this bears any resemblance at all to it, please:

Roasted Eggplant Somethingy

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1-2 T olive oil

Cumin, chili powder, garlic or other seasonings to taste

1 c large bread crumbs. (We had some stale ciabbata bread that was absolutely perfect.)

1 small can tomato paste

1 large can diced tomatoes (or 2-3 medium tomatoes, diced)

Toss the eggplant in olive oil; add spices. Add bread crumbs, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and toss until uniform. Since I cook college style, I laid out a large sheet of tin foil, laid the eggplant mixture on it, and wrapped it up. (Not because I'm lazy but because I only have one pan.) You can put yours in a casserole and cover it. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.

I also served this with roasted red peppers, hummus from the dining hall salad bar, and rice. (Couscous or pita bread might have been more appropriate, but I had rice, and it's not like they sell couscous or pita bread on campus.) I got to share this with my roommates and a friend who is starting to starve because of the absurdly high prices of food on campus. There were almost no leftovers, just a little bit of eggplant left in the foil because we all filled up on cauliflower, rice, and red peppers with hummus. Yum. ^_^

Try This Recipe: One-Pot Lentil Stew & Recipe Exchange

My mother is a very sensible woman and does not usually pass on or even read chain emails, but she actually sent me one recently. It's a virtual recipe exchange; send your favorite go-to easy recipe to the person who sent the email to her, and then pass the recipe exchange invitation along to your contacts, asking them to send her a recipe and do the same, so that you recieve recipes from their contacts. It's kind of interesting because you wind up with recipes that you might not have gotten otherwise.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I actually participated, in part because I am sick as a dog and have been nursing a pot of lentil stew. It's excellent, as dorm fare goes, and pretty darn good as a sick-day cookup, too. This is the recipe I sent out (to my Aunt Patti, actually.)

One-Pot Lentil Stew

1 c. chopped ham, bacon, or canadian bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celerey, chopped

2-3 cups of any other veggies you feel like adding, chopped. Tried and true: cabbage, potato, spinach, turnip, and parsnip - not necessarily in the pot together, but they each work well in this stew.

1 can of diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can of V8

Water (fill the empty tomato can and pour it in)

Salt, pepper and rosemary (optional) to taste

1 c. lentils (or other dried bean)

In a large pot over mediumt to high heat, cook the ham and onion together until they begin to caramelize, stirring frequently. Add the carrots, celerey, and other veggies, stirring until they begin to wilt. Add diced tomatoes, V8, and water. Simmer 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. If you want, add a whole sprig of rosemary. (Rosemary tastes great in this, and by adding a whole sprig you can cook in the flavor but pull out the needles, so it doesn't ruin the texture.) Add lentils and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Serves 8.

If the recipe exchange sounds interesting to you, let me know by emailing me at uronlysunshine@gmail.com. I'll add you to the email before I send it out - I'm curious to see what I'll get back. Enjoy!

Try This Recipe: Mom's Dark Chocolate & Orange Cake

My mother loves to bake, even more than I do. As I've mentioned before, she is a chemist, and baking is chemistry with really tasty results. She also decorates cakes for friends and family. When my oldest cousin got married, Mom made her wedding cake, covered in fondant and Cornelini lace. Learning from her has been one of the best things in my culinary education. If you have a little extra orange buttercream icing, try your hand at making buttercream roses.

This is the cake she made for my 21st birthday. She created this recipe for the Hershey's Cocoa Classic, and got all the way to the Pennsylvania State Fair with it last year, before being railroaded by an anti-citrus judge. Be aware, this cake is very strong in flavor, and quite rich. You could easily get 16 slices from this, and even more if you've got a sharp knife.

For the cake:

6 T butter

6 T margarine

1 3/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 c flour

3/4 c Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

1 1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 1/3 c water

Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans, line bottoms with wax paper, grease paper. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, margarine and sugar in large mixer bowl. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 1 minute at medium speed. Combine dry ingredients; add alternately with water to creamed mixture. Pour batter into greased pans. Bake for 45 minutes at 350, or until layers test done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack, removing wax paper immediately, and allow cakes to cool completely.

Orange buttercream icing:

3/4 c butter

1 t orange extract

Zest of 2 medium oranges

3 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 T heavy cream

(optional) food coloring - 2 drops red, 4 yellow

Cream butter, add extract and zest. Gradually add cream and sugar. Add food coloring if desired. Beat on high until smooth and light.

Chocolate fudge frosting:

6 T melted butter

1/2 c Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

2 c powdered sugar

1/4 c heavy cream

1 t vanilla extract

Pour melted butter into mixing bowl; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

To assemble the cake, level your halves, and torte the layers - cut them in half horizontally, so that now you have four thin layers of cake. Fill between the layers with the orange icing, and use it to make a thin crumb coat on the sides of the cake. This does a couple of things: torting the cake distributes rich orange flavor, and the crumb coat keeps the cut edges of the cake from gunking up the outer layer of your icing with - you guessed it - crumbs. Ice the sides and top of the cake with chocolate icing, and decorate with the remaining orange buttercream. No matter how it looks, this is a showstopper once the first person takes a bite.

Try This Vlog: Working Class Foodies

If you've read more than two or three posts by now you know that I am a huge fan of Simply Recipes and 101 Cookbooks. Now, I am also a fan of Working Class Foodies. The premise of this sort-of vlog is that siblings in New York are looking to prepare healthy food from sustainable sources on a tight budget. Sounds pretty familiar, huh? I'd get my brother in on this, but he has a thing for Cheetohs and Top Ramen. WCF is just fun, light, informative, and it makes my mouth water every time I watch it.

In other news, we finally have a fridge! My roommates and I are all looking forward to being to store the food we've prepared, and I am looking forward to... boxed lunches. Yessiree, you heard me right, I am looking forward to boxed lunches. My schedule this semester runs me hard from 9 to 5, and there simply are no Hofstra meals that are fast, cheap, and appetizing. Solution? Bento! I might not spend the time and effort Anna the Red does but that doesn't mean I can't learn a little something from the Japanese art of the boxed lunch. This weekend will include a grocery store run for an appropriate box, rice, and some nice fresh veggies.