Easy Coconut Lime Rice
With hints of spring in the air, I am craving light, fresh foods. One of my favorites is rice bowls with lots of fresh produce and grilled proteins. Adding some simple seasonings to the rice can take your rice bowl from basic to AMAZING! Easy Coconut Lime Rice is the perfect base or side to go with so many dishes! The subtle flavor of the coconut milk, fresh cilantro, and brightness of the lime enhance the fragrance and flavors of Basmati rice. The other thing I love is how easy it is to make this! Five minutes of prep and then let the rice cooker do the work! Try it with my Grilled Mahi Mahi and top it with grilled asparagus or a variation of my Pineapple Salsa! How to Make Easy Coconut Lime Rice Prepare Rice Put the uncooked rice into a bowl and rinse until the water runs clear. Drain and put into the rice cooker. Add Add the coconut milk, stock, and chopped cilantro. Stir to mix. Cook on the white rice setting. Rest Once the rice cooker switches to warm, open the lid and let the rice sit for 10 minutes to allow the extra steam to evaporate. Fresh Lime Drizzle the lime juice over the top and fluff the rice. Garnish Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with your favorite dishes. Enjoy! Easy Coconut Lime Rice is the perfect base or side to go with so many dishes! The subtle flavor of the coconut milk, fresh cilantro, and brightness of the lime enhance the fragrance and flavors of Basmati rice. You might also enjoy
Perfect Pork Gyoza
Lunar New Year is a time to celebrate with your family and friends. It is also a great time to indulge in many types of Asian appetizers. One of my favorites is gyoza! Gyoza are Japanese style dumplings that are steam fried. That means you fry the bottoms until golden brown and then steam the gyoza until the wrapper and filling are plump and tender. You then take these perfect pockets of goodness and dip them in a lovely, tangy dipping sauce. It is the perfect blend of savory Japanese flavors that dances in your mouth! The easiest shape to make is the basic half moon where you simply fold the dumpling wrapper in half over the filling. If you want to make more decorative shapes, check out the numerous dumpling folding tutorials online. For this recipe, I do a fan shape with 4 pleats. Regardless of how you fold them, they will be delicious! How to Make Perfect Pork Gyoza Dipping sauce Stir ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside. Set up dumpling making station Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, get a small bowl of water, and dumpling wrappers. Time to make the dumplings Take one wrapper and lay it in your hand. Scoop about one tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold wrappers in half, over the filling, in a half moon shape. Pinch shut at the top and then press along the edges to seal the sides together. If you are comfortable, you can pleat the dumpling for a more decorative look. Gently push the dumpling down to create a flat bottom. Set on the cookie sheet and cover with a slightly damp tea towel to keep the wrappers from drying out. Repeat with the rest of the gyoza. Fry Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place a single layer of gyoza in the skillet and fry 3-5 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Steam Add a ½ cup of water to the pan (it will sizzle loudly) and quickly put a lid on the skillet. Steam the gyoza for 4-5 minutes until the water has mostly evaporated. Sauté Sauté for an additional minute to recrisp the bottoms. Serve Serve gyoza with dipping sauce. Enjoy! Recipe Notes To freeze Place a baking sheet with gyoza in the freezer. Freeze overnight. Once frozen, place gyoza in a freezer safe container. To cook Follow the same instructions, you just may need an extra minute or two. Steam fried Japanese dumplings filled with a savory pork mixture. Served with a tangy dipping sauce. You might also enjoy
Korean Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (Mandu)
The first time I had mandu was when I was 25 and traveled to South Korea with my mom to meet her side of the family. It was a hot summer day and we walked from my aunt’s apartment up the street to a tiny shop with 3 tables inside. We sat down and my aunt ordered our dumplings at the counter. I was fascinated as I watched the people behind the counter roll out the dough, cut the circles for the wrappers, fill and decoratively fold the dumplings. Within a few minutes, they brought several plates of dumplings and various dipping sauces to the table. I was in heaven! Each bite was tender, slightly chewy, and full of flavorful fillings. It was THE BEST! For years after, whenever I had the chance, I would order mandu at the local restaurants. It wasn’t until I was in my 40’s that I ventured into actually making them. Now that I do, I love it! Making mandu isn’t difficult, but it does take some time. It’s worth it to make a large batch, so you can cook some and freeze some to enjoy later! The best part? You can customize the fillings to whatever flavors you prefer! One of my new favorites is butternut squash and kale dumplings (You may see that in an upcoming post!). For this post though, I am starting with a traditional pork and shrimp filling. If you don’t want to use pork, ground chicken is an easy substitute. This is a great recipe to make with a group of people. Time goes a lot faster when everyone is gathered around making dumplings and spending time together. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! How to Make Mandu Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients for the filling until well combined. Set up your dumpling making station. Have a small bowl of water ready and a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Remove one dumpling wrapper from the package and lay in your palm. Dip your finger into the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling and press the wet edges to seal. Place dumpling on the sheet pan. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (There will be about 40 in a package). Make sure the mandu are spaced far enough apart that they are not touching. Once done, you can prepare the dumplings or freeze them for use later. To Freeze Lightly cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and place the dumplings in the freezer for at least 4-5 hours. Once frozen, you can transfer them to freezer bags. Dumplings will be good for up to three months in the freezer. Frozen dumplings can be steamed or boiled without thawing. To Steam Fill the bottom 1” of a large pot with water and place the steamer rack inside. Bring to a boil and add dumplings. Make sure they are not touching. Place the lid on the pot and steam for 13-15 minutes. Carefully transfer the dumplings to a dish and serve with dipping sauce. To Boil Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into the water and stir gently to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Boil for 13-15 minutes until they are floating and the filling is cooked through. Transfer to a dish and serve with dipping sauce. Notes You can find dumpling wrappers at your local Asian market or larger grocery stores in the freezer section. If you can only find square wonton wrappers, they will also work. You will just have a little extra wrappers on the edges. There are many ways to decoratively fold dumplings. Search for “How to fold dumplings” and you will find several videos and tutorials. Experiment and have fun! A traditional Korean dumpling filled with pork, shrimp, and cabbage that comes together in this tasty dish. Delicious fresh or freeze and save for later! You might also enjoy