Archive | June, 2021

Mapo Tofu Inspired Dumplings

30 Jun

My kids and husband can all attest to my unending love of dumplings, gyoza, potstickers, ravioli, and any other foods that include a filling stuffed inside of carbohydrates. For Mother’s Days, I often request a bag of premade dumplings and feast on them all day and night.

But the premade version could never compare to these!

This recipe was a combination of leftovers that needed to be used up (dumpling wrappers and mapo tofu) but I loved them so much I started making them regularly. These mapo tofu inspired dumplings combine all the spicy, sweet, and umami flavors I love about mapo with the comfort of a bite sized wheat wrapper.

As usual, I’m using my favorite Mori-Nu Silken Tofu for this. I love having their tofu on hand for dishes like this because it stays fresh on the shelf and it has the perfect texture for slipping into some crispy and chewy dumplings. Unlike water packed tofu, Mori-Nu Silken Tofu doesn’t require a lot of pressing or draining to cook which makes it more accessible and quicker to prep!

There are many types of wonton or dumpling wrappers you could use for this, just be sure to check the ingredients for eggs! If you can find round wrappers, those will work as well, just do a traditional crimping fold to keep them shut.

For my mapo tofu I always use ground Szechuan pepper and a spicy broad bean paste. My brand of choice is Lee Kum Kee, but there are many different options you can use-just adjust the taste based on your spice tolerance!

For folding these, it’s quite simple, just wet the edges of each wrapper, fold corner to corner, and then gently pinch the outside tips together (see above.) You can also look up videos on YouTube for different folding methods if you’d like another shape of dumpling.

Make sure to use a fully hot skillet and a neutral oil for cooking these. The splash of water in the pan helps steam the wrappers and gives them a soft texture, but will splatter everywhere if not covered. I love my cast iron skillet for cooking these because it holds so much heat and the bottoms crisp up perfectly.

Click on read more below to get the recipe!

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Vegan Carbonara with Smoky Chickpeas

28 Jun

I spent last month reading a book called ‘Consider the Fork” that talked about the history of cooking and how we eat. It really inspired me to consider what sort of tools and ingredients I use in my kitchen and how to adapt to more authentic and rustic ways of cooking.

One of the things I found most fascinating was how long humans went without using forks in their tableware. In fact, for most of the modern era, most people only used personal knives for much of their food consumption.

Of course, this wouldn’t work for pasta. According to Bee Wilson in Consider the Fork, “the only European exception were the Italians, who realized by the Middle Ages that neither spoon nor knife was a suitable tool for eating spaghetti. They added a second, then a third prong to the traditional wooden pasta spike called a punteruolo.”

Now, previously I haven’t been picky about my pastas, but this book had me thinking about well crafted pasta and what that would look like, when I discovered DaVinci. I’ve tried their wagon wheels, fettuccine, and spaghetti and the texture and bite to their pasta is so much better than most brands. Plus, I love their message!

“Today, modern culture re-emphasizes the elements from this time, which permeates into our everyday
experiences. The simple yet layered touches inspire the products we produce and the dishes you create.
DaVinci symbolizes this golden age of creativity, passion, and creation. A delectable home-cooked meal has the power to truly bring people together. We aim to enrich the lives of the special people around us, through our products, because with a great meal comes even greater memories. DaVinci Pasta is a culinary canvas that creates spontaneous moments that infuse heart, creativity and love into your everyday actions. Made in Italy, our pasta is the perfect base bringing authentic Italian touches to every one of your kitchen creations.”

Now, traditional Carbonara would be made with eggs, bacon, and parmesan, but there’s no reason I couldn’t make a vegan version using some salty and smokey chickpeas and the fantastic Just Egg. Plus, the DaVinci pasta is the perfect vessel for this slurpable dish. If you don’t have access to Just Egg, simply omit, or add a bit of chickpea flour to the mix for that eggy texture that clings to each bite. Click below to see the recipe!

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