CRISPY UNFRIED DUMPLINGS, Vegan, low-fat, Skinnier, lower-carb version

Delicious filling which pleases carnivores; crisp non-greasy pastry without deep-frying...

Carnivore-lovers' Skinnier Vegan Dumplings & easy Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce. 

'Unbelievable; classical Asian umami taste in a diet version' 'Amazing with sweet chilli sauce' 'Crispy without being greasy' Tasters

These vegan dumplings -- unlike similar deep-fried items in Dim Sum restaurants  -- can be eaten any time without worrying about your health.  And they're very easy to make at home. 

The filling takes a bit of chopping but doubling the recipe will provide leftover filling perfect for lunchbox carb-free lettuce wraps.  It also brightens up steamed or stir-fried rice.  

Prepping the filling a day ahead makes life easier.  

There's no need to make your own pastry; dumpling wrappers are found in Chinatowns, Japanese stores and large supermarkets.   

No one will miss the meat in the filling; crumbled firm tofu is surprisingly like mince or replace with your favourite vegetarian mince.  Almost raw vegetables are added to the mix and the whole is bound together with Asian sauces, not egg. 

Because they're baked, not fried, the pastry doesn't brown in the usual way but it's beautifully crisp without shattering into a hundred shards that decorate your chest!  

In a restaurant they would be drizzled with a lurid sweet-and-sour sauce; here they're teamed with 67's fantastic Low-Sugar Almost-Instant Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce.  

Ingreds:

   225gm/8oz firm tofu or your favourite vegetarian mince
   couple of tablespoons peanut or other light veg oil

   1/2 cup fresh mushrooms in med dice
   1-2 dried Shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water 20 mins (opt)
   scant 1/4 cup baby corn, coarsely chopped (opt)

   1/3 cup coarsely grated carrot
   generous 1/3 cup finely shredded whites of Chinese leaves OR finely sliced peeled celery
   3-4 radishes, in matchsticks (opt)

   2 spring onions, cleaned & trimmed, finely sliced (3xgreen only for fodmap-phobics)
   2 tsp finely grated ginger
   
   1 1/2 tsp sherry, white wine or grape juice
   1 tsp toasted sesame oil
   1 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
   1 tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce
   
   1/4 tsp pepper plus salt as needed

   1 pkg round dumpling wrappers (gyoza for larger dumplings)

Method:

UNFRIED CRISPY CHINESE DUMPLINGS, VEGAN low-fat, no-carb option

Delicious carnivore-pleasing filling; crispy pastry without deep-frying 

'Unbelievable; classical Asian umami taste in a diet version' 'Amazing with sweet chilli sauce' 'Crispy without being greasy' Tasters

These vegan dumplings -- unlike similar deep-fried items in Dim Sum restaurants  -- can be eaten any time without worrying about your health.  And they're very easy to make at home. 

The filling takes a bit of chopping but doubling the recipe will provide leftover filling perfect for lunchbox carb-free lettuce wraps.  It also brightens up steamed or stir-fried rice.  

Prepping the filling a day ahead makes life easier.  

There's no need to make your own pastry; dumpling wrappers are found in Chinatowns, Japanese stores and large supermarkets.   

No one will miss the meat in the filling; crumbled firm tofu is surprisingly like mince.  Almost raw vegetables are added to the mix and bound together with Asian sauces, not egg. 

Because they're baked, not fried, the pastry doesn't brown in the usual way but is beautifully crisp without shattering into a hundred shards that decorate your chest!  

In a restaurant they would be drizzled with a lurid sweet-and-sour sauce; here they're teamed with 67's fantastic Low-Sugar Almost-Instant Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce.  

Ingreds:

   225gm/8oz firm tofu
   couple of tablespoons peanut or other light veg oil

   1/2 cup fresh mushrooms in med dice
   1-2 dried Shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water 20 mins (opt)
   scant 1/4 cup baby corn, coarsely chopped (opt)

   1/3 cup coarsely grated carrot
   generous 1/3 cup shredded Chinese leaves OR finely sliced celery
   3-4 radishes, in matchsticks (opt)

   2 spring onions, cleaned & trimmed, finely sliced
   2 tsp finely grated ginger
   
   1 1/2 tsp sherry, white wine or grape juice
   1 tsp toasted sesame oil
   1 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
   1 tbsp oyster sauce
   
   1/4 tsp pepper plus salt as needed

   1 pkg round dumpling wrappers (gyoza for larger dumplings)


Method:

1. If won ton wrappers have been frozen, defrost overnight in the bottom of the fridge
2. Wrap tofu in a paper towel; place a plate on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins of pulses to remove excess liquid; drain 
3. Set a large heavy-bottomed non-stick frying pan on med high
4. Crumble tofu into small pieces, as you would a packet of mince 
5. Pour a thin film of oil into the pan; add tofu; stir, pressing down on the protein to break up bigger pieces
6. When tofu is beginning to brown & crumbled (3-5 min), decant into a bowl, scraping at the bottom of the pan to remove cooked on tofu
7. Add a little more oil, then mushrooms, stirring until softened and most of the liquid has been released (2-3 mins)
8. Add shiitake and baby corn if using; stir another minute or so
9. Add carrots, Chinese leaves, spring onions, radishes; mix well 
10. Add tofu back into the pan with grated ginger and spring onions
11. Stir in sherry, reduced-salt soy sauce & oyster sauce.  Stir, scraping at bottom of pan to loosen any bits of the mix stuck to the bottom 
12. The mix should be moist but not wet; if it seems dry, add a tablespoon of shitake soaking water or stock or water
13. Stir in chives
14. Test seasoning; add pepper & salt, if recess 
15. Take off heat; stir in sesame oil
16. Cool; refrigerate overnight to allow flavours to blend

Making the dumplings:

This is meat filling; veggie filling 
will not look like this

1. Cover dumpling wrappers both above and below with a clean j-cloth that has been thoroughly wetted and wrung out until damp
2. Pre-heat oven to 200c/400f
3. Peel off one wrapper and lay in flat of left hand (note the oval shape of the wrappers,i.e. one side is longer than the other)
4. Add 1 generous teaspoon of filling (large wrappers will need more), flat on the bottom & building up
5. Dip your (clean!) finger in a bowl of water and run it round the edge of the wrapper
6. Bring up the long edges of the dough; pinch the middle but leave the ends open, forming a crescent; if stuffing looks too light, insert a bit more at the ends, using a small spoon or end of a chopstick to push it in
7. Seal the edges by pressing firmly together up to the edge of the filling; lightly pleating if so inclined 
8. Rest on a baking tray, covering with a damp j cloth while completing other dumplings
9. Spray both sides generously with peanut oil
10. Bake in the middle of the oven 20mins; half-way though move outer dumplings into the middle of the pan and vice-versa for even browning
11. Serve with Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

'Comments:
'Unbelievably crispy, like a deep fried version but for dieters without losing the classical Asian umami taste.' Wine Journalist
'Delicious!  Even more amazing with the sweet chilli sauce!' Husband of Wine Journalist
'I don't like deep fried foods but these dumplings are so crunchy without being greasy, I like them lot.' Mother of Wine Journalist
'They look like they could be used in many different ways, with pastry or without.'  Local Councillor

Tips:

• apart from the one or two exotic optional items, standard cupboard ingredients are used.  Replace or add to the carrot, Chinese leaves and baby corn with any other veg on hand -cutting down  on food waste and clearing out your fridge!  
• low carb version: heap fillings in baby Gem leaves, or wrap in lettuce; both are great packed separately in a lunchbox 
• the dumplings can also be steamed OR served with soup-y ramen noodles 
• the filling can be served over rice
• for a simpler vegan filling try Easier Jao-tze

Canapés/first courses on the NavBar: Recipes 

                      Please post a Comment in the box below

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

CRISPY UNFRIED 'CHICKEN' FINGERS, Vegan, low-salt, low preservatives for kids & the infirm + adult canapés

These tasty crispy low-fat morsels make a cheerful and healthy meal for kids' and the infirm or, with a little twist,  go double duty as sophisticated adult canapes

 'Chicken' Gougons with ketchup & mayo served in the style of 'Sam-Cam-lite' 
 Take that, Miriam C!  

For many people, tofu is still a world of mystery albeit a tasty one encountered in Chinese restaurants. Treated right, it is a great meat substitute -- low in fat and deliciously savoury, easily absorbing flavours.  At least one carnivore has been converted by a 67 recipe using this eco-friendly food (Chilli Broccoli and Tofu)!

Tofu is popular with vegans who use it in desserts, sauces and other exotic ways.  67 usually sticks  to tried and trusted recipes: marinaded in sherry, soy sauce, ginger and garlic then stir fried, or cubed in soups. 

But not this time.

Here's a Double Duty recipe for 'chicken' gougons that provides an appealling lunch for small fussy eaters AND turns into a sophisticated canape with a boozy peach dipping sauce.

If you're thinking about the gougons for sandwiches, you can make the gougons thinner.

Preparation starts the night before.

Cost: £3.50'ish (6/23)
Serves: 2-3 kids for lunch or a small platter of canapes

Ingred:
    280 gms firm organic tofu, in fingers (4 horizontal slices, each cut into 5-6 fingers; try not to make the fingers too fat - their 'chickenness' is easily lost)

    1/2 cup unstrained 0-fat yoghurt
    2 tbsp Dijon mustard
    1 med clove garlic grated
    2-3 tbsp finely minced onion
    1/2 tsp salt  
    1/4 tsp pepper
    1 tsp celery salt

Then: 
    1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    1/4 tsp thyme
    1/2 tsp oregano
    1/2 tsp cumin
    1/3 tsp dried coriander 

    OR 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

    2/3 mug of breadcrumbs (67 used home-made from light wholemeal spelt buns but Japanese panko crumbs are also good)  


Method:

1. Mix yoghurt and spices
2. Pour half into a glass tray
3. Carefully place fingers in the mix
4. Cover with the other half of the yoghurt mix
5. Cling film & refrigerate 4 hours or overnight
6. Preheat oven to 450F, 220fan, 250C
7. Prepare 2 trays - one for baking, one for breadcrumbs
8. Spread half the breadcrumbs in one tray and, using a fish slice/spatula, carefully remove fingers from yoghurt and place them on the crumbs; cover with the rest of the breadcrumbs, patting them on to the sides if necessary
9. Generously spray the baking tray with olive or veg oil; transfer breadcrumbed fingers to the baking tray 
10. Lightly spray top of fingers with oil
11. Bake 35 mins, turning the fingers once
12. Serve with ketchup (homemade if possible) and yoghurt-mayonnaise (the photo shows store-bought ketchup and mayo; the blog supports SamCam!)  

ADULT 'CHICKEN' CANAPES

1. Increase spices to: 

      1 tsp smoked paprika

      1/2 tsp cayenne

      1/2 tsp thyme

      1 tsp oregano
      1 tsp cumin
      1/2 tsp dried coriander OR

      2-3 tsp Cajun seasoning

2.  Boozy peach (or nectarine), chilli & mint dipping sauce
    
    1 large ripe peach/nectarine, stoned, coarsely chopped
    1/3 raw yellow pepper, slightly less in weight than the peach
    2-3 tablespoons red onion
    1 tsp fresh mint or 1/3 tsp dried
    zest and juice of half a lime 
    brandy to taste, at least 1/4 cup
    1/2 tsp maple syrup (opt)

1.  Blitz until smooth with stick or bowl blender
2.  Refrigerate a few hours, pref overnight for flavours to blend
3.  Taste; add pepper and a bit of salt

Tips:

• the peach dipping sauce goes well with anything spicy; for kids, leave out the booze, slightly reduce the bell pepper and red onion and increase maple syrup
• hard peaches can be sauteed lightly in a little butter 2-3 mins or beginning to soften
• in winter, tinned peaches in juice, not syrup, are fine

Please leave a Comment in the box below              

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

    
   

UNFRIED POTATO WEDGES

LOW-FAT POTATO WEDGES/SWEET POTATO FRIES

Everyone loves fries but worries about the fat in them.  Here is a great substitute - Unfried (Oven Crisped) Potato Wedges. Crusty and brown, they are low in fat but pack a flavour punch. 
Make them even healthier using sweet potatoes.

They can be made with any large potato but I have also made them sucessfully with halved new potatoes.  This recipe will not be hard on the budget.

Cost: £1
Serves: 2-4

Ingred:
2 large potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning


Method

1.  Preheat oven to Preheat oven to 400f/200c/180 fan/gas 6. (This is the same temperature used for Unfried Fish so they cook together.)
2.  Scrub but don't peel potatoes.  Cut each potato lengthwise in half then each half into three similar sized wedges.
3.  In a large bowl, sprinkle over olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands.  Spread out on a tray.
4.  Cook for 30-35 minutes, turning once.  
5.  Mix garlic and chives, if using.
6.  Tip cooked wedges into a bowl; add Cajun seasoning and toss to mix. 7.  Sprinkle over garlic mix if using.



Tip: Instead of Cajun seasoning try a mix of 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp finely chopped chives.  This combination was very popular in a upmarket hotel  frequented by foreign journalists.   

Copyright:This recipe and advice has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.