Homemade Wontons

Wonton Soup

Filling

• 1 lb of lean ground pork
• 4 to 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked with 1.5 cups water for 3 hours, then drained and finely diced)
• 2 sprigs of green onion, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup of cabbage, boiled and then finely shredded (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp of soya sauce
• 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 1 tsp of pepper

Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well.

Preparation

Before assembling the wontons, have a small bowl of water ready.  The water will be used to seal the wontons together.

Wonton Preparation

Also, line a baking sheet with plastic wrap or parchment paper for the wontons once they have been assembled.

Wonton Preparation

Folding the Wontons

Wonton wrappers are now readily available at most grocery stores and have about 50 to 60 wonton sheets in each pack. They usually come in a square shape but are also sometimes available in a circle shape.

Step One

Take your wonton wrapper and place about 2.5 tbsp of the filling in the center of the square wonton wrap.  Using a brush or fingers, wet two adjacent edges of the wrapper and fold into a triangle (see Step One).  Press down firmly to ensure that a seal has formed around the filling.

Step Two

Fold the tip of the triangle up and indent the bottom of the wonton where the filling is (see Step Two).

Step Three

Brush a bit of water on one of the wonton corners, bring the other corner onto the top of the moistened corner and press down firmly to seal the two corners together (see Step Three).

Place the wonton onto the baking sheet and once the tray is full freeze them for two hours before storing in the freezer.

Wonton Soup

• 10 (frozen) wontons
• 3 to 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 sprig of green onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 lime

Frozen wontons require 8 to 10 minutes of cooking time in a boiling pot of (generously) salted water. Once the wontons are cooked, transfer them to a boiling pot of chicken broth and add in the green onions. Remove from the heat, add a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve immediately.

Baked Spicy Cheese Pasta

Baked Whole Wheat Penne in Spicy Cheese Sauce

• 1 package of pasta (e.g. penne, elbow, fusilli)
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• half an onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp of flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 2.5 cups of old cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of chili pepper flakes (more if you like it rather spicy)
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta as directed on the package but minimize the cooking time so that the pasta is slightly underdone.  The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

Heat a large pot on high and once the pot becomes hot, add in the butter, oil and onions.  Cook until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes) and then add in the garlic and spices.  Once the garlic is cooked (about 1 minute), sprinkle the flour thinly and evenly over the onions and garlic.  Immediately add in the milk and cheeses.  When the cheeses begin to melt and bubble, turn down to a medium heat and add in the yogurt. Simmer until the sauce is smooth and velvety.  Add in the pasta.  Mix well.

Pour the cheesy pasta into a baking dish.  Add a light dusting of parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta. Place the baking dish into a preheated 400°C oven for 25 to 30 mins or until the top is a golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before serving. This dish provides four generous sides or two dinner portions.

Baked Fries

Baked Fries

• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled
• 2 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil
• sea salt

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into the shape of fries and scrape the sides of the potatoes with a fork. Scraping the potatoes helps them crisp up in the oven. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl.  Add the oil to the potatoes and mix well. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place the potatoes in a single layer on the tray.  Bake at 400°C in a pre-heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fries are golden brown.  Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.