This term is shaping up to be one of my busiest yet. In addition to all the normal prep and marking for classes, I’ve taken on some extra projects (including starting a part-time university course) which will take up a large amount of time. Everything is worthwhile but I can see some fraught moments in the months to come.
In preparation for the busy evenings ahead, I’ve been stocking up my freezer with some standby meals: tomato sauce for pasta, chicken stock for risotto, bean chilli, beef stew and about a hundred or so tofu chinese dumplings.
I just adore these wee things. They are so tasty and so much fun to make and they can very quickly be cooked in a variety of ways straight from the freezer. What’s not to love?
Chinese Tofu Dumplings (or find a meaty version here)
(makes 100)
2 heads of pak choi, finely chopped
225g firm tofu, crumbled
6 spring onions, finely chopped
15g ginger, finely chopped
150 ml ground nut oil
2 large eggs
2 tbs rich soy sauce
1 tbs rice wine
¾ tbs salt
1 tbs sesame oil
Wonton or dumpling wrappers
- Salt the pak choi and leave for 30 mins then squeeze dry.
- Beat the eggs lightly then using 30 ml oil stir fry the eggs over a high heat until they are golden and crispy.
- Combine all the filling ingredients using your hands. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Put one teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wonton wrapper. Wet the edge of the wrapper and fold over, pinching to seal.
- To freeze (without them all sticking together) – Line up dumplings on a baking tray making sure they aren’t touching. Put in freezer. Once frozen remover dumplings from baking tray and seal in plastic bags.
Cooking options:
- Steam for 6-7 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce made from a mixture of soy sauce, crushed garlic and sesame oil.
- Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.
- Turn in to Japanese gyoza (see below) by frying gently on one side until golden. Add 1cm of water to frying pan, cover and let gyoza steam for 3 minutes. Remove lid and evaporate water. Serve with dipping sauce.
- Simmer gently with a green vegetable (broccoli, beans etc) in either miso soup or beef and ginger stock.
A Wee Bit of Cooking 
Looks delicious!! I never thought about making large batches of these and freezing. Great idea! Don’t get so busy that you don’t have time to update your blog. I would miss all the mouth watering food photos as well as the photos of the beautiful scenery in your part of world, and, of course, of Marco.
Uni course? In what?
Antipodean girls must know.
Love that crusted gyoza bottom.
P.S. Am coming to see you (hopefully, if you’ll be there and then) – and shall email you with exact dates as they arrive. My email system crashed, so I’m slowly getting around to contacting people.
Early October, methinks.
Thanks for the clear, straightforward recipe!
Good luck with all the busy-ness!
;o)
– Lee
these look gorgeous – good luck with your projects – hope you get some enjoyment from them (or if need be, between them)
I ate the same yesterday. Dumplings and broccolis…:)
Gale – Not to worry! I’ll still be around. Might be less frequently some weeks but I love doing this too much to abandon it completely.
Lucy – It’s a professional thing – an advanced teaching programmed called the Chartered Teacher’s certificate. Looking forward to getting started. I like goals!
And hooray! about the visit. Look forward to that email. 🙂
Lee – Thanks! Are these recipes usually convoluted?
Johanna – Thank you. I’m sure I will. Like I said to Lucy, I love working towards a goal.
Hajnika – Great minds… 🙂
Been wondering where you have been… All the best for you! 🙂
You’re so organised!
They look absolutely delicious! Lots of work to make, but well worth the effort!
Inspirational! Literally! Going to buy wonton wrappers today!
Ahhh, that’s a clever idea!
I’ve tried making unwrapped tofu dumplings in the past but they fell apart. Love the wonton wrapper idea to keep it all in. And you can freeze them too? Perfect.
Lots of luck with your new studies
That recipe looks a ‘keeper’. Must get some wrappers next time I’m in Glasgow.
i love wontons but they usually have meat in and i thought they’d be tricksy to make myself. how brilliant that you can batch them, hmmm another reason for needing a bigger freezer…
Where did you buy your wonton wrappers from? I’ve got a wagamamas book and really want to make some dumplings, but it lists Gyozo skins.. which are super obscure and I can’t find 😦 I was thinking that yours looked pretty similar to what I’m hoping to end up with.. any ideas? 🙂
Thanks!
Claire
Anh – Thank you!
Aforkfullofspaghetti – I try to be but it generally doesn’t work out that way. :S
DaviMack – Yeah. I tend to stick on a DVD and mindlessly fill and seal as I watch.
Kirsten – Enjoy!
Sophie – Thank you. Hope you do try these out. They’re a great standby.
Trekkie – I stock up on them everytime I go to a city. None in Inverness, unfortunately!
Nipitinthebud – They are easy-peasy but time consuming.
Claire – I’m pretty sure gyoza skins are exactly the same as dumpling wrappers. Wonton skins are made with egg so a little richer. I get mine at an Asian food store (freezer section) in Aberdeen. None in Inverness, unfortunately!
I can’t wait to try these!
I made these a few weeks ago and froze them. First outing this evening – they were ever so quick and easy to cook (in fact the 6 minutes I cooked them for was a bit too long – a couple of them fell apart). I used ginger and chilli in hot water to start then added frozen peas and sweetcorn, pak choi and then a big spoonful of miso at the end for flavour.
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