Last week we welcomed our newest addition, Chase Evan Fluhr to the All-American Chinese family! Life has been busy but Grandma Lucy has been here helping with the kids and cooking! She prepared one of our all time favorite dim sum dishes, steamed open faced dumplings otherwise known as Shao Mai. Shao Mai are typically served in Cantonese style Chinese restaurants, but are also easy enough to prepare at home and wow a crowd.

½ package wonton wrappers (Found in the produce section of most supermarkets)
4 to 6 cups water (Depending on the size of the steamer pot)
Cabbage or lettuce leaves for steaming

Preparation for the Filling:
½ pound lean ground pork
½ pound medium size raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
4 medium size shiitake dried black mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes or longer until soft
½ can sliced water chestnuts (2.5 oz. drained)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

Chop the shrimp into very small pieces with a heavy knife. Drain the mushroom water, remove the stems if any and finely chop. Finely chop the water chestnuts. In a bowl, combine the ground pork with chopped shrimp, mushrooms, water chestnuts, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Mix together thoroughly.

To Assemble:
Using kitchen shears, trim the four corners of a few wrappers at a time into 3 ¼ inch rounds. Place a round wonton wrapper onto the palm of your hand. Place 1 full tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper. With your other hand, gather the sides of the dough around the filling, letting the dough pleat naturally. Squeeze the middle gently to make sure the dough fits firmly against the filling and tap the dumpling’s bottom to flatten so it can stand upright.

To Cook:
When all the Shao Mai are made, place them on the rack in the steamer (for the best results, place green lettuce leaves or cabbage leaves on the rack as a bed for the Shao Mai. It makes for easy removal of the Shao Mai from the rack when done). Be sure to leave ½ to 1 inch spaces in between each Shao Mai. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover the steamer and steam the Shao Mai for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.

If the pot is not big enough to steam all at once, you can steam half of the Shao Mai at a time.

Sauce for Dipping:
In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 teaspoon red hot chili oil together for dipping the Shao Mai.

Makes 26 Shao Mai
Preparation time: 30 to 40 minutes (depends how fast you can assembling the Shao Mai)
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Tip: You can make the Shao Mai ahead of time and freeze. Steam for an extra 2 to 3 minutes more when steaming the frozen Shao Mai.

The all-American favorite Chinese soup!

Half package wonton wrappers, ½ pound /about 24 wrappers (You will find the wonton wrappers in the produce section of most supermarkets)
4 cups chicken stock or 2 cans (14 oz. or 15 oz. each) chicken broth
½ cup water for sealing the wontons
1 scallion, including the green top, wash and finely chopped for garnish

Filling & Preparation:
4 oz. fresh ground lean pork
1 oz. sliced canned water chestnuts, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 scallion, including the green top, wash and finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

To Assemble:
In a small bowl, fill ½ cup water for assembling the wontons. Place a wonton wrapper on the palm of your hand. Place 1 full teaspoon of the filling in center of the wrapper and moisten all sides of the wrapper around the filling with water. Lift the lower right corner and flip it over to the middle of the left side. Seal it. Turn the wonton over and use both hands to overlap the two end corners together. Moisten a corner and pinch the ends firmly together. The result: The wonton filling is in the center with four corners of the wrapper pointing outward. As each wonton is complete, place them on a plate, cover with a dry towel and set aside. For more assembly details, view our recipe for Fried Wontons.

To Cook:
Fill a medium size pot with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Drop the wontons into the boiling water, a few at a time. Use a long handled spoon to stir gently for a few seconds. Reduce the heat to moderate. Boil the wontons uncovered for 4  minutes (careful not over cook them). Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in a small pot so it is ready to use.

To Serve:
Drain the cooked wontons through a colander. Place 6 wontons in each soup bowl, then pour 1 cup of the hot chicken broth over each of bowl. Sprinkle some finely chopped green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes

Cooking with garlic is always very popular in chinese cooking. This particular garlic sauce can also be prepared with chicken.

1 pound boneless lean pork (prefer pork loin)
2 large size fresh celery stalks (about 6 oz.)
1 can sliced water chestnuts (5 oz.) drained
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar

Sauce:
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil
½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice pork against the grain into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into 1-½ inch long strips. In a bowl, combine the pork strips with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

Wash and trim the celery stalks. Cut the celery stalks crosswise into 2 inch long chunks and then lengthwise cut into thin strips.
Cut the sliced water chestnuts into thin strips. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add marinated pork strips. Stir-fry until the pork strips are almost cooked through for approximately 3 minutes. Add celery and water chestnuts strips. Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add the sauce mixture. Stir-fry for another minute until the celery is tender yet still crunchy. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Cantonese style roasted pork can only be found in Chinatown. By cooking this easy recipe at home, the outcome is similar in flavor and produces very tender pork with minimal fat.

1 package fresh pork tenderloin, 2 whole pieces (about 2-1/4 pounds)
Canola oil or Pam cooking spray

Marinade:
¼ cup hoisin sauce*
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons red hot chili oil

Preparation:
Rinse the fresh pork tenderloins with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl or zip lock bag, mix the marinade ingredients together. Add the pork into the marinade and coat well. Cover (or zip) and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.

To Cook:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For easy clean up, spray cooking spray onto a 9×12 roasting pan. Place the marinated pork tenderloins into the pan. Save the remaining marinade for use later. Roast the pork uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn the tenderloins over and pour the remaining sauce on top. Continue to roast the pork for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let the tenderloins cool for approximately 10 minutes before slicing. Pour any remaining juice over the sliced pork to serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours or longer
Cooking time: 1 hour

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans. Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets. After opening, it can be stored for several months in the refrigerator.

Another healthy and easy dish to prepare! Ideal for a weekend brunch.

1 package egg beaters (12 oz. and equivalent to 6 eggs)
½ pound lean ground pork (8 oz.)
½ small yellow onion
½ small red bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
Black pepper to taste

Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Preparation:
In a small bowl, mix the ground pork with the marinade ingredients together and set aside. Chop the onion and bell pepper into small ¼ inch squares.

To Cook:
Heat olive oil in a 10 inch non-stick frying pan or wok over medium-heat. When the oil is hot, brown the onions for a few seconds. Add the marinated ground pork, cook and stir until the pork mixture is almost cooked through for approximately 2 minutes. Add chopped bell pepper and then pour the egg beaters over the pork mixture. Stir-fry ingredients and sprinkle with black pepper if desired. Lower the heat to low. Cover and cook until the egg and pork mixture becomes firm for approximately 8 to10 minutes. Remove from heat and cut into 4 pie slices. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 13 minutes

My mother makes hands down the best Chinese Potstickers. Here’s a convenient take on her traditional recipe which requires no dough making! The Gyzoa is a like small sized Potsticker with thinner dough. It’s traditionally a Chinese hors d’oeuvre made popular by the Japanese and a hit with just about everyone I know!

1 package fresh gyoza skin wrappers (12 oz. or 14 oz.)*
1/2 cup water for sealing  the gyoza
Canola oil or Pam cooking spray
1 cup water (divide 4 times for cooking each batch of gyoza)

Filling:
½ pound head cabbage (8 oz.)
1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup water to marinade the cabbage
1 pound lean ground pork
2 scallions, including the green top
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root
1 egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Sauce for Dipping:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil (optional)

Preparation:
Shred cabbage and finely chop. In a bowl, mix the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup water. Use one hand to mix the cabbage with the salt water for 1 minute. Leave the cabbage to rest and marinade in the bowl for at least 15 minutes.

Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop. Peel and finely grate the fresh ginger root. Use another bowl to combine the ground pork with the onions, ginger root, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

Use both hands to pick up a small amount of marinated cabbage and squeeze to drain the salt water from the cabbage. Drop into the meat mixture bowl. Continue until all the cabbage has been squeezed dry of salt water. Mix the cabbage with the meat mixture together thoroughly and set aside.

To Assemble:
In a small bowl, fill 1/2 cup water for assembling the gyoza. Place a round gyoza wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper (careful not to overstuff the wrapper). Use the fingers of your free hand to moisten all sides of the exposed dough (around the filling) with water. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the top. Then crimp each side of dough tightly with your fingers to seal. Tap the sealed dumpling to flatten its bottom so that it stands upright. Repeat to finish assembling all the gyoza.**

To Cook:
Spray cooking oil onto a non-stick 10 inch frying pan over medium heat. Place about 16 gyoza dumplings in the pan. Add ¼ cup water to pan, cover with lid and cook for approximately 6 to 7 minutes. When the water is absorbed and the bottom of gyoza is lightly browned, the dumplings are ready. Serve immediately or use spatula to transfer the gyoza onto a cookie sheet, cover with tinfoil (so the gyoza skin will not dry out) and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to cook remaining gyoza. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

Makes 60 to 65 gyoza
Preparation time: 1-½ hours
Cooking time: 4 batches about 25 to 28 minutes

*Gyoza Wrappers are 3 inch round, thin, soft, fresh flour dough. They come in about 65 pieces and are sold next to the wonton wrappers in the produce section of most supermarkets.
**You can make the gyoza ahead of time and freeze on a flat tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and keep frozen for later use.

I know, many of you may be thinking “Yuck! I hate brussels sprouts”.  I only started liking brussels sprouts recently because of my father-in-law. Now I love them. And since it’s the season, some of you may want to try this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish. We happen to think that Chinese-style is the most delicious way to prepare them so we figured it’s worth a shot…